# TIps & Tricks: Best Woods for Which Projects



## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

Perhaps this has happened to you: you want to make a certain project, whether it is a piece of furniture or a carving or a sign for outdoors (for example); you build the project only to find out that all of your work is flawed/challenged/wasted/... due to the "wrong" type of wood used, whether it was because of your limited skills or the natural qualities of the wood or some other unforeseen factor.



So the question is: (based on your experience and research)

*Are there "best woods" for "specific projects"?* 
(think: "first time" builds or "new woodworkers". Let's help make those first projects a success.)

1. Outdoor

2. Toys

3. Moist or humid environments

4. Difficult to machine

5. Difficult to stain

6. Not yellow glue friendly

7. Carvers' favorites



"Other "Tips & Tricks"":http://lumberjocks.com/MsDebbieP/blog/24914


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## miles125 (Jun 8, 2007)

I once told an inquisitive 19 year old helper we couldn't use Poplar on a project because it wouldn't hold up outdoors. His comment was "What's up with a tree that grows outdoors not being good for outdoors?". I shut up at that point and conceded defeat.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

I don't think there is any easy answer to your question.

With experience you develop favorite woods for certain applications, but is your favorite wood the best wood? How do you define best wood?

Example - I like ipé for outdoor furniture. Is it the best? That's a judgment call. It's very weather resistant but it is also very hard and heavy and it dulls saw blades and drill bits quickly. It is also a little expensive, but not as expensive as teak.

I suggest that if you name a specific project on this board you will get many opinions about what wood different LJs would use for that project. Some LJs may claim that their choice is the best, but what they are really saying is this is the wood I like best for this project.


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

*7. Carving:* basswood is a great wood for carving - it's easy to work with. I tried "pine" in my first efforts and that was horrible. 
(hopefully someone can explain the "why" behind basswood vs pine)


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

I agree with Rich about opinions, gee whiz, imagine LJs having them!

Debbie, if you had a chart with headings like this, would it be helpful?

Outdoor

Toys

Moist or humid environments

Difficult to machine

Difficult to stain

Not yellow glue friendly

Carvers' favorites

What categories would you add?

Kindly,

Lee


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

(question has been edited. Thanks for suggestions)


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## SCR0LL3R (May 28, 2010)

Here's an article I wrote on popular North American hardwoods with regards to scroll saw projects. Some of the info is useful for other types of work as well.

http://www.sheilalandrydesigns.com/articles/north-american-hardwoods


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

Miles, apparently he was 'bark'ing up the wrong tree.

Debbie, the winter vs. summer rings in some woods like basswood are very similar in density AND color. This makes them easier to carve. Pine, OTOH, has widely differing densities between the rings, and as a result, is difficult because the knife gets caught on the more dense rings.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

I got lost on the "toys" for all the rest it is *Ipe* for me.. good in outdoor applications, holds up in humidity, machines like crap, doesn't stain well, doesn't take yellow glue well, and I love to carve it though it dulls tools very fast… Alas it weights a ton and would be very bad for kids toys. Oh well.


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## LeeBarker (Aug 6, 2010)

So the question is: (based on your experience and research)

Are there "best woods" for "specific projects"?
(think: "first time" builds or "new woodworkers". Let's help make those first projects a success.)
Here we go. copy, add, paste:

1. Outdoor: Cedar

2. Toys: Maple

3. Moist or humid environments: Teak

4. Difficult to machine: Rock Maple (planing and jointing)

5. Difficult to stain: Alder, Pine

6. Not yellow glue friendly: Teak, Osage orange

7. Carvers' favorites: Basswood


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

I think Lee's choices hit it pretty well…

Lee, thank you!


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## Rustic (Jul 21, 2008)

Basswood is preferred for carving because it is considered a hardwood, even though it is soft. It also hold detail pretty good. Pine is too soft and sappy. Butternut is very good for carving as well.


