What's your fav wood?

[Travis]

Excluding plywood, what's your favorite wood to work with and why? I find myself cutting a lot of poplar. I really like the way it cuts and finishes. It takes paint really nice and its easy to find at the local home-center.

[dufferdad]

Travis,

I too like cutting poplar, it is very easy cutting, and I love the grain. I also like cutting cedar, it is pretty brittle, but I love the smell of it as you cut it.....

Bill

[Firedkm]

I love Sassafras, it cuts like butter and smells like root beer when cut. This is what I have used for my stand-up puzzles and the wood holds up very well.

 

I also like poplar for a back-up to sassafras.

[c_lang]

I don't really have a favorite as with me it depends on what I'm cutting. Some types look better finished than others. This being said, I usually pick out the pattern first then figure out the type of wood I'll use to cut. I do find myself cutting a lot of cedar and popular though, but also love tiger maple for the grains. I also cut a lot of MDF also. Like I say, depends on the project.

[cyclistjim]

I use poplar myself for most of my stuff.

[dankc908]

I'm real partial to "Free Wood". Right now I have a huge supply of cherry that was given to me by a finish carpenter who had a large amount left over from a big job. I am, now, using cherry for almost everything since it's cost was nil!

 

Dan

[Firedkm]

I'm real partial to "Free Wood". Right now I have a huge supply of cherry that was given to me by a finish carpenter who had a large amount left over from a big job. I am, now, using cherry for almost everything since it's cost was nil!

 

Dan

 

Free is always good.......especially Cherry Wood!

[Christina]

I agree with Dan.........free wood is the best lol. But I think I love aromatic cedar the best so far. I love the way it looks, feels and smells. I've not had any trouble with brittleness. But then I haven't cut a huge amount of it or anything else for that matter. I can get free pine around here alot. But it's pretty soft and drives me crazy the way it clogs up everything. But free is free lolol. I love the looks of so many woods that I've not had a chance to try cutting yet...........cocobolo, rosewood, spalted maple........and on and on!

Christina

[Barry5180]

I would have to go with Poplar. It's readily available in 1/4 and 1/2 inch thickness, relatively inexpensive, and looks great when finished or painted. Of course any wood I can get my hands on is my favorite at that moment.

 

Barry

[paul44224]

I have been working with red oak, and poplar lately. Lowes is only 2 miles away. For all the ornaments I can get out of a 6"x 24" x 1/4", really profitable.

 

Paul

[Kepy]

I have been doing mostly red oak and aromatic cedar. I also like eastern white pine but lost my source so haven't done much with it lately. I have used some black walnut as it cuts very nice and finishes great.

[qlty]

I get the best finish on cherry (needs no stain)mahogany cuts like no other wood I have ever used also gives a great finish.

[Clayton717]

I have no favorite, but doing intarsia I use walnut and poplar alot, along with several other species.

[Vector01]

I'ts been mostly 1/4" BB ply. for portraits. Poplar for keychains and other small stuff. Madrone for larger projects like clocks. I am going to pick up some cherry to try out on another idea I'm working on.

[greasemonkeyredneck]

My favorite is mahogany. A plus to that in reference to the free side is that I have plenty of mahogany that I got for free. The wood cuts easily with little to no splintering like plywood does so often. Then, after cutting, it (IMHO) is one of the most beautiful woods that God ever created.

[steviegwood]

i use mostly red oak except for portraits i use maple. i have used cherry, hickory, aromatic red cedar, black walnut and poplar in some projects. i would like to get my hands on some of the exotics as i have no local supply for any of those and would like to see what they look and feel like. steve

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Now if we are talking about woods that we use everyday in our projects I would have to say Red Oak because I use it alot. But my favorite wood or woods are the woods in the rosewood family, these woods are some of the nicest grained and I always call them the classiest woods out there. I like to use these as accent woods. Now you can add to this list with any burl around. You will get the most stunning looking woods from burls.

 

I think we need to expand our use of woods when we make projects. Experiment is always a good thing. There are many sources for woods. Good luck and happy scrolling.

[amazingkevin]

Free wood,Thats all i use!One man junk is my treasure!Thin wood is nice as there's less dust to contend with in the house.1/2" oak and maple from chest of drawer ,drawer sides,Thrown away cabinet backs are somethimes very nice multi ply type wood.I have poplar given to me to do keychains with but think is too soft to hold up in pockets and purse clutter.Wood window blinds are conveient for neckless pendants and thin keychains.Outside louvered door,door slates are good for keychains and pendants but don't know what kind of hardwood they are.Baby beds are great prefinished wood for name stands and the slates are perfect for keychains,they are a hardwood too but don't know what kind.Probably oak would be my favorite as it helps you on cutting turns as a resting place with out marring the wood,it gives you a controled predictable speed you can trust.I mean there's no voids that will cause you to advance to fast and over shoot your target.It sturdy so thin cuts don't break and cause you headaches.a customer is bringing a piece of olive for a pendant.we'll see how that goes soon.Pine is ok for free fast quick stuff that does'nt matter.It breaks too easy .I did 774-, 4.5" tall letters, names on a stand, and if they fell over trasporting they allways broke.i don't like pine.I like these "what your" posts alot .Keepem comin!

[qlty]

Cherry,oak and maple needs no stain soak with lemon oil to bring out the grain, let dry real good and seal with clear arcylic spray.

[amazingkevin]

Is it lemon oil furniture polish your talking about?Or something in a quart can from the hardware store or depots?The only stain i have is mahogany somebody gave me ,and very little at that.I have zero experience staining.Does min wax have lemon oil.I will check out what you say .sounds good to me .Anything to make it look good .Thanks

[nicholas]

I use a lot of cherry, walnut, maple, and ash. It's hard to pick a favorite. I like cherry because I finish it with cherry danish oil which gives it a deeper beautiful red color. My only problem with cherry is how easy it burns. Walnut smells good when I cut it. I use a lot of maple and ash. I like ash because it has a nice grain.

[two saws]

I like to use walnut,cherry,red oad,poplar and bubinga. I mostaly use red oak and poplar because of the 2 big box stores here. Any thing else I have to order. I too have trouble with cutting cherry and maple(when I can get it) with the burning even with changing the blades often and using blue painters tape with a layer of clear packing tape on top of that, than attaching the pattern. Just have to cut a lot slower than normal to minimise the burn.

Ervin

[victory]

I love walnut easy to cut and I love the smell

[Saddlenow]

Free, clear, oak. Like dumpster oak flooring, old discarded furniture. Will have to try poplar...haven't yet. Only aspen and pine around here, so will keep my eyes out for some exotics...but will read about the dangers of their dust...can be bad.

Richard

[LarryEA]

My favorite is maple because of the varities of color, texture, like birdseye, tiger, spalted.

 

It's also the one I dislike the most ...

 

Larry