TripleJScroller Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 So far I have been using woods that I have been able to get at Lowes. So basicly 1/4 in Baltic Birch, 3/4" Pine, and some Red Oak "hobby" boards. I'm thinking of ordering some wood from Ocooch Hardwoods so that I can try some new woods out. I'm just wondering what woods ya'll wood recommend I try out. Also for those of you that use a lot of BB Plywood what thickness do you prefer? Lowes only has the 1/4", I've noticed that the 1/8" at Ocooch is fairly cheap, but that seems awefully thin. Thanks in advance, Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamminjack Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Hey josh I am not too familiar with exotic woods. Most of our intarsia scrollers would be the ones to talk with. I am sure they will be here shortly giving there advise. Personally I try to stick to Red Oak, Walnut, Maple and Pine. Four of your classic basics. BB Plywood 1/4 inch is the staple for fret work. That's my two cents worth. This is a good topic, I am looking forward to following this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 I have found that harder woods are nicer to work with. Not sure what you are doing with your woodworking as that is truly the factor as what wood you will be after. As far as1/8 inch bob ply goes. It is difficult to cut without a lot of experience but with fret work items, it is sometimes the perfect thickness for certain projects. When cutting 1/8 th inch it is helpful to stack cut and even using a I/2 inch thick scrap piece because it slows the aggressiveness of the cut. A little more information as to what type of projects you are cutting and your experience would help to get a better suggestion onThe wood best to buy. Remember the harder the wood the less aggressive your blades cut and resulting in better control for you. The correct blades for the wood also ales your control a lot better. You can PM if you wish with any questions about this post and I will be happy to share my ideas with you. I am certainly no expert or do I consider myself as a master scroller but I am always happy to try amd use my experiences with anyone that might likey input. Remember everyone has different experiences and any great ideas that I learn from constantly I believe that no one has all the answers but all have some answers. You decide which ones might work best for you. After trying the ones youvwant,you will usually find one or two that you will continue to use and then you can pass your experiences on to others. Good luck. I will continue to follow your post as I just might learn something that will be useful toe as well Scrolling Steve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleJScroller Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 I have found that harder woods are nicer to work with. Not sure what you are doing with your woodworking as that is truly the factor as what wood you will be after. As far as1/8 inch bob ply goes. It is difficult to cut without a lot of experience but with fret work items, it is sometimes the perfect thickness for certain projects. When cutting 1/8 th inch it is helpful to stack cut and even using a I/2 inch thick scrap piece because it slows the aggressiveness of the cut. A little more information as to what type of projects you are cutting and your experience would help to get a better suggestion onThe wood best to buy. Remember the harder the wood the less aggressive your blades cut and resulting in better control for you. The correct blades for the wood also ales your control a lot better. You can PM if you wish with any questions about this post and I will be happy to share my ideas with you. I am certainly no expert or do I consider myself as a master scroller but I am always happy to try amd use my experiences with anyone that might likey input. Remember everyone has different experiences and any great ideas that I learn from constantly I believe that no one has all the answers but all have some answers. You decide which ones might work best for you. After trying the ones youvwant,you will usually find one or two that you will continue to use and then you can pass your experiences on to others. Good luck. I will continue to follow your post as I just might learn something that will be useful toe as well Honestly at this point I have no particular projects in mind. I've only been scrolling for a short time, and I'm enjoying trying all kinds of various projects of different types. I'm mostly looking to hear what other scrollers enjoy working with and get some ideas of what I'd like to try. As you say eventually I'd like to try them all and know what works best with what, but for now I don't have a lot of money to spend so I have to be sort of picky. Thanks, Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsN Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 The answer really depends on what you want to make. I love 1/8 BB Ply for cutting portraits, although I almost always stack 2 or 3 pieces. It cuts beautifully and is a great size for backer boards and painted things also. I like 1/2" BB for kids toys and puzzles. When making jewelry i like 1/16" and 1/8" thicknesses and as many fun colors as I can get. Baskets and bowls work best with 1/2-3/4" stock and at least 6-8" wide. As far as hardwoods go Mahogany cuts quite nice and finishes up really pretty. Padauk and Purpleheart are fun because of their colors, you don't see orange and purple colors like that often. However, they are really hard and have a bit of