Wood - what's your favorite / least favorite

I think everyone has a favorite / least favorite wood - here's mine.

My Favorite is Red Oak - I like it's appearance - it finishes to a golden color without any tinting and I like it's open grain texture. For workability it's about as easy as it comes - machines like a dream. True green it smells a lot like puke, but not to bad...

My least favorite is Black Walnut - although in small amount is it tolerable. If I'm not careful and wear a good dust mask and shower immediately after sawing it. The stuff tears me up - I'm not right for days afterwords. It has that smell that just about makes me sick to my stomach. Drys my skin right out and sets me off into a far way land - I can't concentrate and my short term memory goes on a picnic for a few days. As far as workability it's not bad - but I try and stay away from it if at all possible.

[BillPappas]

I like Mahogany the best, easy to work and finishes great.

Second is Bubinga and it is second because it is so heavy!

Third is Cherry or maybe Maple..the heck with it, I like them all.

Regards,

Bill

[cskipper]

Howe many of you have seen or workied with quarter-sawn sycamore (my personal favorite)?

[Jeff]

I don't have a lot of experience with woodworking so my species exposure is limited. I've done some flat-sawn RO and WO and a little poplar/DF. I'm about to start a project which will use some cherry (a first for me). I've considered some butternut also.

Just completed a couple of folding high-rise deck/bar chairs from cypress. I'm gonna leave them unfinished and see how they weather out in VA Beach. The cypress is really nice to work with and it won't break the bank either.

Just saw Jeff's post re Touchstone Sycamore Rocker. That's some nice wood and expert craftsmanship. I think it was QS. What's it like to work with it? Machinability, etc.

[Touchwood]

Originally Posted by Bas

I'll have to get back to you on that one in a few years. So far, I've used red oak, ash, poplar, cherry and pine. And I like all of them. Next species I'll be using are beech, purple heart, maple and sycamore, and in the fall white oak, cypress and walnut (once all the stuff is dry...). My guess is I'll like all of those too!

BTW, sounds like you've sawn a LOT of walnut in your life Certainly explains a few things....

Bas,

If you're doing much with Purpleheart I suggest you become really good friends with a sharpening service. Per Jeff's comments about wood toxicity, here's a handy reference

http://www.mimf.com/archives/toxic.htm

Don

[Hook]

My favorites wood have to be Maple, Cherry and Black Walnut (In that order). I like working with Cocobolo, especially for turning, and so far, no reactions to it. I've been lucky enough to work a LITTLE bit with some mahogany for guitar sides/back/blocks but I haven't really formed an opinion on it yet.

I like playing with different varieties of exotics every now and then, but they can be frustrating depending on difficulty and density. I've done a lot of turning with purpleheart and I hope to finish the grandfather clock I started using it.

My least favorite is probably red oak. I'm just not a fan.

[SkintKnuckle]

Favorites are cherry, mahogany and maple, in that order.

OK are the oaks, red and white.

Least favorite, Cottonwood! if anyone has ever sawn it, they'll know why, it ABSOLUTELY has the worst smell of any wood I've come across! I also used some zebrawood for accent in a table top, it splits and tears so easily that I don't think I'd want to use it again.

[cskipper]

Originally Posted by Jeff

II think it was QS. What's it like to work with it? Machinability, etc.

It scrolls beautifully. I don't remember LOML having any problems with it when making the coffee and end tables.

[LeftyTom]

Originally Posted by DaveO

My favorite wood is FREE wood.
Dave

Dave, you beat me to it!

My least favorite is that species, Dave may know its name, that no matter how you cut it, it is always too short.

[Douglas Robinson]

My favorite right now is cherry. My lest favorite is Marado, because I am very allergic to it. I am in Germany right now and I brought my watch, which I haven't worn since May 10 or there abouts, as that is when I had my encounter.

I cleaned the watch, but I guess not welll enough. I had a little (thankfully little) outbreak on my wrist, so the ghost of the Marado strikes again!

Man I could live without seeing that stuff ever again!

Doug

[Jeff]

Contact dermatitis and respiratory problems have been encountered with many of the wood species that we often use (see the "coolflooring" link below for a pretty comprehensive listing) and also take for granted. Some individuals become sensitized over time and suddenly the next exposure results in an allergic reaction without warning.


http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_bas...s_to_Wood.html

http://www.coolflooring.com/TechInfo/safety.aspx

[Keye]

Love them all except LACEWOOD!

Headed to the doctors office one day because I new I was having a reaction to something. Dang near could not breathe by the time I arrived at the doctors. My Doc happens to be a woodworker and we figured out it was the dang LACEWOOD I had been working with the previous evening.

My favorite, whatever my wife wants me to use on the next project.

A lot of folks won't allow lacewood in their shop and for good reason - the stuff will eat you up man...

On a side note - I know a sawyer up in Va that was talked into squaring up some recycled creosote soaked light pole - I think it was like 16 poles. It just about killed him - he was in the hospital for over a week - broke out in a rash from head to toe and inside his lungs. You guys please be careful when messing around with older recycled wood, especially old pine - you never know what kind of treatment it may have had and what is waiting for you to be exposed to.

Thanks

[BarryC]

I'll have to say my favorite wood is wood that I haven't cut yet. I haven't quite mastered getting the most out a piece and end up with a bigger scrap pile than should be.

[jonnyfontaine]

so far my favorite woods are quilted and curly maple, because of the challange they present when hand planing them, but when done they are amazing to look at, and curly redwood, i am really into that at the moment, and sometimes madagascar ebony... my least favorites are pine, but it does have it's moments (as long as someone else did the work) and at times madagascar ebony... oh yeah... my old favorite and stand by, is mahogany, that wood is just about perfect....
-P.S. i really want to try black limba, does anyone have any experience with that? thanks

[erasmussen]

My least favorite wood, is flat wood
My favorite wood is round wood