ALL ABOUT WOODS
Ultimate Wood Guide
HARDWOODS
1] Red Oak
Uses: Trim, Indoor furniture, plywood & veneers, flooring
Sources: USA, Canada
Characteristics: Straight, wide grain pattern with large pores. Tan to reddish pink in color.
Workability: Easy machining with sharp steel or carbide plates and bits. Not prone to burning when machined. Drill pilot holes test before nailing or screwing applied.
Finishing: Can be stained and clear finished but need to be filled if painted.
Cost: Moderate
2] White Oak
Uses: indoor and outdoor furniture, trim, flooring, plywood and veneers
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight, wide grain pattern, Tan with yellow cream tints.
Workability: Easy machining with sharp steel or carbide plates and bits. Not prone to burning when machined. Drill pilot holes test before nailing or screwing applied.
Finishing: Can apply stains and clear finishes like red Oak back for painting will require filling of pores
Cost: Moderate to expensive
3] Hard Maple
Uses: Indoor furniture cabinetry, trim, flooring, butcher blocks, instruments & plywood and veneers
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight, wide grain with occasional birds eye pattern
Workability: Machining difficulty without use of carbide blades and bits. Will burn if blades not sharp
Finishing: will take clear finishes
Cost: Moderate too expensive
4] Cherry
Uses: Indoor furniture, cabinetry, carving, turning, plywood and veneers
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Fine grain pattern with smooth texture. Would darkens as it ages
Workability: Machining easy with steel or carbide blades and bits. Burn prone with machining.
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishing well.
Cost: Moderate
5] Walnut
Uses: Cabinetry, indoor furniture, clocks, boat building, musical instruments
Sources: United States and Canada
Workability: Easy machining with sharp steel carbide blades
Characteristics: Straight, fine grain. Color ranges from dark Brown to purple or black period
Finishing: Takes natural finishes well
Cost: moderate
6] Birch
Uses: kitchen utensils toys, dowels, trim, and used for plywoods and bananas
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight grain with fine texture and tight pores.
Workability: Easy machining with sharp steel or carbide blades
Finishing: Takes finishes well, but penetrating wood stains can be blotchy
Cost: Inexpensive to moderate
7] Hickory
Uses: Sporting equipment, handles for impact tools, furniture and plywood and veneers
Sources: Southeastern United States
Characteristics: Straight to wavy grained, with coarse texture great shock resistance
Workability: Good for bending or forming. But can blunt cutting tools quickly
Finishing: Take stains and clear varnish well
Cost: Inexpensive in local regional areas
8] Aspen
Uses: Crafts, and wood used for drawer boxes, cleats, runners and hidden structural furniture parts
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Indistinguishable, tight grained pattern
Workability: Machines easily with sharp steel carbide blades and boots
Finishing: Better suited for painting standing tight grain good for smooth printable services
Cost: Inexpensive
9] White Ash
Uses: Baseball bats, boat oars, furniture, handles for impact tools, pool cues. Used for veneers
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight, wide grain pattern with coast texture hard and dense. Excellent shock resistance
Workability: Machines easily with sharp steel or call by tools. Drill pilot holes first for nailing & screwing
Finishing: Thanks stains and clear finishes will
Cost: Inexpensive
10] Poplar
Uses: Secondary wood for cabinetry and furniture, carving and veneers
Sources: United States
Characteristics: Find textured straight, wide grain pattern. Beige to greenish in color
Workability: Machines easily with sharp steel carbide blades and bits. Doesn’t burn when machined.
Pre drill pilot holes for nails and screws
Finishing: Better to paint rather than stain. Tight grain provides for good painting
Cost: Inexpensive
SOFTWOODS
11] White pine
Uses: Indoor furniture, plywood, veneers and trim, construction lumber
Sources: United States and Canada
Characteristics: Straight grained with even texture and type pores. Resin level not as high as with other pines
Workability: Easy machining with sharp steel or carbide blades and bits. Doesn’t burn when machined.
