What is your favorite and least favorite woods?

[wisardd1]

I love quartersawn oak and mahogany, but I am sure lovin rosewood. Yet, I haven't worked with the majority. I did find Wenge is a bitch and those splinters don't feel good at all. I plan on moving towards koa, cocabola, and bocote.

dale

[TDHofstetter]

Remember...

There are two kinds of woodworkers:

Those who're allergic to cocobolo,
and
Those who aren't

YET.

[wisardd1]

Tim, are you allergic?

[sachbvn]

So far I'm still good on the cocobolo


Zac

[fredbelknap]

Don't think it grows around here.

[sawduster]

My favorite is "Free" wood. ;D

I've work very little with other than domestic woods other than making pens and other small projects. I guess I'd have to say my most favorite is mesquite, followed by pecan. I also like cherry, but it is a little pricey in my neck of the woods. Mesquite is also pricey, more so than cherry even though it grows locally, but it has come into great demand in the last few years and, because of the way the trees grow, has very little yield for flatwork, especially if you are needing long pieces.

Least favorite I guess would be pine.

[deepsplinter]

To work with...

I really don't have a favorite.

But I sure have a least favorite .....HICKORY!!

It's harder'n hell.

When routing, jointing, or planing, chunks (not chips) blow out for no apparent reason.

Tooling has to be sharp, and they dull quickly with hickory.

I even bought some carbide tipped jointer knives ( pricey but worth it).

Hickory is even hard on sandpaper.

It's some beautiful wood, but tough to work with.

To look at...

It would have to be quarter sawn white oak.

[TDHofstetter]

Dec 24, 2009 2:30:46 GMT -6 wisardd1 said:

Tim, are you allergic?

Not yet. My nose tells me, though, that I'm very close to it - it smells scary to me, not nearly as good as most other woods.

Bocote smells NEAT. So does bloodwood. And tulipwood. And yellow (red) birch. And just BUNCHES of other woods, all in different ways. Bocote's one of the most intriguing-smelling woods, though. Pretty as heck, too.

Wenge, for me, was a huge surprise - looks like CRAP until it's smoothed up nice & polished. I'd'a never thought you could get the stuff to take a shine that nice, with a coarse grain like that.

Have you played with kingwood yet? Be prewarned - it's HARD HARD HARD. REALLY pretty, though.

I dunno - I've got a long list of favorites.

[dcarter636]

My all around favorite is Honduran Mahogany with Cherry a close second, both are easy to work and easy on the eyes. Quartersawn White Oak is right up there too but I have had difficulties working it with hand tools.

Bottom of my list is soft Pine, it gums up cutting edges and is too danged weak.

[larryh86gt]

I like any kind of oak. Least favorite-maybe poplar. The scraps of poplar don't burn worth a darn.
Larry

[sachbvn]

Cherry is by far my favorite flat work wood. In regards to round work, pens etc... I LOVE cocobolo, bocote is real nice too.

Padauk is a pleasure to turn, cept it leaves your fingers bright orange.

I did turn a piece of kingwood and really liked it. I didn't have any issues turning it, personally.

Hmmmm, koa was a bit disapointing. I look forward to trying snakewood, any one able to comment on that??


Zac

[TDHofstetter]

Snakewood is REALLY REALLY REALLY bad about splitting, so be prepared for it.

I think maybe I've thought of my least fave... or TWO least faves. One is butternut, 'cause it's so bleeding soft & insubstantial. The other is marblewood, 'cause it stinks worse than anything I know while you're working it.

[Leo Voisine]

I dunno - Cocobolo and me do just fine.

I REALLY like the smell of Olive wood.

I like all of them that I have tried

Some are dusty and don't smell great, but for the most part, I don't have a best and worst.