Great hardwoods for woodworking

The hardwood is the staple material of any woodworker who is focused on making find furniture or other such woodworking projects.  In this article we will look at a number of different types of hardwood for woodworking purposes.  But what is important to remember is that not all hardwoods are “hard” as wood such as poplar is much softer than pine but is still classified as a hardwood. 

However the more common types of hardwood that are used include, oak, maple, birch and poplar, but certainly a woodworker’s choice is not just limited to these.  There are the more exotic species around as well such as teak, mahogany, rose wood and purple heart.  All hardwoods come from deciduous or broad leaved trees and most of these trees will lose their leaves in the winter months.  With hardwoods you also are offered a much wider variety of colors and textures than you would get with the softwoods.

So now let us have a look at two of the more popular types of hardwood that are used in woodworking.

1.  Oak
This is certainly one of the most used of the hardwoods and is available in 2 varieties, red and white.  Not only is it strong but it is easy to work with and the white oak is preferred for furniture making.  This is because it has a more attractive figure than the red oak.  It is also resistant to moisture so is great for making furniture that will be outdoors.  Plus it is less expensive than most of the other hardwoods such as cherry and the grain has a beautiful “ray flake” pattern to it.  You can easily purchase red oak from your local home improvement center, but if you want white then you will need to take a visit to your local lumberyard.

2.  Mahogany
This is great for making furniture with and has a reddish brown to deep red tint to it.  It is straight grained with a medium texture and is able to take stain well.  It looks great when coated with 1 or even 10 coats of wood oil.  But there is one drawback to mahogany and that is that is not being grown in sustainable forests.  Unfortunately if you want to get some mahogany forget about your local home improvement store if you want some decent stuff then you will need to go to a reputable lumberyard.  There is also another drawback to this hardwood and that is the price.

So as you can see there are many varieties of hardwood for woodworking available, but it is all down to personal preference as to which ones you choose to use.