Finishing: Stains may blotch. Takes clear finishes and paints well .
Cost: Inexpensive
12] Western Red Cedar
Uses: Outdoor furniture, exterior millwork, interior and exterior siding.
Sources: United States and Canada.
Characteristics: Straight variable grained pattern with coarse texture. Light weight low density.
Naturally resistant to deterioration from UV sunlight and insects.
Workability: Soft composition machines easily but the ends prone to splintering and tear out.
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes well, but oils can bleed through painted finishes. At least prime surface first.
Cost: Inexpensive to moderate.
13] Aromatic Cedar
Uses: Naturally occurring oils make this would common closet and chest lining. Used for veneers and outdoor furniture .
Sources: Eastern United States and Canada.
Characteristics: Straight to wavy grained pattern with fine texture. Has streaking yellows and creams.
Workability: Machines similar to wit to western red cedar.
Finishing: Take stains and clear finishes will.
Cost: Inexpensive.
14 Redwood
Uses: Outdoor furniture, decks, fences, sidings.
Sources: West Coast of United States.
Characteristics: Straight fine grain with a few knots or blemishes. Light weight. Reddish Brown with cream colored sapwood.
Workability: Machines and sandpapers easily period
Finishing: Take stains and clear finishes well.
Cost: Moderate to expensive.
15] Cypress
Uses: Exterior siding and boat building. Interior and exterior trim, beams, flooring, cabinetry and paneling.
Sources: Mississippi Delta region of the United States.
Characteristics: Straight, even grain pattern with low resin and content. Naturally resistant to deterioration from UV sunlight.
Workability: Machines and sands easily.
Finishing: Take stains and clear finishes well.
Cost: Inexpensive if available in local region
EXOTICS
16] Paduak
Uses: Indoor furniture, cabinetry, flooring, lathe turning, veneers.
Sources: West Africa.
Characteristics: Course texture, straight grain.
Workability: Machines easily with sharp steel or carbide blades and bits.
Finishing: Take stains and clear finishes well.
Cost: Moderate to expensive
17] Zebrawood
Uses: Turning, Inlay, decorative veneers, furniture and cabinetry.
Sources: West Africa.
Characteristics: Light and dark variegated dark grain pattern
Workability: Can be difficult to machine. Use carbide blades and bits.
Finishing: Can be difficult to stain evenly.
Cost: expensive.
18] Wenge
Uses: Inlay, turning, decorative veneer.
Sources: Equatorial Africa.
Characteristics: Hard, dense straight grain with coarse texture. Heavy.
Workability: Dulls steel blades and bits quickly must use carbide cutter.
Finishing: Pores need filling before finish is applied.
Cost: Moderate.
19] Honduras mahogany
Uses: Indoor and outdoor furniture, veneers and trim, boat building.
Sources: Central and South America.
Characteristics: Straight, interlocking fine grain. Dimensionally stable.
Workability: Machines well with carbide blades and bits.
Finishing: Take stains and clear finishes well.
Cost: Moderate
20] Purple Heart
Uses: Pool cues, decorative inlays, veneers, indoor and outdoor furniture.
Sources: Central and South America.
Characteristics: Straight grained with coarse texture.
Workability: Gum deposits in wood can make it difficult to machine. Cutting edges dull quickly.
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes well.
Cost: Moderate.
21] Teak
Uses: Boat building, indoor and outdoor furniture, veneers, flooring.
Sources: Southeast Asia, Africa, Caribbean.
Characteristics: Straight grain with oily texture. Dense and hard.
Workability: Steel blades or dull quickly. Oily services require cleaning before gluing can take place.
Finishing: Takes oil finishes well.
Cost: Expensive.
22] Rosewood
Uses: Inlays, turning, veneers, cabinetry, furniture, musical instruments.
Sources: Southern India
Characteristics: Interlocked grain with medium to coarse texture
Workability: Hard, dense. Dulls cutting edges quickly.
Finishing: Takes stains and clear finishes well
Cost: Expensive
