# what are your favorite woods?



## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

If someone asks me what my favorite wood is, I would say it depending on the project. Still, the truth is that I like some woods more than others. So here I will identify my top 5 in 3 categories and invite others to respond.

Domestic (common) hardwoods - Mahogany, maple and cherry

Reasonably priced exotics - Bubinga

Expensive - Brazilian Tulipwood (a.k.a. Pau Rosa).

Note that I am not specifying finer breakdowns beyond the general name. For example, I am not saying waterfall bubinga or quilted maple. My definition of "reasonably priced" is less than $25/bf.

How about you?


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## Woodwrecker (Aug 11, 2008)

"Little Birdie Wood" cheap,cheap,cheap….

I do have a secret love affair with Black Walnut though.

(I make waaay too many mistakes to use expensive material…lol)


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

QSWO with Walnut inlays.
My definition of affordable hardwood is 75 cents per board foot. I buy my lumber rough, and I don't think I could ever go back to S4S prices.


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

For me, it's whatever I'm working with at the time.

A few years ago, a customer asked for a houseful of ultra contemporary cabinets in Beech with a clear finish. I hadn't used Beech before, and hadn't really done much in the contemporary style, but as I built them, they became the prettiest cabinets I had ever made.

Right now, I'm making a shop cart for my new mortiser. I'm using some redwood that I bought in '80 or '81 for a deck. These boards were reused for an open storage shed in the mid-90's when I rebuilt the deck. I replaced the shed earlier this year and the redwood is now being milled for my mortiser cart. It's dead straight, and has aged to a dark red color. It will get a clear finish and I think that it will look fabulous. A couple of the neighbors have said that my shop cabinets and carts look nicer than their living room furniture. - lol


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Cocobolo's hard to beat for me.
For domestics, I like plain old walnut.
Now you've got me thinking about tulipwood. The colors are fantastic.
I can see why you like bubinga if you like tulip; you must like color.
I had some highly figured eucalyptus that I wouldn't mind having more of. 
.
And Sawkerf, redwood in my area is seriously like $15/bf. The only piece I own is one that Dan from the handplane thread gave me.


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## fussy (Jan 18, 2010)

Rich,

My absolute hands down all time favorite is cherry. Any way you look at it, it has something of beauty to show you. It is a challenge, but rewards you. I like maple walnut, oaks, and sycamore (quartered), but I LOVE cherry.

My favorite exotics are sapele and bloodwood. My idea of 'reasonable' price is <$7.00/bd.ft. I suffer, I fear, a bit more pecuniary embarrasment than do you. If I have to, I'll use poplar actually a nice wood) or pine (another nice one) when I run out of money for better woods.

Steve


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Walnut for me yesiree (because I have a bunch).
Bill


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

A few reactions - -

I also like cocobolo and have worked with it quite a bit. In my opinion, the beauty of cocobolo can vary a lot, even within a single piece of wood. Some portions can be amazingly beautiful and others quite dull. By contrast, the beauty of bubinga is quite consistent. I think of bocote as a slightly better cocobolo. It's also a little more expensive.

I also like cherry, but it bothers me that it darkens so much over time. It also bothers me that it burns so easily.

I also like walnut, but only if the piece has no sapwood. Walnut often has a lot of sapwood.

I've used quite a bit of bloodwood recently and like it very much. It is very good at retaining its color for the long term. So many exotics (purpleheart, padouk and others) loose their color over time). When I compare bloodwood and bubinga, I think of bloodwood as being like bubinga (color wise) but without the exciting grain.

About "reasonably priced: - In that category I am only talking about the exotics that can vary from $10 to over $100 dollars. Within the exotics, I consider $25/bf to be the break point between reasonably priced and high priced. As an FYI - I own some (no much) pink ivory, ebony (several variations) and ambroyna burl that costs between $60 and $80 per board foot. When wood cost this much you save it for the very special project and, in reality, that very special project never comes along. I've owned a piece of pink ivory for over 5 years and have not used any of it yet.


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

Bertha -
Redwood is pretty common around here - although really good stuff can be hard to find. When I bought it in the early '80s, 2×6, Conheart S4S, cost ~69 - 70 cents /linear foot. Much higher these days, of course. - lol


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

Rich, it is like picking your favorite child! I cant do it…but I will say I really am not that fond of the neighbor kid, aka red oak. I will use it, but I like so many others more.

