Wood Samples
Click on the wood samples below to learn more about each species.
Hard Maple
- Sources
- North America
- Other Names
- Sugar Maple & Rock Maple
- Characteristics
- A vary pale sapwood to a dark brown heart wood. The texture is very even and fine. Weight is medium to heavy. Density is hard.
- Milling
- Planes and cuts easily with minimal chipping.
- Shaping
- Keeps a great edge and can be routed into profiles without any problems.
- Finishing
- Finshes to a supurb lustre. Wax will not sink into the grain, so you’re better off building up with a surface finish.
- Key Uses
- Furniture, cabinet making, interior trim, flooring, & butcher blocks.
- Comments
- One of the most commonly used New England hardwoods. Is always readily available in lengths, widths, & thicknesses. The figured woods are in high demand and are usually more costly.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Soft Maple
- Sources
- Eastern seaboard of North America
- Other Names
- Swamp Maple & Red Maple
- Characteristics
- Pale brown with slight pink or gray hues. Also has very fine & even texture with both hardness and weight medium.
- Milling
- Planes excellent.
- Shaping
- Keeps a sharp edge and cuts easily.
- Finishing
- Will not have the lustre of hard maple but is sill fine enough not to use fillers. Generally is stained dark to reproduce the look of Hard Maple.
- Key Uses
- Furniture, cabinet making, interior trim, & handles.
- Comments
- When staining dark it is a cheaper alternative to Hard Maple. The figured wood are highly sought after.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Red Oak
- Sources
- North America
- Other Names
- Northern Oak & Mountain Oak
- Characteristics
- A reddish brown wood with medium to coarse texture. Straight grain and medium strength.
- Milling
- Planes well & can have a tendency to chip when the grain curves towards the edge.
- Shaping
- Easy to cut & takes a superb edge.
- Finishing
- Takes all finish applications very well.
- Key Uses
- Furniture, cabinet making, & flooring.
- Comments
- Another of the most commonly used woods in New England & is always avilable in a wide variety of lengths, widths, & thicknesses.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
White Oak
- Sources
- Canada & United States
- Other Names
- Eastern White Oak or Stave Oak
- Characteristics
- A beige to medium brown wood with medium to coarse texture with very good strength and medium to heavy weight.
- Milling
- Can be milled and planed easily.
- Shaping
- Will cut joints easily but routing can chip a little.
- Finishing
- Takes most finishes beautifully and sands to a fine surface.
- Key Uses
- Furniture, cabinet making, & flooring.
- Comments
- A slightly cheaper alternative to Red Oak, but most commonly used in period pieces.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Cherry
- Sources
- Eastern North America
- Other Names
- Black or American Cherry
- Characteristics
- The sapwood is pale yellow with heartwood of a redish hue; Moderately hard & the weight is medium.
- Milling
- Very easy, does not dull tools, & does not tend to tear out
- Shaping
- Profiles & cuts joints exceptionally well
- Finishing
- Can be finished to a superb lustre
- Key Uses
- Interior furniture, cabinetry, musical instruments, & flooring
- Comments
- One of the most widely used hardwoods; Comes is wide variety of widths, lengths, & thicknesses; Remember that this wood will darken over time
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Poplar
- Sources
- North America
- Other Names
- Cottonwood & Whitewood
- Characteristics
- A light sapwood to a brown hardwood that turns green upon exposure. The lumber is somewhat weak and brittle, and is only moderately stong.
- Milling
- Machines easy with minimal tear out when knives are sharp.
- Shaping
- Joins & profiles very well.
- Finishing
- Stains and paints exceptionally well.
- Key Uses
- General cabinet work, shelving, boxes, veneering, & general construction.
