Choosing wood: species comparisons, lumber grades, plywood, MDF and sheet goods for each kind of project.
Choosing the Right Species for a Brushed Oil Finish European oak and American walnut both look good under a brushed oil finish, but they do not behave the same way. Oak is open-grained, relatively hard, and strongly textured. Walnut is more closed-grained, darker, and usually easier to make look smooth Read more
Cypress and redwood are both naturally durable softwoods used outdoors, and both can look good under an exterior oil finish. Neither is maintenance-free. The better choice depends on what the boards will be exposed to, how consistently you can maintain the finish, and whether the lumber is clear or knotty. Read more
Alder and poplar are both inexpensive hardwoods commonly used for painted furniture, cabinet parts and trim. Either can take spray-applied enamel, but neither is automatically ready for a smooth finish straight from the lumber rack. The practical difference is consistency: alder is usually easier to prepare for a uniform, opaque Read more
Pecan and hickory are both dense North American hardwoods with bold grain, but they behave differently under stain. Pecan usually refers to wood from pecan trees, while “hickory” may mean several closely related species sold together. In practice, the boards in a cabinet-door order matter as much as the species Read more
Black locust and white oak can both make durable outdoor furniture, but they behave differently at the bench and in the weather. Black locust is lighter and naturally resistant to decay; white oak is more widely available, easier to source in furniture-grade boards, and has a long record in outdoor Read more
Sugar pine and radiata pine can both work for painted interior trim, casing, baseboards, and built-ins. The better choice depends less on the species name than on the stock in front of you: how dry and straight it is, whether it has knots or resin pockets, and how well it Read more
Ebonizing can make either white oak or black cherry look convincingly black, but the route to that color—and the result beneath it—differs. White oak is the more predictable choice for a deep, grain-visible black, especially with an iron-and-tannin reaction. Cherry is smoother and less open-grained; it can take a dark Read more
Choosing between the two Sapele and African padauk can both make striking clear-coated accent panels, but they create different rooms. Sapele is a reddish-brown hardwood with a shifting ribbon figure when quartersawn. Padauk starts vivid orange-red and darkens toward deep reddish brown with light and age. Choose by the color Read more
The short answer Basswood and linden are usually the same wood: Tilia species sold under different regional names. In North America, “basswood” is the common woodworking name. In Europe and many craft catalogs, “lime” or “linden” is more common. The exact species can vary, but for carved and painted details, Read more
“Walnut” usually means American black walnut (Juglans nigra); “Claro walnut” usually means California walnut (Juglans hindsii), often sold as Claro or California walnut. Both can make handsome oil-finished furniture, but the color, figure, availability, and price can vary widely within each species. If you are choosing boards, judge the actual Read more