Exotics…I like paduak, zebrawood, and sapele. But the budget generally only stretches for those to be used as accents.

If push came to shove, and I only had one for eternity, it would probably be figured walnut.


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## jcees (Dec 31, 2007)

For working qualities, I like *black walnut* and *mahogany*. After that, they're all just colors on a palette. Their working qualities are what they are and I just have to deal with it the best way possible. As to what I enjoy looking at… hmmm…. That's a tough one.

It's probably easier for me to answer which one I *DON'T *like-flat sawn red oak. Because it's just so dang *EVERYWHERE!*

always,
J.C.


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## NiteWalker (May 7, 2011)

Black walnut, curly maple, plain maple, purpleheart.


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

^I had to google that:








Is that Cr1 with the camelback, lol?


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## awsimons (Apr 26, 2009)

Whoever said Bloodwood, I'll agree that I like the look of it finished, but it is a PAIN to work with! I started using it on my scroll saw and the stuff constantly burns for me. I recently turned a few projects with it, and the stuff is so splintery! If I try to brush off the shavings on my shirt, I am sure to get a splinter or two in my skin. Ugh!
Alan


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Alan - I have never scrolled or turned with Bloodwood so I cannot relate to that. I have used it extensively with a table saw.

If you look at my recent projects you will see a series of projects I did for our church with oak as the primary wood and bloodwood as an accent. I never encountered a splintering problem and the burning was very slight and easily sanded out.

I chose bloodwood because I did not want any distracting grain within the accent pieces and it has a reputation for retaining its color for the long term.


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## rustfever (May 3, 2009)

Claro Walnut, board and rootball; Western Maple, figured & birdseye; Red Gum Eucalyptus, basket weave; Mesquite Burl; Alligator Juniper, burl; & Pine, when Grandson asks me to help him make his Pine Wood Derby race car!


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

I only work with common, sustainable domestics, or recycled exotics (I have gotten some exotics in the form of pallet wood). I will not pay for imported wood. Just a legacy of growing up in Oregon and watching the lumber industry struggle so much… I guess it is how some folks feel about buying import tools…

My top 5 favorites to work with are (not in any particular order)...

#1. Black Walnut, not the safest to work with, but manageable with a respirator and dust collection…
#2. Curly Maple. 
#3. Quarter Sawn Red Oak.
#4. Mesquite.
#5. Pecan / Hickory.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

dbhost - - I appreciate your opinion and comments. You surprised me by specifying Quarter Sawn* Red* Oak.

Can you comment on why you prefer red oak to while oak?

Oak is not at the top of my list, but with respect to oak, I much prefer white oak.


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## SnowyRiver (Nov 14, 2008)

I work a lot with white oak. But I like walnut, especially the smell of it when you're cutting it. Peruvian walnut has a really sweet smell to it. Even more so than black walnut.


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## KPW (Dec 1, 2011)

Maple,maple,maple and hmm? Maple.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I forgot to add that the padauk projects have been super, but the cleanup after turning/sawing/sanding has been a monster job. That stuff is pain to do the after-work maintainance. Love the wood. Hate the cleaning afterwards.
Bill


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Isn't talking about wood a lot more enjoyable that arguing about politics?

This is what this site is all about.


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## fussy (Jan 18, 2010)

Yeah Rich, but then you get those wackos who think $25/bd.ft is reasonible and $14,000 Fein electric pocket knife/lint pickers are just dandy. But yes, this is more relaxing. Bloodwood is great for flat work, sands to a beautiful polish, but is too hard for scroll sawing unless very thin. I've never turned it, but I suspect that as Allen said, it would be a bit rough> VERY sharp tools would help, aand I don't think it would hurt to wet it as you turn it. Does that make sense to you?

Steve


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## HamS (Nov 10, 2011)

Cherry and maple until I moved to Indiana and encountered cheap walnut. Walnut and maple got well together and the scraps are REALLY good in the smoker cooking a pig shoulder.


