Be it a gift for someone special or just a hobby that you use to get away from reality, we got you covered. These are the top 5 amazing lumber board woods that you should include in your wish list.
The most basic details that you need to know about the woods are given below, and hopefully these will help you pick the best wood for your next DIY projects.
American Black Walnut
Black Walnut lumber has long been considered one of the most solid, and one of the most common, hardwoods in the United States. The wood has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio and, after drying, is considered to have good dimensional stability.
It is on demand for its typically deep chocolate color, which is often highlighted by red or purple stripes or tint. It is found to normally have straight grains, fine texture and warm luster.
Its cooperative grain structure and moderate density give Black Walnut excellent working properties that have made it popular among many furniture craftsmen for centuries.
Scientific name : Juglans nigra
Janka hardness : 1,010 lbf (4,490 N)
Origin Eastern : United States
Color
Heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown with darker brown streaks to a dark chocolate brown. Color may also have a grey, purple, or reddish cast. The sapwood is pale gray-yellow to almost white.
Uses
American black walnut is an outstanding wood growing cabinet. For both computer and hand instruments, it works well and can be polished to a high finish. It is also an exceptional carving and turning timber and is perfect for steam bending.
When conditions are carefully regulated, it glues satisfactorily. It is suitable for high-end cabinetwork and is the chosen timber for gunstocks. General furniture and joinery work, interior paneling, veneer, turned objects, and other small wooden objects and novelties are other applications. Where to buy?
Hard maple lumber
Sugar maple is best known for its brightly colored fall leaves and for being the main source of maple syrup. It may also be known, particularly when referring to the wood, as "rock maple", "sugar tree", "birds-eye maple", "sweet maple", "curly maple".
Although in the context of timber it is commonly called Hard maple. Forest-grown sugar maples, as with most trees, develop a much taller trunk and narrower canopy than open-growth ones.
Scientific name : Acer saccharum
Janka hardness : 1,450 lbf (6,450 N)
Origin Eastern : Northeastern North America
Color
The color of sapwood varies from almost white to off-white cream, often with a golden or reddish hue. A richer reddish brown appears to be the heartwood.
Uses
Owing to the higher density of Hard Maple, it is fairly straightforward to work with both hand and computer instruments, albeit somewhat more difficult than Soft Maple. If machined with high-speed cutters such as in a router, Maple has a tendency to flame.
Typically used for interior paneling, furniture, cabinetry, gunstocks, veneer, turned pieces, and other small wooden objects and novelties. Where to buy?
Spanish Cedar lumber
The Spanish Cedar is native to Central and South America, or Cedrela odorata. Timber from large, mature trees is considered to be very precious; in fact, C. Odorata is one of the most common species of commercial timber in the world.
Timber from C. Odorata wood is distinguished by its aroma, and is best known as the wood widely used in traditional cigar boxes.
Scientific name : Cedrela odorata
Janka hardness : 600 lbf (2,670 N)
Origin Eastern : Native to Central and South America and the Caribbean
Color
Heartwood is a light pinkish to reddish brown, which is somewhat uniform; colors appear to darken with age. Random gum pockets and natural oils are often present. The pattern and figure of the grain appears to be quite bland.
Uses
With both hand and machine tools, Spanish Cedar is simple to work with. However, because of its low density and softness, if not machined with sharp cutters, Spanish Cedar tends to leave fuzzy surfaces; extra sanding up to finer grits may be necessary to obtain a smooth wood surface.
The key wood used in the manufacture of cigar boxes and humidors is Spanish cedar. For windows and doors and exterior siding, exterior mouldings and millwork, it is also a favorite wood. Spanish Cedar is used for closet and chest linings as well. Where to buy?
Hondura Mahogany lumber
Honduran Mahogany is also known as Genuine Mahogany. Unlike other plants that are called mahogany, it is from the Swietenia genus. Because of its addition to the 2003 CITES Appendix II listing, several regions have promoted the production of plantations, which helps to keep supplies available.
Scientific name : Swietenia macrophylla
Janka hardness : 1,450 lbf (6,450 N)
Origin Eastern : Southern Mexico to central South America
Color
With Honduran Mahogany, from a pale pinkish brown to a darker reddish brown, the color of Heartwood can differ a fair amount. With age, colour appears to darken. An optical phenomenon known as chatoyancy is also demonstrated by Mahogany.
Uses
Usually, working with tools is very easy: machines are fine. With the exception of the figured grain parts, which during machining may tear out or chip.
You could make some awesome furniture, cabinetry, gunstocks, interior panels, veneer, turned pieces, and other small wooden objects and novelties with your expertise and this wood. Where to buy?
Padauk lumber
The African Padauk is a hardwood lumber that is very solid and stable. It is recognized for its usually heavy reddish-brown coloration (which darkens with age), while colors can also vary from a bright orange to a slightly muted burgundy with highlights, grain lines and/or secondary colors varying from brick red to a more purplish muted hue.
Often the wood can be found figured (ribbon; striped; etc.), and for its deep chatoyance and wonderful natural luster, it is well known. Grains are usually straight, though interlocked at times.
Scientific name : Pterocarpus soyauxii
Janka hardness : 1,970 lbf (8,760 N)
Origin Eastern : Central and tropical west Africa
Color
The color of the heartwood ranges from a pale pinkish orange to a deep brownish red. When freshly cut, most pieces appear to start with reddish orange, darkening to a reddish/purple brown significantly over time.
Uses
Overall, Padauk is simple to work; tearout can also occur on quartersawn or interlocked grain during planing. Turns, glues, and finishes well with Padauk. Furniture, shelves, gunstocks, interior panels, furniture, turned pieces, and other small wooden items and novelties. Where to buy?
