Is "solid" wood always solid?

PCMLR

I am very curious about this. I have a solid cherry bedroom set. It is so heavy that the tall dresser is a challenge to move just to vacuum. A friend recently bought a solid cherry bedroom set. The pieces appear to be of the same thickness but are extremely light. I assume there are industry standards. Does anyone have an explanation for this difference?

wombosi

sounds like yours is the real thing and your friend's is not.
unfortunately i think the term "solid" is used pretty loosely, especially by the manufacturers who spit these things out of machines out of particle board or maybe a real cherry veneer over something "solid."
by the same token, weight doesn't necessarily equate to value. there's a big spectrum there through all the different species. also, you could have an MDF substrate, which is extremely heavy, veneered over.

there is also a big misunderstanding about veneered pieces being inferior to solid wood. this is complete nonsense. it is true that some veneered pieces are chunk, but others can be extremely well crafted.

so your generalization is a bit too loose here, i think. you may both have nice sets. it could be one is crap. i don't know.

PCMLR

I got a kick out your "shoot from the hip" response! I am aware of the difference between MDF and wood. I actually took a cheap flight to NC several years back to purchase the set, which I couldn't afford at home. I saved $7,000 by purchasing it in NC! It's solid cherry with a natural, unstained finish. Another thing I don't understand is why people think that a cherry finish is dark...?

Some of the most beautiful pieces I've seen are veneered. Old school cabinet makers used veneer extensively and took pride in the artistry of veneer. I don't know how it started that people assume veneer is garbage. Maybe they don't understand that veneer gives the beauty and characteristics that make a piece appealing. Maybe veneered MDF is what gave veneer a bad name.

troubleseeker

Why did you even pose the question; just to rebuke someone who tried to answer?

As to the color of cherry, the key is the words "cherry finish". Lots of modern cabinetry and furniture is called "cherry finsih" and it is dark for two reasons. First that is an effort to duplicate the natural color ( which will reach almost black if old enough) that cherry wood will darken to with age. But primarily from the point of modern factory production, the dark solid color stain totally hides the wood beneath it, which could be any species from maple to poplar; as long as it is not an open pored species,