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## bhog (Jan 13, 2011)

Black Walnut,Cherry,and theres something about quilted Maple.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Rich, Jatoba is probably my favorite but I really like quarter sawn Sycamore and quarter sawn red oak. The qs red oak has smaller flecks and rays but they are more colorful without the need to dye. Many are very red/iradescent. I have a bunch of walnut so probably take it for granted but it is beautiful. Hell, now that I think about it I love all wood. I even found some birdseye PINE that was very special! Great thread. You always come up with good topics. Thanks.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

I can tell you woods I don't like alot easier, but aromatic cedar definately is one of my more favorite, along with bird'seyed white pine, always have loved the contrast in poplar, but it isn't really great for a finish wood category….

Woods I don't like…
Makore really pretty but, kills blades, dust chokes…
Spanish cedar really pretty, but tastes awful, and if you've not worked it, it just can't be explained…
Phillipino Mahogany, pretty wood again, tastes like perfume….
Jatoba (brazilian cherry) comes in 15-16 inch wide boards in 8 quarter plus, weights a ton, but also a pretty wood…
Wenge again a pretty wood, but extremely brittle, and does not feel good when a splinter comes in one side of a finger of a glove, goes through finger, and out the other side of the glove….

But I like all of those woods to, just have a reason to dislike working them.


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## linjay (Mar 20, 2011)

Spruce is my replacement for pine forever. Planes nicely, little sanding required and virtually no dust. see http://lumberjocks.com/projects/46467
I've made a blanket box (http://lumberjocks.com/projects/57463) and a coffee table recently that my daughter wanted painted. Spruce was a great solution. Took me awhile to get used to the idea of painting stuff though.
For hardwood I like maple and white oak over red.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

(grins) I like black oak


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## davidmicraig (Nov 21, 2009)

I have very little experience with the exotics. Even local hardwoods are still new to me as I have just been going to the sawmill for the last year or so. Before that, everything was pretty much pine and found wood. I will always fondly remember my first look at Tiger Maple. I bought a slab from the mill. I don't even think they knew what was under the surface. I started cleaning the board and had to stop for a few minutes and just admire the shimmer.

David


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## KenBee (Mar 9, 2011)

My favorites are Oak, both red and white, Maple in all varieties, Tennessee Red Cedar and Walnut in all varieties. I do use imported wood in small quantities for accents, but really have no favorites. I also use Red Wood for all of my signs that will be placed outside and inside use can be almost anything.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Some great comments here - thank you.

I also like Jatoba. I've used it in the past and I have sort of forgot about it. Don't know why.

Someone commented on Makore and how it is hard on blades. I've worked with makore and I agree that it is hard on tools. There are several woods that I use that are very hard. Lignum Vitae, ipe, and osage orange come to mind. It really does not bother me that these woods are hard on equipment. Blades can be sharpened.

I'm a little surprised that amboyna burl has not been mentioned. I have used it in the past. It's a wood that seems to look better before I do anything with it than it will after I have used it. I made a bangle bracelet with it once and I could never get back to the shiny look it had before I turned it.


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## Ripthorn (Mar 24, 2010)

Domestics: Black Walnut, mahogany, maple (especially figured)

Reasonable exotics: bolivian rosewood, bloodwood

Expensive stuff: ebony, kingwood

Note that I stick with the first category 90% of the time, the second category 8-9% of the time, and the last category ~1%, possibly less


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## Andy123 (Aug 17, 2011)

Maple, Purple Heart, Koa.


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## planeBill (Oct 21, 2011)

I'm partial to OLD GROWTH QSWO, it works so much better than the wo with rings 3/8" apart, birdseye,quilted and tigerstripe maple, cherry and walnut. Mahogany, redheart, iroko and bubinga.
Lately I have been using qswo almost exclusively. Oh yeah, I have to include quarter sawn sycamore too.


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## terrilynne (Jun 24, 2010)

Walnut is my favorite for the rich color and love the smell of it too.
Mahogany because it's easy to work with.
Cocobolo when you get a piece with a lot of "fire" in it!
Ebony ( I use very thin pieces and shim it cause you know$$$$$$)
Redheart ,pretty and easy to work.

The two worst are bloodwood and black palm. Bloodwood is sooooo hard to cut on the scroll saw. Black palm is very hard and it breaks apart too easy it's an intarsia artists nightmare!


