Solid Wood Doors Vs Composite

No matter what door you choose..or if you paint,stain and clear coat..make sure you do the top and bottom edges no matter what...if not moisture will absorb in the open grain/composite in these pplaces and either warp or rot your door out pretty eaasily..I am a 37 year experienced paint contractor and on all government jobs tyhey require that we do this on interior and exterior doors. .My uncles taught me to paint starting at the age of 13 years old..we did this on all doors no matter if a government job,commercial or reasidential

1. Where can I find a modular solid wood bookshelf in Cape Town?

I can not talk about your location, but it sounds like you would be better off finding a carpenter to make you one. I had a carpenter make me one a few years ago, and I am about to have a contractor build me in another one. Total cost about 500 euros for all the wood and the work. I have seen some solid oak or teak ones but not exactly the right size anyway, and they are always more than a 1000 euro. Or Ikea, but you then have the dreaded chipboard, or at best stained (very young) pine

2. Where can I find a good 'solid wood' surfboard?

Grain Surfboards The Surfboard Man

3. What are solid wood trees?

All trees are solid wood. There are hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwoods would be trees like Maples and Oaks. Softwoods would be pines, although some pinewood is as hard as oak. But that is when they are grading lumber.

4. "Figured” woods and veneers for guitars

I am familiar with quilted, tiger striped (aka fiddle-back), and birdseye. These may be found in maple; I do not know what figure varieties exist in ash.Yes, any veneer is a laminate.Solid is a marvelous marketing word. Solid wood can be a laminate, like plywood. I would not expect a glued laminate to be the optimal choice for an acoustic soundboard. For an electric guitar, veneered solid-body models are common. (The quilted example is just that; a 1/4" maple top over a 2-pc mahogany body. Most veneers, however, are very very thin.)

5. What is the best type of acoustic guitar to get?

Steel strings for sure. If you've only got $100-200 to spend, you are not going to get anything fancy, or anything really good sounding. You are certainly not going to get solid wood. You will get laminated back and sides ("laminated" being guitar manufacturers' euphemism for "plywood"), and at the lower end of that range, a laminated top as well. If at all possible, you really want a guitar with a solid wood top -- spruce is best but cedar is OK. If that means waiting a few more weeks or months to save up the money for a solid-top guitar, I would advise it. The top of the guitar is the light-colored front part with the soundhole in it where the bridge rests -- it vibrates and resonates with the vibrations of the strings and a guitar with a solid wood top will sound noticeably better than one with a laminated top as the solid wood conveys sound vibrations better. Do NOT buy your guitar from Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target or Sears -- none of the sales people at these mass retailers know ANYTHING about guitars, and the instruments they have on sale there are all really cheap and really bad. They will be in your price range but they will not be very playable; they are more suited as decorative wall hangings than as actual musical instruments. :-) Go to a real music store

6. buying a pool table, Does it really need to be solid wood? or is laminate ok ?

Solid wood is sturdier and will be construed as higher build quality. Laminate is ok though, mostly for looks. It could end up peeling off at the seams as it ages or if something knocks it if it's not bonded strongly. At least the table has a slate bed, but you might want to inquire to see how thick it is.

7. What is the difference between plywood and solid wood?

Plywood is made up of several thin layers/sheets of various woods that are glued together under pressure. If you look at the edge of plywood you can make out the different layers. The individual sheets are usually laid so that the grain(s) of each is at right angles to the ones above and below. This multi-layering/laminating supposedly gives you an overall stronger and more durable piece of wood than a solid piece. Different woods are used depending on the specific usefullness/benefits of each wood. Birch is popular, and the woods used to make the plywood are graded for interior and/or exterior uses.