Have you been thinking about jumping right into woodworking and kicking off a project you’ve been eyeing for a while? Perhaps you’ve been binge-watching YouTube videos on woodturning or joinery techniques and want to give it a shot to fill some extra free time.
If that sounds like you, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is which type of wood suits your project best. Different kinds of wood have unique characteristics that will influence your final outcome.
In this post, we’ll explore the main things to look for when selecting the right wood for your project, along with the typical applications and features of common wood varieties.
🌲 Hardwood vs. Softwood
The first step in picking the right wood is deciding whether you should use hardwood or softwood.
- Hardwood tends to be denser and is typically better for fine woodworking.
- Softwood is generally easier to work with and is a good choice for hobbies, crafts, or simpler projects.
Your decision ultimately depends on factors like budget, durability, appearance, stability, and hardness.
Understanding the Janka Rating System
The Janka rating is the go-to standard for measuring wood hardness. It’s a valuable tool for determining which wood species will meet your project’s needs.
🛠️ A Guide to Choosing the Best Hardwood Varieties
Hardwood trees generally produce fruit or nuts, have broad leaves, and go dormant in winter. Common examples include cherry, oak, ash, maple, poplar, walnut, teak, and mahogany.
Mahogany
- Highly durable and resistant to warping or swelling
- Often used for upscale furniture and boat building
Black Walnut
- Strong and straightforward to work with
- Beautiful grain, resists warping and shrinkage
- Great for fine furniture, gun stocks, cabinets, and paneling
Oak
- Extremely durable and flexible
- Ideal for furniture, trim, boat frames, and flooring
Maple
- Features an appealing grain, very hard and strong
- Commonly used for fine furniture and flooring
Cherry
- Matures elegantly in color over time
- Frequently chosen for cabinets, boat interiors, and furniture knobs
Ebony
Primarily used for trim, accents, and art pieces
Rosewood
- Known for its pleasant aroma, although it can be challenging to work with
- Polishes beautifully, perfect for musical instruments, tool handles, artistic projects, fine furniture, and veneers
Teak
- Very moisture-resistant and robust
- Commonly used for outdoor furniture, exposed boat components, doors, and frames
🌳 Exploring the Diversity of Softwood Types
When you think of softwood, think of needle-bearing trees that are usually evergreens and produce cones rather than fruit or nuts. Softwoods are commonly used for structural purposes. Examples include pine, cedar, redwood, spruce, and fir.
Hemlock
- Machines nicely and is quite lightweight
Pine
- Light yellow hue that’s easy to stain or paint
- One of the most beginner-friendly woods, especially for drilling or carving
Varieties of Pine
- Yellow Pine: Strongest softwood in North America, featuring the highest compression and bending strength
- Eastern White Pine: Primarily for furniture (think bunk beds or other children’s furniture)
- Lodgepole Pine: Used mostly for flooring, roofing, and particleboard
- Parana Pine: Commonly used for joinery
- Scots Pine: Ideal for interior construction
- Southern Yellow Pine: Popular for outdoor decking, joinery, and flooring
Cedar
- Warm red tones and a distinctive scent that naturally repels insects
- Extremely easy to work with and great for outdoor use due to its weather resistance
Western Red Cedar
Often used for furniture, roofing shingles, and decks
Redwood
- Soft, easy to handle, and fairly water-resistant
- Suitable for outdoor furniture
Yew
- Among the hardest softwoods, with characteristics closer to hardwood
- Exceptionally flexible and strong—perfect for archery (as seen in historical English longbows)
European Yew
Often chosen for woodturning, furniture, carving, and musical instruments
Spruce
- European Spruce has excellent resonance for instruments like pianos and violins
- Red, White, and Black Spruce are nearly interchangeable, commonly used for boat masts and spars
- Offers outstanding qualities for furniture-making, though it can be harder to find
Fir
Douglas Fir is frequently utilized in construction, doors, and joinery