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

Rich, I did a blog about this a while back and got these responses - favorite wood blog. One of my favorites would have to change though as I have developed an allergy to cocobolo. I cannot turn it dry anymore….and must use some serious dust control when sanding it. I still think Maple is one of the better woods for flat work….with walnut right next to it. Exotics are nice….but expensive…I do like using them for boxes and accents.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Thanks reggiek. I reviewed your blog and didn't see information that is much different that what I read on this forum topic. There is no right or wrong here.

I'm just grateful that we have such a wide variety to choose from. I'm trying to cut back, but when I see a wood that I find attractive I tend to buy it, thinking that I will find a use for it later. My latest acquisition was some laotian mun ebony. I had not even heard of it before. It has a black and brown swirling pattern that is amazingly beautiful.


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

Wow Rich, that wood sounds beautiful. I am always on the look out for wood I like (I probably buy too much wood - but I am very careful to use every bit of it). Even though it "grows on trees" as it were - I cannot resist beautiful woods. If you get a chance, post a pic or two of the ebony. My latest acquisition is a pallet of Tigrillo…I love this stuff as it works like maple but has the most beautiful grain patterns - it is also called ocelot wood due to the spotted "tiger" like grain. Nothing is more pleasing to have some choices when it comes to a project….right now I am getting low on curly cherry and will need to find another good, reasonable source.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Here are a couple of pictures of Laotian Mun ebony. This is a warped board with a few blemishes (i.e. cheaper). You are seeing it unsanded with no finish. I'll have to do a little milling work on it (unless I turn it). I've not seen anything quite like it before. I might turn some of it. I see candle holders and/or the base and stem of wine glasses (I use glass bulbs to make some very interesting wine glasses).

If curious - I paid $25 for this piece which is 2×2x30 ($30/bf).


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## Deltawood (Aug 24, 2009)

Gummy Cherry--------Cheap, beautiful color, and every board is unique and interesting.

P.S. Did I say it was cheap also! One man's waste is another man's treasure.


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## ToddTurner (Apr 20, 2009)

Walnut! Nuff said!! 
Rich thanks for bringing us back to wood! Save the politics for the facebook Guys.


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## BentheViking (May 19, 2011)

wish i had enough experience to properly comment on this topic…maybe some day

wish i had enough money to call something $25 bf reasonably priced…maybe some day


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Bolivian rosewood is pretty much my most favorite. I made a spectacles case (well, several) that is just gorgeous from a piece of it. I like red oak and bubinga in combination. Knotty pine for big case stuff, because it's cheap and I can sort through the pile to get straight pieces at the borgs.

I have curly maple, curly mahogany, curly red oak, lacewood, etc., pieces that I have picked up from various stores when buying other wood, just because I had to have it for the beauty. I worked the equivalent of two extra months time this year in terms of overtime, so the wood is piling up unused. There doesn't appear to be much letup in the near future at work, but I'm proceeding slowly with the tooling I need. I'll be making a zero-clearance insert Saturday, when I go to my nephew's place to use his milling machine and TIG welder (actually, he's doing the welding, I have no experience with that thing).


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## Bagtown (Mar 9, 2008)

When I can get it, I like apple. And I get to smoke ribs with the scraps 

Mike


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

I must fear apple, as I'm oddly enough allergic to apples…


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## GCotton78 (Dec 28, 2011)

I'm with BentheViking on this one. An informative and interesting topic though. Looking forward to eventually getting some experience with all this stuff. So far I've only worked with pine and red oak.


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## Nighthawk (Dec 13, 2011)

I love rimu but it because it is now a protected wood it is so damn expensive…


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## Gene01 (Jan 5, 2009)

Any and all variations and cuts of oak, all walnuts, cherry, mesquite and maple.


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## bcwoodworking (Dec 25, 2011)

Walnut and lacewood for me.


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## Brad_Nailor (Jul 26, 2007)

I love Maple, and all of its figured varieties..curly, birds eye, tiger, etc. I also love Walnut, Cherry, Mahogany, Purpleheart, Jatoba, Bubinga. Not a huge fan of the oaks…but I will use them if a project calls for it..but my all time favorite…curly red Birch! My stepdaughters friends parents just built a house and they did the whole kitchen including the trim and door and window casings in curly red birch…beautiful!


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

I enjoy reading all these comments and I frequently find myself saying, "Oh Yea - I like that wood too".

