Metalwork - Materials - Varities of Wood

Below is a list of different types of wood. They are classfified as :

Hardwoods

Balsa Other Names : Guano, Polak, Topa Description : Balsa is the lightest and softest of all woods available today, yet is is a Hardwood as it comes from a Deciduous tree. Because of its light weight and exceedingly porous composition, balsa is highly efficient when buoyancy, insulation against heat or cold, or sound absorption is important. Uses : Life saving equipment, Model aircraft.

Basswood Other Names : American Lime Description : Creamy-white color, although it tends to become browner upon exposure. Uses : Carving, Turning, Pattern-making.

Beech Other Names : None Description : Straight-grained wood. Light brown to red-brown color. Beech has an average number of knots. American Beech is slightly coarser than the European variety. Uses : Cabinetmaking, Bending, Turning.

Birch Other Names : Hard Birch, Betula wood, American Birch Description : Straight-grained wood with fine, even texture. It has a red-brown heartwood and a light-yellow sapwood. Uses : Furniture, Joinery, Turning, Plywood.

Boxwood Other Names : European Boxwood Description : Fine, evenly-textured wood. Dense and heavy and can vary in the straightness of its grain. Light yellow in color. Uses : Carving, Tool handles, Musical instruments.

Brazilwood Other Names : Pernambuco wood, Bahia wood Description : Hard and heavy, with straight grain and fine, even texture. Pale sapwood contrasts with orange-red to red-brown heartwood. Uses : Turning, Violin bows, Gunstocks, Exterior joinery.

Brazilian Rosewood Other Names : Rio Rosewood, Bahia Rosewood Description : Hard and heavy. Medium texture with straight grain. Highly figured with brown, violet-brown to black color. Uses : Furniture, Joinery, Turning, Knife handles, Carving.

Bubinga Other Names : African rosewood Description : Moderately coarse, even textured wood. Can have straight, interlocked or irregular grain. Red-brown in color, with purple veins. Uses : Furniture, Wooden utensils.

Butternut Other Names : White walnut Description : Straight-grained, coarse-textured wood. Medium brown heartwood. Uses : Furniture, Carving, Interior joinery.

Black Walnut Other Names : American walnut Description : A strong wood with a rather coarse texture. Usually straight-grained, but not always. Color is a rich brown to purple-black. Uses : Furniture, Gunstocks, Interior joinery, Carving, Turning.

Black Cherry Other Names : American Cherry Description : Hard, straight-grained wood with fine texture, Heartwood is red-brown to deep red. Uses : Furniture, musical instruments, tobacco pipes.

Chestnut Other Names : American chestnut, Wormy chestnut Description : Coarse textured. Similar to oak in appearance. Most lumber comes from standing dead trees, hence 'wormy' due to insect attack. Uses : Furniture, coffins, stakes

Cocobolo Other Names : Granadillo Description : Hard, heavy wood with irregular grain and medium texture. Very nice coloring, from purple to yellow, with black markings turning to deep orange-red on exposure. Uses : Turning, knife handles.

Elm, Dutch & English Other Names : Red Elm Description : Coarse-textured wood, heartwood is beige-brown in color. Uses : Furniture, bending, turning, boat-building.

European Ash Other Names : English Ash, Polish Ash Description : Very similar to White Ash. White to pale brown color. Uses : Tool handles, boatbuilding, joinery, curved furniture, Hurleys.

Ebony Other Names : Tendu Description : A hard, dense wood with fine, even texture and straight, irregular or wavy grain. Heartwood is dark brown to black. Uses : Turning, musical instruments, knife handles.

European Oak Other Names : English Oak, French Oak Description : Coarse, straight-grained wood. Pale brown in color. Uses : Furniture, joinery, external woodwork, carving, boatbuilding.

European Plane Other Names : English Plane, French Plane Description : Straight-grained wood with fine to medium texture. Light red-brown heartwood. Similar, but darker than, American Sycamore. Uses : Furniture, joinery, turning.

European Sycamore Other Names : Sycamore Plane, Great Maple Description : This is really a Maple, not a Sycamore. Fine, even texture. Straight-grained. White to yellowish-white in color. Uses : Turning, furniture, kitchen utensils.

European Walnut Other Names : English Walnut, French Walnut Description : Coarse texture with straight to wavy grain. Color is gray-brown with darker streaks. Uses : Furniture, gunstocks, turning, carving.

Hickory Other Names : Shagbark Hickory Description : Coarse-textured wood. Generally straight grained, but can be irregular or wavy. Heartwood is red-brown, sapwood is white. Uses : Sports equipment, chairs.

Hard Maple Other Names : Rock Maple, Sugar Maple Description : Hard, very heavy, straight-grained wood with fine texture. White sapwood with light red-brown heartwood. This wood is hard to work with because of its density. Uses : Furniture, turning, butcher's blocks, flooring.