- Comments
- Excellent as interior trim due to its shaping ability & taking of paint. Is available in all lengths, widths, & thicknesses.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Birch
Yellow Birch
- Sources
- North America
- Other Names
- Gray Birch; Silver Birch; or Swamp Birch
- Characteristics
- Very pale sapwood to a deep red heartwood; Strength is good; Weight moderate to heavy
- Milling
- Can tear out around knots and can dull tools
- Shaping
- Takes a good edge
- Finishing
- Finishes to an excellent lustre & stains very well
- Key Uses
- Furniture; veneers; flooring
- Comments
- Moderately priced but clear sapwood tends to run narrow; Usually stock of 6″ & wider; Has color variations
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Red Birch
- Sources
- North America
- Other Names
- Cherry or Black Birch
- Characteristics
- This is the heartwood of the yellow birch tree
- Milling
- Difficult to mill when there is figure in the wood
- Shaping
- Leaves a good edge
- Finishing
- Can be finished to look like cherry
- Key Uses
- Furniture, Cabinetry & Flooring
- Comments
- Typically the stock is sold as “red one face”, meaning: 100% red on one side, 50% or less of red on reverse. The figured wood is highly desirable.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Walnut
- Sources
- United States & Canada
- Other Names
- American Walnut
- Characteristics
- A dark brown wood with lighter streaks that is soft to medium in density, but medium to heavy in weight.
- Milling
- Planes, joins, & cuts very well.
- Shaping
- Excellent turning wood with minimal dulling.
- Finishing
- Finishes to a beautiful sheen, takes most polishes well.
- Key Uses
- Furniture, musical instruments, gun stocks, & carving.
- Comments
- Always in high demand, all lengths, widths, & thicknesses are not readily available.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Khaya (Mahogany)
- Sources
- All of Africa
- Other Names
- Khaya
- Characteristics
- A reddish brown wood, with fairly coarse and uneven texture. Hardness & weight are both medium.
- Milling
- Tends to tear out when it is machined or worked by hand.
- Shaping
- Difficult to shape well on conventional woodworking equipment
- Finishing
- Usually is stained dark for reproduction furniture.
- Key Uses
- Furniture, cabinet making, interior trim, & boat building.
- Comments
- A low cost mahogany, that is not often used due to its workability. The figured wood known as “Ribbon Stripe” is highly sought after for paneling.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Ash
- Sources
- US & Canada
- Other Names
- American White Ash
- Characteristics
- A very strong wood of medium weight, The sapwood is white while the heartwood is almond to dark brown. It also has excellent bending properties.
- Milling
- Usually planes easliy but can chip if knives are not sharp.
- Shaping
- Should make shallow cuts, as the grain can tear out.
- Finishing
- Will take all finishes well, but hard patches will not take a stain. When using outside preservatives are needed.
- Key Uses
- One of the most useful woods that can used inside and out, From furniture to handles to sports equipment to boat building.
- Comments
- Cost of this wood is relatively low and stock is available in a wide variety widths and thicknesses, But remember this wood yellows in time.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Knotty Pine
- Sources
- Eastern North America
- Other Names
- White Pine & Pumpkin Pine
- Characteristics
- A beige to a pale red-brown with fine dark lines that look like resin. Weight is light and hardness is very soft.
- Milling
- Is very easy to mill & surface.
- Shaping
- Generally fine.
- Finishing
- Finishes very well. Stain & polish should distribute evenly.
- Key Uses
- Furniture, interior trim, plywood, & carving.
- Comments
- The most common of all pines & is readily available in all lengths, widths, & thicknesses.
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
Hickory
- Sources
- Eastern North America
- Other Names
- Red Heart & White Hickory
- Characteristics
- A creamy to pinkish brown wood with straight or wavy grain that is very hard & very heavy
- Milling
- Tends to tear out and chip when taking too much off in single passes
- Shaping
- Will leave a very good, hard edge or profile, but an irregular grain may cause inaccuracy
- Finishing
- Will need a significant amount of sanding; Use stains to emphasize the open grain pattern
- Key Uses
- Handles for tools, flooring, & drumsticks, but in recent years has been used more for cabinetry
- Comments
- This wood can be difficult to work with, but is available in good widths & lengths & the cost is relatively low
Reference 1: Gibbs, N. (2005). The Real Wood Bible.
Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books.
Reference 2: Flynn, J.H. & Holder, C.D. (2001).
A Guide to Useful Woods of the World.
Madison, WI: Forest Products Society.
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