What's Your Favorite Wood?

[cabinetman]

Have you worked with a wood that just took you back? A wood that impressed the heck out of you, or was very unique? Well, in that case tell us what it is, and post a picture of the work or the wood if you have one and tell us what you like about it. If you don't have a picture tell us anyway.

My longtime favorite is Red Oak, and have worked with it a lot, but I had the opportunity to do a project with Satinwood. Without any finish it was very impressive and had a lot of character. It finished very nicely and once the finish started to go on it became almost iridescent, looking like the grain had layers of different depths. The doors and the inlays on these cabinets are Satinwood.

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[Jeffrey Schronce]

Highly figured curly maple. I dare someone to plane, sand, etc then not get a big grin on their face as they put the first coat of clear finish or oil on the surface and "pop" the figure.

[Knottscott]

My favorite is usually the one I'm currently working with!

It seems that I've run the gamut of walnut, cherry, mahogany, QSWO, curly maple, red elm, ash, MDF () ...I enjoy different aspects of all of them, and am glad I'm not restricted to one. I love the figure and grain in some, the color of some, and the workability of others. I've got a piece of flamed curly maple with some birdseye action going on that's probably my most prize chunk of wood.

There are alot I haven't tried yet....I recently saw a table made from mesquite that looked really interesting....probably hard to come by in this neck of the woods.

[kmk]

Cherry! I've done one major project (entertainment center) using cherry. I love the grain and rich look of it when dark (choco alike) stained. Almost all of our furnitures (from end tables, bed frames to cabinets in all rooms) are cherry!

[Tom Slick]

I like red or white oak for mission style work. I really like working with cherry for other projects.

[DonHo]

Well I love cocobolo for pens, knife handles and other small projects but for furniture and larger projects I like cherry. I like to work with lots different types of wood but if I had to choose just one it would be cherry.

DonHo

[crokett]

Lepoard Wood - but mostly because that is the most exotic of the woods I've worked with. The grain is really impressive though.

[gerti]

Hard to choose favorites. Figured Maple: Like Jeffrey said, one can't help but marvel at it's beauty when it becomes really apparent during finishing.

I have turned some bloodwood into bottle stoppers that had a depth and iridescence to it that just seemed out of this world.

Turned some black cherry I found by the side of the road: Unbelievable aroma that keeps me coming back to it frequently. Also looking forward to work some flat-wood cherry.

I guess Dustmight said it best: My favorite is usually the one I'm currently working with!

[RayintheUK]

Cedar of Lebanon - oh, that smell!

Ray.

[cabinetman]

Cedar of Lebanon - oh, that smell!

Ray.

Ray

Is it hard to come by in the UK? I've never used it or have seen it on an availability list around here. As for the aeromatic Cedars, I've used the Western and Eastern Reds, for closets, chests, and humidors. I'm wondering how the Cedar of Lebanon smells. Can you describe it without closing your eyes?
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[lrogers]

Most of my projects have used red oak or poplar. I've also worked a bit with ash and bloodwood. The current project uses black limba and that stuff is beautiful in the "raw". I'll see how much I like it after the project is finished.

[pierhogunn]

My Budget favorite is MDF... No seriously, since that is all I ever get to work with. I want to work with Oak, don't care what type, but I never, ever get the chance...

[Black wallnut]

Username almost says it all! Crotch grain, fiddle back or straight grain in that order.

[scmhogg]

I agree with David that Leopardwood, aka Australian Lacewood, has great figure. I also agree with Cman about Red Oak. Out here, it is cheap and available in HD and Lowes. I have some HD Oak with heavy tiger stripe that had been shoved aside in favor of flat sawn pieces. I had similar luck with an 8' length of 1x8 Maple. Heavy tiger stripe with a little heartwood to add interest. It doesn't know what it wants to be yet.

Leopard Wood Table top. The legs and the skirt are Red Oak dyed /ebonized, black.





I often dye Red Oak as LOML has decorated with a lot of red and black. The RO takes the dye well and the deep grain shows that it is real wood.

Sliding dovetail box Red Oak.



Steve

[cabinetman]

Steve

Both of those pieces are absolutely stunning. The dyed Red Oak has some terrific character. Looks like you're havin' fun.
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