Listed below are some of the woods we use.
Please note, if the wood of your choice is not listed here, we
will still locate the wood, however cost varies depending on the
type of wood used.
NAMES OF SOME
AVAILABLE WOODS:
SAMPLES OF
WOOD
Alder, red
- Pinkish brown with little
figure. Western states utility wood often substituted for
birch, but less hard and strong. Easy to work. Inexpensive.
Ash, white
- Creamy to grayish brown,
wide-grain wood that’s tough and durable. Versatile; works
easily and accepts finishes well. Moderately priced.
Basswood - Nondescript, creamy white to russet
“woodcarver’s wood.” Lightweight, soft, and uniform in
grain. Accepts glue and paint well; stable. Moderately
priced.
Beech -
Tan to reddish in color with conspicuous rays. Heavy and
hard, but prone to checking and warping. Works fairly well;
imparts no odor or taste. Moderately priced.
Birch, yellow
- Light reddish brown with pleasing grain. Hard, heavy,
and strong. Versatile; machines easily and accepts finishes
well. Moderately priced.
Cherry, black
- Uniform, reddish brown color
with some figure. Strong and hard but not heavy. Works well
and takes a satiny finish; stable. Becomes red with age.
Moderately priced.
Hickory/Pecan
Reddish brown with uniform grain. Strong, hard woods that
are often sold together. Must be seasoned carefully. Very
tough and durable, yet easily worked. Moderately priced.
Maples, sugar
and Eastern
- Reddish tan with great variety of grain (curly and
bird’s-eye are two types). Heavy, hard, and durable. Works
easily and accepts finishes well; takes abuse. Moderately
priced.
Soft
Sugar
Oak,
red - Very popular
pinkish, fairly straight-grain wood with large pores. Heavy,
hard, and very durable. Machines and finishes well.
Moderately priced.
Red
White
Oak,
white - Yellowish
brown in color with distinctive quarter-sawn rays and closed
pores. Dense, strong, and very durable. Machines and
finishes well. Moderately expensive.
Red
White
Pine - A light colored American
soft wood is chosen by many for
the beautiful contrast of letters when laser engraved. This
durable wood will bring joy and satisfaction for years.
Yellow
White
Poplar, yellow
- Yellowish brown to green wood
with bland, uniform grain. Light and moderately soft. Works
easily and shows no grain through paint; stable.
Inexpensive.
Tulip
Walnut
- A most beautiful American dark brown hardwood with black
swirls of burly grain. This wood is hand selected for the
best grain character. Walnut is used in the finest furniture
and exotic trim.
Black
Walnut, black
- Chocolate brown wood with handsome grain and great
figure variety. Durable and strong. Works well, takes high
polish, and is very stable. Expensive.
Black
EXOTIC SPECIES
NAMES OF SOME
EXOTIC SPECIES WOODS AVAILABLE:
SAMPLES OF
WOOD
Australian
Cypress
Bocote -
Brown to black wood (sometimes called Mexican rosewood) with
yellow lines; straight to wavy grain. Heavy, hard, and oily.
Expensive.
Cocobolo -
Russet to orange colored Central and South American
wood. Wavy grain and spicy aroma. Very hard, beautiful wood
that may cause rash when worked. Expensive.
Ebonies, African and East Indian - African: Deep black
with little figure. East Indian (Macassar): Brown to black
with lighter streaks. Extremely hard and heavy woods that
are difficult to find. Expensive.
Koa -
Golden brown Hawaiian wood with some fiddleback figure.
Soft, but finishes to a lustrous sheen. Getting rare, but
only moderately expensive.
Lauan -
Tan to reddish “Philippine mahogany” with much ribbon grain
and large pores. Softer, coarser, and stringier than true
mahoganies; doesn’t machine as well. Moderately priced.
Lignum vitae
- Green to brown heartwood with tight, swirling grain.
Hard, heavy Caribbean wood that’s difficult to work,
extremely oily, but very durable, Expensive.
Mahoganies,
African and Honduran - Golden reddish brown wood with
variable grain and much figure. Moderately hard and very
strong. Large, clear pieces available. Works very well.
Moderately expensive.
Padouk -
Golden red African wood often called vermilion. Uniform in
grain and color (darkens to bronze); good for contrast.
Hard, heavy wood that machines well. Expensive.
Purpleheart
- Mildly striped wood (properly called amaranth) from
American tropics; turns royal purple after cutting. Hard;
works well. Moderately expensive.
Rosewoods,
Brazilian and East Indian - Dark brown to violet and
black with light and dark streaks. Brazilian has larger
pores and is less stable than East Indian, Both finish
beautifully. Expen~sive.
Satinwood
- Yellow to gold. Rare East Indian variety has great figure
range, but checks easily West Indian version is plainer, but
more stable and workable, Both finish well, Expensive.
Spanish Cedar - Golden reddish brown wood with
variable grain and much figure. Moderately hard and very
strong. Large, clear pieces available. Works very well.
Moderately expensive.
Teak -
Golden brown Asian wood with some similarities to walnut.
Very stable, even outdoors. Oily; sandy quality of wood hard
on saw blades. Expensive.
Tulipwood
- Pink to red and yellow Brazilian wood with wavy, irregular
grain. Looks painted. Very hard; can be difficult to work.
Expensive.
Zebrawood
- Golden-hued African wood with pronounced black stripes and
large pores: Lustrous when finished. Expensive.