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## therookie (Aug 29, 2010)

1. Outdoor- Cedar or pine or redwood

2. Toys- Maple or oak for durability

3. Moist or humid environments- Good question

4. Difficult to machine- Teak

5. Difficult to stain- Ash tends to splotch

6. Not yellow glue friendly- Teak again

7. Carvers' favorites- Basswood and pine

Just my thoughts


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## Roz (Jan 13, 2008)

My experience would lead me to answer as follows

1. Outdoor: Western Red Cedar, White Oak

2. Toys - Pine, Maple

3. Moist or Humid enviroments - Pressure Treated Pine

4. Difficult to machine - (I am a novice) Ash

5. Difficult to Stain - See Answer 6.

6. Not yellow Glue friendly - Mock Orange or Osage Orange

7. Carvers favorite - Black Tupelo (If you can find it.)


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## BobTheFish (May 31, 2011)

The best way to go about it is to look for woods with specific properties. Some woods actually hold up fairly well to certain projects that one might not consider them usable for.

For outdoor use, for example, cedar is a go to wood, but it's pretty soft. Teak is another decent wood, but a bit stronger. Ipe is getting a lot of press these days for the ultimate outdoor wood.

What it is that makes these woods fairly good for this task, however, is that they all have a fairly resinous, oily wood, which insects dislike and at the same time have rot resistance due to properties of the grain.

In this regard, there's plenty of exotics and tropical woods with fairly respectable properties that can suit one's purpose.

#3 and #1 require much of the same properties, so I'd suggest the same woods.

Difficult to stain/glue? Those again are the woods with a highly oily/resinous properties again…

Toys, I've typically seen in maple. (and around here, rock maple specifically). Here the properties you're looking for are low toxicity, pretty foodsafe, nonreactive woods. You want something with a fairly tight, splinter free, grain, and yet something fairly durable. Oak splinters rather nasty, pine is too soft, and I wouldn't toy with too many of the tropicals, (too expensive for one, but god only knows what might react with what, or if a splinter or gnawing on the wood for an hour or two causes an allergic reaction, and if they warn woodworkers about its reactivity, I don't really want a kid playing with the wood exposed… and it WILL break through the finish and be exposed..)

For machining, I believe everyone has their favorites and dislikes when it comes to what you work with. Maple, as mentioned, often has horror stories with it about planing and jointing, but oak SUCKS when it comes to fine detail turning. Generally lumping it together as machining isn't helpful.

Carvers favorites… Well, I think someone already hit upon what makes basswood ideal, though other woods with those properties will also work..

I really wish there was something like a periodic table of woods for the woodworker. it would make selecting woods based on properties MUCH easier.


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

Aussie woods
1. Outdoor: Tallowood, Spotted Gum, Kwila

2. Toys: Radiata pine, Balsa, plywood

3. Moist or humid environments: Teak, Tallowood, Spotted Gum, Kwila

4. Difficult to machine: Iron Bark, Red gum, Gidgee

5. Difficult to stain: Take your pick

6. Not yellow glue friendly: Teak, Osage orange, Kwila, Gidgee

7. Carvers' favorites: ???


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## darinS (Jul 20, 2010)

If you are just curious about a specific type of wood, this may help.

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

In my experience I use certain woods for certain projects. Here is my OPINION:
(1)Poplar, for toys. It machines well, takes paint well, is a hardwood, stains poorly. I leave it unfinished in toys
Pine or fir works well for toys as does mahogany.
(2)Carving with gouges: I prefer any fruit wood over basswood or pine. Pine requires super sharp tools to avoid fuzzy cuts. Hardwood does not have that problem. Oak also cuts cleanly but the grain detracts from seeing the detail.
(3) Making small boxes: Red cedar sands and shapes easily and folks like the smell. 
(4) Inlaying wood into red cedar: Soft maple, walnut,apple,mesquite. I do not use soft woods like pine and basswood because they take on the color of the cedar unless a lot of care is taken when sanding.


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