# What's your favorite wood to turn? and Why?



## TonyArru (May 3, 2012)

Hey everyone, I thought it might be fun for some of us to share what our favorite varieties of wood to turn are. I am new to wood turning, I bought my first lathe (Steele City) about 4 months ago and I just can not get enough wood turning! 
So, I look for wood on the side of the road everywhere I go now, looking for more practice pieces. So far I have turned a bunch of pens and a few lidded boxes along with many other small projects. But I have also turned a few different kinds of wood now too. I like oak, because it seems stable and cuts nicely, but I think my favorite so far is Walnut, its aromatic and looks beautiful, not to mention easy to cut and shape but also firm. 
What do you all like to turn?


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## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

Walnut is one of my favorites. Look at Craigs List under the free category for free firewood. Lots of great free turning wood there.


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## Hockey (Apr 9, 2017)

Love the smell of walnut. However, I have been having a great time turning some maple from a recently cut down tree.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I got some pear from a friend. Really fine grain.


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

> I got some pear from a friend. Really fine grain.
> 
> - TheFridge


I just did a file handle this weekend out of some scrap pear from the firewood pile. Best turning wood I've used so far in my admittedly limited experience. Cuts easily and leaves a great finish.

Another one I like is Osage Orange. It is hard, heavy and tough, but because of that, it can polish up to a very high luster just with sandpaper. I've taken it clear to 2000 grit and it just kept getting a finer polish. Gotta have sharp tools, though.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

The few small pieces of Cocobolo I've had turned like a dream. Of course, it'll cost ya too. I find Cherry and Walnut to be easy turners too.


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## xeddog (Mar 2, 2010)

Free


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## smokie (Dec 29, 2012)

+1 xeddog. . Cherry or Maple…..'cause that's what I have the most of.


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## RichCMD (Jan 31, 2013)

I like turning maple and walnut. For pens I like olive and pink ivory.


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## TonyArru (May 3, 2012)

> Free
> 
> - xeddog


Ha, this is my favorite kind of wood too! I've never tried pink ivory before I'll have to keep my eyes open for that. I also have a friend who was able to get me some "Ipe" ? anyone have experience with that?


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

> Free
> - xeddog


Beat me to it.



> ... some "Ipe" ? anyone have experience with that?
> - TonyArru


Slightly harder than brass, dulls steel pretty quickly but carbides do well and leave a nice finish.


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## jeffski1 (Nov 29, 2008)

Mesquite.Love the grain.


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## JollyGreen67 (Nov 1, 2010)

Honey Mesquite for the smell. Screw Bean Mesquite for the grain.


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

I have only turned basswood, maple, birsdsye maple, hop hornbeam, ash and apple. I like turning apple the best.


> ... some "Ipe" ? anyone have experience with that?
> - TonyArru
> 
> Slightly harder than brass, dulls steel pretty quickly but carbides do well and leave a nice finish.
> ...


I made a joiners mallet (not turned) from Ipe. I did not find it as hard to work as some say.


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## hairy (Sep 23, 2008)

Mahogany.


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## Babieca (Apr 13, 2014)

Fruit woods! Apple, pear, and cherry have been great for me.

Hackberry was also surprisingly nice to turn.


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## TonyArru (May 3, 2012)

what makes fruit woods so nice? I have made a Cherry pepper mill…it was nice. But I didn't realize it was a "fruit wood" thing… Does this mean that if I went to a local apple orchard and grabbed a few logs, they would nice to turn?


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## DLK (Nov 26, 2014)

> what makes fruit woods so nice? I have made a Cherry pepper mill…it was nice. But I didn t realize it was a "fruit wood" thing… Does this mean that if I went to a local apple orchard and grabbed a few logs, they would nice to turn?
> 
> - TonyArru


Wouldn't hurt to try! But old growth apple will be better. They used to make saw handles from apple. It machines well. Spoon carvers love it and cut it green to carve.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

Bradford pear is a crappy tree but is great for turning, it has a terrible branching pattern so limbs break off during any ice storm or high winds. It is planted a lot in people's yards in the DFW area and I keep my eyes open after storms looking for free wood. it has a really nice fine grains that is excellent for turning bowls and if you can find a crotch it will have some great figure.


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## EricTwice (Dec 9, 2016)

I like most anything dense. cherry, apple, maple, ash, black locust, white oak, Osage orange, ebony, rosewood and I'm sure I left some out.

