Shopsmith Forums

Sycamore has a lace-like grain pattern when quarter sawn and is rather plain looking otherwise. When plaining, it can sometimes chip, but if you have the Shopsmith planer with variable speed it shouldn't be a problem. Alternatively, a drum sander works well for final dimensioning.

I've made boxes of walnut or cherry that used sycamore for the lid material, and the contrast between the two woods makes for a good looking box. If you do a Bing search on "quarter sawn sycamore" you'll come up with lots of pictures showing the grain pattern.

Since you're getting your own logs sawn, you'll end up with lumber with matched color and grain which will give you many options in using it.

I always have a steady free supply of cut-off's in walnut and cherry from a specialized cabinet shop although some is sapwood. Machine nicely. Fine for freebie's and fortunate to sometimes get other species but they would be my top two.

For interior house trim and non-stain applications, I mostly use poplar for its low cost and it also machines well. Rarely touch oak these days and only for matching vintage house trim projects.

mountain4don wrote:After a recent discussion about where to acquire wood, I was wondering what types of wood were the most popular for furnature, pens and other things folks are making on this forum?

This is bit like asking favorite color. For me it depends, on the project, availability, budget, purpose of project, etc.

mountain4don wrote:I also have a barn full of old ripped into planks of walnut that I don't know what to do with? It was here when I bought the farm about 30 years ago and boy, is it really dry now!

I will be happy to send my address if you're willing to ship. Is it rough or finished?? Approximate Dimensions??

My favorite wood seems to change with what I am working on. I just finished a pine staircase so pine is my favorite. Last year I built a cherry kitchen and cherry was my favorite. I used to own a victorian home and red oak was my favorite. When I build something for my current Craftsman style home, quartersawn oak is my favorite...I guess the ultimate answer is that "wood" is my favorite.

Having refreshed some machinist chests the last few months, I gained a new respect for oak. Then I read the book linked here, and now I think about 3 times more respect for oak. This book read like Roy Underhill on a global scale. Very fascinating!

http://www.amazon.com/Oak-Civilization- ... vilization

I didn't see a lot of ash lovers so far, but I recently had one go down & after dry, I have to say I think it has to be my favorite after using it for a few projects. It's durable, hard enough and stable enough to make furniture, and it works exceedingly well with both power & hand tools.

I also really like the contrast in tone between the heart & sap wood. For turning this can make for a beautiful bowl.

And with the ash borer raising havoc in many areas, there may be a good opportunity for getting a hold of it cheap. I definitely don't like to see a species decimated like this, but if the trees are going down, I'd rather see them made into furniture than into fires or landfill fodder.

My favorite wood is generally which ever variety I am using at the moment. I agree that maple is a pain to finish. Black Walnut can be messy for turning and pine is too soft to use unless one is very careful to never use nails and clamping prior to drilling and screwing. I do seem to remember a piece of ebony that was darned near impossible to cut. Oh yeah Bethlehem Olive, now there is a wood that is really hard on the skin and lungs. I really became ill the first time I turned a few pens from it. I did invest in a face mask and wore long sleeves and gloves the next time I turned that stuff. Come to think of it I have a box full of olive pen blanks I will likely never use. Jim

OK, here is a strange one. Didn't see it listed here.

Koa.

It is a Hawaiian species of acacia, and is a BEAUTIFUL
wood. The Hawaiians used to make surfboards
and outrigger canoes out of it.

Google it for some pictures.

steve

I don't have much experience with very many varieties of wood, but I love Cedar. Not everyone does, but I think it is beautiful. And it smells good. It's also very soft which has pros and cons. But I quite enjoy it.

I love working with white pine unfortunately the resulting products are not very durable.