a learning curve to keep from burning the wood (less of an issue if you have thin stock) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heppnerguy Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Josh, Because you are a new scroller and because money is an issue, as it is for a lot of us, I would suggest that you work with BB ply for most of your projects because is it strong and does not cost a lot compared to other woods. I would suggest you use 1/2 inch and if you choose a double tooth, reversible blade about #3 or #5 you will find it rather easy to cut almost anything. I also would suggest that you pick rather simple patterns to start with and you will discover a lot about what works for you. the cost of your projects will be minimal and the success rate should be good for you.. MrsN, if I remember correctly is a woodshop teacher, and she has a lot of knowledge about cutting and using wood. Keep on posting your work. Dick heppnerguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 I use 1/4 oak plywood for pictures get it at H.D. the one here has a better selection than Lows. For other projects I use hard woods I get from the local saw mill, I have to let it to dry out for about 1 year. I have Ash, Walnut, Cherry , for a softer wood I use Popular which I buy for $2.00 a board foot. Actually the best wood is that you find The cost ia about right. IKE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappile Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Be sure the wood you see at Lowe's is Baltic Birch and not just birch plywood. Baltic Birch is usually sold in 5' x 5' sheets, although some places carry 4'x 8' sheets. BB has more plys no voids. I say this because Lowe's and Home Depot do not normally carry Baltic Birch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browders Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Be sure the wood you see at Lowe's is Baltic Birch and not just birch plywood. Baltic Birch is usually sold in 5' x 5' sheets, although some places carry 4'x 8' sheets. BB has more plys no voids. I say this because Lowe's and Home Depot do not normally carry Baltic Birch. I live in a fairly small town in NW Montana so my wood choice is pretty much limited to what is carried by Lowes and Home Depot. The birch plywood is not baltic birch, but can be usable. Oak is their only hardwood and I have found poplar to be a less expensive alternative. For baltic birch, the only store locally is Michael's craft store which sells it in 12 x 24 pieces. Good luck and enjoy. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingkevin Posted April 10, 2015 Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 I noticed the big grocery stores have bamboo cutting boards at a good size and price for hardwoods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleJScroller Posted April 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2015 Be sure the wood you see at Lowe's is Baltic Birch and not just birch plywood. Baltic Birch is usually sold in 5' x 5' sheets, although some places carry 4'x 8' sheets. BB has more plys no voids. I say this because Lowe's and Home Depot do not normally carry Baltic Birch. Yeah it seems that I had just assumed it was the same thing...lol Exactly why I created this thread, so I can figure this stuff out...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courdorygirl Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 I find I like BB 1/4" plywood the best for most things, and I ordered mine from woodworker's resource, which I found just a tad less expensive than Ocooch. Ten 1' by 2' sheets cost me $35 with shipping, and they were very friendly and very fast. I bought some 2' by 6" poplar planks from Walmart.com, for about $15. I like making small puzzles with them, because it's so soft and cuts really fast. I personally prefer spiral blades, because I don't have to do a lot of sanding with them, and I can make really detailed puzzle pieces. I usually buy the Bosch brand at Lowe's, but I want to try the Flying Dutchman blades, as soon as I have some money on my card. I priced craft wood at Michael's yesterday, and it's three times more expensive than anywhere else ($12.99 for a 1/4" thick, six inch by two foot plank. Six inch is as wide as my local Michael's carries. Your mileage may vary.) Decided it wasn't worth it. I have two Lowe's close to me, one has a lot more different types of craft wood available than the other, but they are both reasonably priced. Again, your mileage may vary. Just my .02. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stu Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 I use a lot of western red cedar and yellow cedar 3/8 in for fret work and use FDUR #1,3 and 5 blades Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ike Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 I use Oak plywood I buy at Home Depot for $28 for a 4X8 sheet. That may be a little high but I have been using it for 2 years and have found only 1 void and i was able to fill it in, without it showing up. The regular cheaper plywood is too soft and has several voids in a 4X8 sheet. That makes the $28 seem cheaper. IKE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullyscroller Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 Check out the sureply sold at Lowes. It's cheaper than the cabinet grade 1/4 ply but is true ply and good one side only. great for where you will be useing a backer. sully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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