Hickory and red oak not so much, but purple heart left splinters in my hands and arms. It's not nice at all


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## TonyArru (May 3, 2012)

> I like most anything dense. cherry, apple, maple, ash, black locust, white oak, Osage orange, ebony, rosewood and I m sure I left some out.
> 
> Hickory and red oak not so much, but purple heart left splinters in my hands and arms. It s not nice at all
> 
> - EricTwice


Funny you should mention these…a friend gave me a few pieces of black locust to turn. They are drying in my basement currently. Additionally, another friend gave me some shag bark hickory and red oak to turn as well….they are also drying in my basement. What makes these so unpleasant? Maybe I will just add them to the fire place next winter…


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## loiblb (Jul 6, 2015)

Buckeye burl


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## EricTwice (Dec 9, 2016)

> Funny you should mention these…a friend gave me a few pieces of black locust to turn. They are drying in my basement currently. Additionally, another friend gave me some shag bark hickory and red oak to turn as well….they are also drying in my basement. What makes these so unpleasant? Maybe I will just add them to the fire place next winter…
> 
> - TonyArru


Black locust is wonderful, It is too valuable for it's rot resistance and it all gets used for fence posts. I used to cut loads of it for fire wood. made some Windsor stools out of it. lovely (I was turning it green, don't know how it turns dry)

Hickory gives a nice product, but it knocks the edge off your tools. you will do a lot of sharpening.
red oak does ok with sharp tools. if you are aggressive it wants to tear out along the grain leaving your high areas with a saw tooth that will cut you if you are not careful. go slow and careful especially at a peak.


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## TonyArru (May 3, 2012)

> Hickory gives a nice product, but it knocks the edge off your tools. you will do a lot of sharpening.
> 
> - EricTwice


Hickory already seems like a pain to mill into usable blanks…It did a number on my chainsaw, and my chopping axe was just bouncing off of it, I can't imagine what it will do to my lathe tools! Maybe its best for the fire place…


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I milled a small hickory log from a neighbors dead tree 2 years ago into boards right after I got my bandsaw and I love the stuff. With sharp tools it needs almost no sanding. I am hoarding the small stack I have left because it has a little bit of spalting due to ambrosia beetles and is some of the best wood I have ever worked with. I used it to make this worm caller that I turned and my tool swap items (not turned though) last year. I also used it to make a turned beer mug for a friend last year though I never post a picture of it.


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## pvl (May 5, 2017)

osage orange is enjoyable to turn


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## AlanHollar (Oct 8, 2015)

Big leaf maple burl. Turns easily, looks great natural, accepts dyes easily for a variety of color effects.


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## TonyArru (May 3, 2012)

> I milled a small hickory log from a neighbors dead tree 2 years ago into boards right after I got my bandsaw and I love the stuff. With sharp tools it needs almost no sanding. I am hoarding the small stack I have left because it has a little bit of spalting due to ambrosia beetles and is some of the best wood I have ever worked with. I used it to make this worm caller that I turned and my tool swap items (not turned though) last year. I also used it to make a turned beer mug for a friend last year though I never post a picture of it.
> 
> - Lazyman
> 
> Okay, I won't throw my hickory into the fire pit just yet…Ill see how it goes first. Do you recommend turning green or should I wait about a year after its dried in my basement? I guess, I can try both ways….


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

My hickory had dried for over a year before I turned the first piece, plus the tree had been dead for over a year prior to milling so I cannot tell your how well it turns when green. Since I milled this log before I had my lathe I didn't save any bowl blanks but after my comment above I did post the beer mug project that I made from it.


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## davyj (Aug 6, 2010)

I can't say I have a favorite ! have turned some many diff "stuff". Even tho I have used more Zebra wood for pen, key fobs,letteropeners because no matter how small the piece, when done still has "grain appearance".


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## MikeUT (Sep 5, 2014)

It's hard to say my favorite but it's easy to say my least favorite. I did a segmented hickory bowl that didn't turn well. It splintered very easily. But my absolute least favorite was some cottonwood I got for free. It is extremely soft and the wood grain almost frays. Oh yeah, it also smells like dog poop when you are working it… it's disgusting!


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## TonyArru (May 3, 2012)

Thanks for the tip, Ill stay away from cottonwood! I recently turned some ash and hickory for a rolling pin (see below) it was slow going, Im guessing because how hard it was, but it turned nicely! I can't wait to do more.


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## TonyArru (May 3, 2012)

> Thanks for the tip, Ill stay away from cottonwood! I recently turned some ash and hickory for a rolling pin (see below) it was slow going, Im guessing because how hard it was, but it turned nicely! I can t wait to do more.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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