Indian Rosewood Other Names : Bombay Rosewood Description : Heavy, moderately coarse and uniform texture. Interlocked grain. Golden brown to purple-brown with streaks of dark purple or black. Uses : Furniture, shop fittings, musical instruments, turning

Jelutong Other Names : Jelutong Bukit Description : A soft, fine, even-textured wood with straight grain. Creamy pale brown in color. Uses : Pattern-making, carving, drawing boards.

Kingwood Other Names : Voilet wood Description : Fine, even textured wood. Heartwood is a striped figure of violet-brown, black and golden yellow. Uses : Inlays, marquetry.

Lime Other Names : Linden Description : A soft, straight-grained wood with fine uniform texture. Color is white to pale yellow. Very easy to carve with. Uses : Carving, hat blocks, broom handles.

Mahogany Other Names : None Description : A medium-textured wood with straight and even, or interlocked grain. Heartwood is red-brown to deep red. Uses : Boat planking, carving, furniture, pianos.

Purpleheart Other Names : Amaranth Description : Uniform, fine to medium texture. Usually straight-grained. Purple color, darkening to a rich brown due to oxidation. Uses : Construction work, boatbuilding, turning, furniture.

Red Alder Other Names : Western Alder Description : Pale yellow to red-brown color. Soft, fairly straight-grained, even-texture. Uses : Carving, turning, furniture.

Red Oak Other Names : American Red Oak Description : Straight-grained, with coarse texture. Pink-red in color. Uses : Furniture, interior joinery, flooring.

Soft Maple Other Names : Red Maple, Silver Maple Description : Straight-grained fine-textured wood. Not as strong as Hard Maple. Light creamy-brown in color. Uses : Furniture, interior joinery, turning, plywood, flooring.

Sycamore Other Names : American Plane, Buttonwood Description : Fine, even texture, usually with straight grain. Pale brown in color. Not to be confused with European Sycamore. Uses : Furniture, butcher's blocks, joinery.

Teak Other Names : Kyun Sagwan, Teku Description : Coarse, uneven texture with oily feel to it. Straight or wavy grain, depending on the origin. Uses : Interior and exterior joinery, boatbuilding, garden furniture, turning.

Tulipwood Other Names : Pinkwood Description : Dense, hard wood with fine to medium texture. Usually has irregular grain. Pink-yellow color with pink to violet-red stripes. Uses : Turning, kitchen utensils, inlay

White Ash Other Names : Canadian Ash, American White Ash Description : Below average number of knots, heavy wood. Coarse, straight-grained wood with almost white sapwood. Heartwood is pale-brown, similar to European Ash. High bending strength. Uses : Tool handles, boatbuilding, joinery, curved furniture.

White Elm Other Names : Water Elm, Swamp Elm, Soft Elm Description : A coarse-textured, strong, medium-density wood. Usually straight-grained but can be interlocked. Heartwood is pale red-brown. Has good bending qualities. Uses : Boat-building, furniture.

White Oak Other Names : American White Oak Description : Straight-grained with medium-coarse texture. Similar to European oak in appearance, but more variable in color. Uses : Construction, flooring, plywood, interior joinery.

Yellow Poplar Other Names : Whitewood, Tulip Poplar Description : A fairly soft and lightweight wood, with straight grain and fine texture. Pale olive-green to brown heartwood, but with colored streaks. Uses : Joinery, furniture, carving, light construction.

Softwoods

Douglas Fir Other Names : British Columbian pine Description : : A straight-grained, red-brown wood with pronounced grain. Uses : Construction, plywood

European Redwood Other Names : Scots Pine Description : A light-colored wood with yellow-brown to red-brown heartwood and white-yellow sapwood. Uses : Furniture, joinery, construction.

Larch Other Names : Tamarack Description : A straight-grained wood of even texture. Pale to rich-red heartwood with light colored sapwood. Uses : Joinery, construction, boat planking.

Pine Other Names : Parana pine, hoop pine, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, western white pine, white pine Description : There are too many strains of pine to document here and you are unlikely to get much of a choice at a local lumber yard. Basically, pine is a soft, pale yellow to reddish brown color, usually with a straight grain and medium texture. Uses : Doors, furniture, turning.

Western Red Cedar Other Names : British Columbian red cedar Description : Fairly soft, aromatic wood. Red-brown in color, fading to silver-gray after long exposure to weathering. Uses : Shingles, decking, exterior siding.

Silver Fir Other Names : Whitewood, white fir Description : A pale cream, almost colorless wood with fine texture and straight-grain. Uses : Joinery, construction, boxes, plywood

Yellow Cedar Other Names : None Description : A pale-yellow, even-textured wood with fine, straight grain. It is relatively light, and stiff. Uses : Furniture, joinery, boatbuilding

Yew Other Names : European yew Description : Strong and hard. It has an orange-red heartwood and light-colored sapwood. Uses : Furniture, turning, joinery.