Characteristics Of Commonly Used Woods
Additional Information Dimensions - Finishing - Types
Aromatic Cedar Aromatic Cedar
Color: Mostly red heart wood, thin whitish sapwood
Density: Hard texture Grain: fine grain, very knotty-grain varies around knot
Machinability: Good
Finishing: Use oil finishes that display natural colors.
Distinctive Characteristics: Highly aromatic, natural resistance to insect damage
Common Uses: Cedar chests, closet interiors, furniture interiors.
Ash Ash
Color: Creamy white to light brown heartwood, light sapwood
Density: Very hard, excellent shock resistance
Grain: Distinctive wide-open grain, has occasional brown streaks
Machinability: Very good
Finishing: Takes all finishes well, pigmented stains will bring out the grain nicely.
Distinctive Characteristics: excellent Oak substitute, "Golden Oak"
Common Uses: Furniture, mouldings, flooring, baseball bats.
Birch Birch
Color: Cinnamon, light reddish brown to pink heartwood, sapwood is creamy-white to yellowish
Density: Hard, medium weight
Grain: Uniform, fine grain, small pores
Machinability: Generally good, some swirled grain will chip out if tooling is not sharp
Finishing: Takes finish very well.
Distinctive Characteristics: very durable and strong
Common Uses: cabinets, seating, millwork, furniture, interior doors.
Hickory
Color: Tan to reddish brown heartwood, cream to yellowish sapwood (variable mixture of heart and sap)
Density: Very hard, strong, stiff and heavy
Grain: Moderately coarse open grain
Machinability: Excellent machinability, but very abrasive on tooling
Finishing: Will take stains.
Distinctive Characteristics: The combination of its hardness, strength, toughness, and stiffness are unmatched by any other hardwood.
Common Uses: cabinets, flooring, tool handles, paneling.
Cherry Cherry
Color: Red to deep reddish brown heartwood, white to yellowish sapwood
Density: Medium weight, moderately hard, stiff and strong
Grain: Fine, closed grain
Machinability: Excellent
Finishing: Takes a finish well, however light to natural finishes are recommended.
Distinctive Characteristics: Beautiful markings (gum streaks, pin knots sometimes) and red color will darken to a rich reddish brown with age.
Common Uses: High end furniture, cabinets, interior millwork, musical instruments, paneling, flooring.
White Oak White Oak
Color: Lght tan to brown heartwood, sapwood, sapwood is creamy white to gray
Density: Very hard, shock resistant, and very dense, heavy
Grain: Moderately open grain on plain sawn, Quartered and Rift is straight grain
Machinability: Fairly well, can be tough on tooling
Finishing: Takes a finish well.
Distinctive Characteristics: Highly resistant to the environment, very hard, may be a bit more color consistent than Red Oak. Quartered and Rift sawn have a striking grain appearance.
Common Uses: Bent chair backs, some furniture, flooring, paneling, some cabinets.
Maple Maple
Color: Creamy white to off white sapwood-tinged occasionally with slight red brown heartwood
Density: Hard, heavy and strong, very resistant to shock and abrasive wear
Grain: Closed grain, uniform texture. Some of the figured Hard Maple is available (Curly, Birdseye, and Quilted)
Machinability: Excellent, will tear out with dull tooling.
Finishing: Finishes very well. Some of the figured woods will show variable levels of penetration.
Distinctive Characteristics: Great wood for applications requiring hardness. Birdseye and curly patterns are available.
Common Uses: Furniture, handles, cabinets, woodenware, flooring, paneling, millwork and mouldings.
Walnut Walnut
Color: Brown to deep purple brown heartwood, sap is brilliant white to cream color-gray.
Density: Fairly light weight, medium texture
Grain: Moderately open grain
Machinability: Excellent machining characteristics, turns, sands, and carves well
Finishing: Unsurpassed in finishing! Clear finishes and oils will bring out satiny grain.
Distinctive Characteristics: The dark heartwood makes this very distinctive.
Common Uses: High end furniture, carving, flooring accents, musical instruments, gun stocks.
Honduras Mahogany Honduras Mahogany
Color: blood red to reddish brown, sometimes lighter in color with pale red to grayish tinge
Density: medium texture, moderately heavy
Grain: fine grain with interlocking parallel runs at times (ribbon)
Machinability: excellent
Finishing: Takes stain well, will soak it up quite a bit. We suggest using sanding sealer.
Distinctive Characteristics: Has long been a premier choice for high end furniture and millwork. Excellent exterior uses.
Common Uses: High end furniture, interior millwork, exterior doors, windows, and trim.
Red Oak Red Oak
Color: pinkish red to blonde in color
Density: very hard and strong
Grain: Openly porous and with dramatic grain patterns. Like White Oak, it is offered in Quartered and Rift grains also.
Machinability: excellent
Finishing: Due to porous nature it will soak up stains but also offers a wide variety of finish tones.
Distinctive Characteristics: This is probably the most popular hardwood used in modern woodworking. Broad grains give this a pronounced appearance.
Common Uses: furniture, cabinets, moulding, trim, flooring, paneling, turning.