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.