A West Coast hardwood. Easily worked and inexpensive.

Grades: SEL & BTR, #1 shop, Frame grade
Thickness & Finishes: S2S 13/16" & 15/16". Hit and miss 13/16, 15/16, 1-1/8, 1-3/8, 1-7/8, 2-15/16 & 4".
Widths: 3" - 12". Heavy 4" - 8"
Lengths: 6' - 12'. Heavy to 8'
Grains: Uniform texture - close grain.
Colors: Uniform light color.

Misc. Information: Allows any type of finish. Sanded finish and knife finish available. This medium density wood dries rapidly. It is moderately light in weight and intermediate in most strength properties. It is low in shock resistance, relatively low shrinkage and machines & works easily, straight-line ripped material in stock. There is no visible boundary between heartwood and sapwood.

Alder, also known as red alder and Western alder, is one of the most common of the Pacific Coast commercial timbers. It is the only broadleaf tree with cones.

At one time, alder was considered a "weed" tree, a nuisance that was bulldozed to leave room for the more highly-regarded douglas firs, hemlock, and other conifers. Alder has become the third most extensively exported hardwood in the United States. The biggest importers of alder are Germany, Japan and Italy, while half of what is cut annually is used in the domestic market.

It's hardness and density is comparable to Appalachian soft maple with a fine-grain similar to cherry, birch and maple. This hardwood is used to make cabinets, fine furniture, furniture frames, pallets, plywood, veneer, specialty items and paper products. It is also considered a good turnery wood.

Alder matures in 25 to 40 years and then starts to deteriorate by 60 to 80 years. Alder aids the trees growing near it because its root system puts nitrogen into the soil that helps conifers grow. Alder's expansive root system is also valued for discouraging erosion. Alder is regarded as a good medium for smoking meats and fish and is used in cooking and barbecuing in the same way as hickory and mesquite, to add flavor.