I have some experience with a wide variety of woods because I enjoy learning about a lot of different woods.

For almost a year I have been working almost exclusively with oak (both red and white) with bloodwood accents. The reason for that is that most of my projects have been for my church and oak and bloodwood is the theme we are using. FYI - We have gone through over 1000 board feet of oak. That work is completed. I'm very excited to get back to working with a wide variety of wood.

In fact, before today is done, I will take a shot at turning some Rambutan, which I have never worked with before. I also want to turn a blue mahoe bowl. I turned one before and it was a delight to turn - until I was not paying close enough attention and went through the bottom.


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## SteviePete (May 10, 2009)

Butternut and basswood for carving.
Northern White Cedar - odor same for white spruce.
Tiger soft maple (Acer rubrum) 
Wild Cherry or Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

White Birch-both sapwood (white) and heartwood (red)

Like the exotics and burl wood for decorative veneering and marquetry.

But mostly any variety I can take from standing in the woods to finished products-very little waste. That's the most fun you can have with ballistic clothing, steel toed boots, eye protection, hearing protection and a respirator. I like to keep it simple. har har


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## MichaelA (Jun 29, 2010)

I prefer any wood that has images in them. Its up to us wood workers to add any beauty to already a gorgeous form of nature!


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## Bullhusk (Jan 1, 2012)

I like Purpleheart the best, followed by Black Walnut, Maple and Lacewood.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Michael - I'll make a very petty point about what you said. I hope you don't mind. I don't think a woodworker can "add" much beauty to a piece of wood. I think a better word is to say that you "reveal" the beauty that is in the wood.


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## Cousinwill (Jun 27, 2010)

Domestic woods--Maple and Walnut
Exotic woods---Purpleheart and Bubinga


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## MichaelA (Jun 29, 2010)

Rich, I do like your version so much more. Well perceived and I don't feel it is petty at all. Just better interpreted!!!!!!!!


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## northeaster (Jul 30, 2011)

I'm a little surprised that few have mentioned teak so far. While my experience is not anywhere near as broad as I would like it to be, I was really taken with it during my first project. To me, cutting teak is almost like cutting butter. OK, the wood's a little denser than butter (!) and stalls my saw easily if pushed very hard. Rather, it's the slippery, oily quality of a fresh cut surface and the dust that I find interesting: by themselves, those things really tell you why people use so much of it in boats.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

I'll comment on teak. I like it very much. I think of it as an upscale wood for outdoor furniture. However, I like ipe just as much or more and it costs about half as much as teak. If you are a teak user, try ipe and judge for yourself.


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## northeaster (Jul 30, 2011)

Rich, thanks very much for the comment and suggestion. Your comment about usage is spot on: the project I mentioned was actually a folding sailboat cockpit table.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

I


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

Balsa is awesome!!!
Light weight and you can shape it with just sandpaper 

Really Walnut is great to work with - cuts clean, and finishes beautifully and is structurally strong - so you can have ornate joinery for chairs and tables that last generations.

mahoghany is great if you need to carve it - easy to make ball and claw cabriole legs.


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## willd (Mar 9, 2011)

I like any wood with a nice figure!


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## woodchic (Mar 17, 2009)

Hi Rich…......I am going to put my two cents in. Walnut…..........I love to work in walnut. There I said it!!

AKA Woodchic


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

For domestics my absolute favorite is cherry with gum streaks in it. just adds such an interesting effect to the overall piece. From there red oak, apple, walnut and mahogany. I've developed an absolute dislike for white oak as I find it too bland and boring to work with, I really like color so I've decided to toss all my white oak into a workbench that won't follow me when I move in 4-5 years.

For exotics I'll go with bubinga, purpleheart, lacewood and bloodood. I've never used bloodood but I like the look a lot and will be getting into it when I get a chance. But my definition of reasonably priced is sub-10.00, ministers just don't make enough to call anything more then that reasonable.

For expensive I wouldn't mind trying ebony and maybe some pink ivory which looks interesting.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Hey Rev. Russ - -

If you review some of my recent projects, you will see several projects I did for our church. We completely remodeled our cancel area and put new pews end panels on all the pews. We used both red and while oak with bloodwood accent pieces. Everything was stained with a Golden Oak stain. Since the white oak is quarter sawn and the red oak is flat sawn, we can see the difference in the grain. We cannot see any difference in the color.

Regarding bloodwood - I choose it because most of the other colorful woods tend to fade over time, but bloodwood does not. Of the exotics you mention, purpleheart is one of the worst for fading (Padauk is another).

As an FYI - I have 40 bf of very wavy and beautiful 8/4 babinga waiting to be transformed into a bed frame.


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## USMC6531 (Feb 13, 2011)

1-Cherry
2-Walnut
3- Mahogany
4-Aromatic Cedar-Just because I love the smell


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## Chipy (Apr 20, 2011)

Morning wood…..but I haven't seen it in a long time.


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## Exuma (Sep 10, 2010)

I have next to none experience with many of the woods you guys have and I tend to use strictly native Bahamian woods.

1, Lignumvitae - surprisingly easy to work with despite its density and the natural finish is sinfully luxurious
2. Pigeon Plum - very easy to cut, but some pieces can be a devil to carve and tends to burn.
3. Logwood - probably one of the most common trees here. can be very hard to work with but oh man, with a gloss finish it has a deep, blood red colour that blazes like a bonfire. main downside is that the dust turns your skin or any other surface an indigo-like colour.
4. Madeira (West Indian Mahogany)

wood I dont like: Sea Grape. It has a beautiful pink/brown colour but it is easily one of the most random woods to work with, one second it's like I'm carving balsa…the next it's nearly impossible to carve! I curse more than anything when I work it.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

To work with, mahogany is hard to beat. But my true love is yellow pine with a nice patina.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Exuma - You refer to "Bahamian woods". Does that mean you live in the Bahamas?

I'm familiar with Lignum Vitae (but I always thought it was 2 words). I think of it as a South American tree. Do they also have it in the Bahamas?

I've never heard of the other 3 you mention and I am particularly curious about the Logwood, based on your description.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

Rich, it might have something to do with regional differences in the wood. What I have has very noticable differences.









Despite being a lousy pic I think it is a good comparison. Most of my white is really white, yellowish or slightly brown. The red is really that red air dried.


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## Exuma (Sep 10, 2010)

@rich - Most people associate Lignum Vitae as being south american. However the dominant species we have here in The Bahamas; Guaiacum sanctum, is native to our borders (our national tree as well as a protected species) as well as the greater antilles, florida and parts of central america. Guaiacum officinale is native to the Caribbean and north coast of South America. Then there's the lignum vitae that really isn't lignum vitae called argentine lignum vitae.

and yes I do live in The Bahamas.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Exuma - Thank you for your explanation regarding lignum vitae.

I think it is so great that we have people from all over the world on this site. We can learn a lot from each other.

Anyone who has not worked with lignum vitae should try it just to enjoy the aroma. I love the way it smells when I am cutting it and especially when I am turning it.


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## Exuma (Sep 10, 2010)

I have a very deep love for lignum vitae so I love to talk about it whenever I get the chance! It used to be prolific through our islands but we were pillaged by the british loyalists in the 18th century. Our LV population is slowly coming back in certain areas, specifically in my area.

I'm going to take some pictures of the woods for those who aren't familiar with them.

Oh! I forgot one of my favourites… it's called Brasiletto.


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## bkap (Sep 29, 2006)

I make a lot of the Maloof style rockers and find Claro, Bsatone and all Walnut woods easy to use, but I must say I love Argentine Mesquite as one at top of my list. It is 2 1/2 times stronger than Oak so I can be sure it will last for generations.

Bill Kappel the rocking chair guy…...kappelusa.com


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## SteveMI (May 19, 2009)

My favorite in wood is very influenced by what people will pay for the end item that I make from it. In *my market* that would be ash, cherry, walnut and red oak. I buy rough sawn and those woods have an acceptable margin. It seems that people locally can connect with those four woods. Cherry has the burn concern when cutting/routing and walnut without sapwood takes some sorting. Ash is just plain inexpensive and helps with customers on a budget. When at the mill, I always look at the poplar for figure or that deep green sapwood. Soft maple is also wood that meets my purse, but it is rare to get it around me with good figure.

I did get part of a bloodwood pallet once, of all things and really like it personally. Almost too red.

For larger items that need "better" wood or figure I go with veneer. Whole different subject.

Steve.


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