WOOD PROPERTIES

Species Origin Hardness Strength Weight (lb/bf) Hand Tools Power Tools Gluing Finishing Comments

Domestic Hardwoods
Alder, Red Ash Aspen Basswood Beech Western North America North America North America Eastern North America Eastern North America Eastern North America Northeastern North America Eastern North America Southeastern North America Eastern North America Southeastern North America Eastern North America Southeastern North America Eastern North America Eastern North America North America Very Soft Hard Very Soft Very Soft Hard Weak Strong Very Weak Weak Strong 2.14 3.13 1.98 1.93 3.34 Difficult Very Easy Very Easy Very Easy Easy Difficult Easy Easy Easy Easy Good Excellent Good Excellent Excellent Good Excellent Poor Excellent Excellent Grain tears easily. Blends with walnut, cherry and mahogany when stained. Easy to bend. Resists shock loads. Almost indistinguishable from Cottonwood. Preferred by many woodcarvers. Easy to bend. Sometimes substituted for hard maple. Easy to bend. Sometimes substituted for hard maple. Prone to warping and twisting. Sometimes referred to as white walnut. Premium furniture wood. Most living trees destroyed by fungus in early 20th century. New lumber is salvaged from dead trees. Fairly easy to bend. Has an outstanding resistance to shock loads. Also known as Sweet Gum. Fairly easy to bend. One of the few evergreen dicots - doesn't lose its leaves seasonally. Premium furniture wood, curly figure and bird's-eye figure common. Easy to bend. Utility furniture wood. Sawdust is potential irritant. Similar to red oak in most respects, but has finer texture and darker color. Potential irritant. Resists decay. Source of yellow, tan, and khaki dyes. Potential irritant. Although not considered a premium wood, it's very versatile - not much it can't be used for. Sawdust is potential irritant. Curly figure also common.

Birch, Yellow Butternut Cherry

Hard Very Soft Medium

Very Strong Weak Medium

3.23 1.98 2.61

Easy Very Easy Very Easy

Moderate Very Easy Easy

Good Excellent Excellent

Excellent Excellent Excellent

Chestnut, Wormy Elm, Red Gum, Red Hickory Holly Maple, Hard Maple, Soft Oak, Red

Very Soft Soft Medium Very Hard Hard Hard Medium Very Hard

Weak Medium Strong Very Strong Strong Very Strong Strong Strong

2.24 2.61 2.71 3.75 2.61 3.28 2.81 3.28

Very Easy Difficult Difficult Very Difficult Very Easy Difficult Difficult Easy

Very Easy Difficult Easy Difficult Very Easy Easy Easy Easy

Excellent Adequate Excellent Excellent Excellent Adequate Good Good

Excellent Adequate Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent

Oak, White Osage Orange

North America North America Eastern North America Eastern North America Eastern North America

Very Hard Very Hard

Very Strong Strong

3.54 4.01

Easy Difficult

Easy Moderate

Good Adequate

Good Good

Poplar, Yellow Sassafras Sycamore

Soft Soft Soft

Medium Weak Medium

2.19 2.40 2.55

Very Easy Easy Difficult

Very Easy Very Easy Difficult

Excellent Excellent Excellent

Good Good Good

WOOD PROPERTIES
Species Origin Eastern North America Eastern North America Hardness Strength Weight (lb/bf) Hand Tools Power Tools Gluing Finishing Comments Premium furniture wood. Fairly easy to bend. Potential irritant. Sometimes stained to stimulate walnut.

Walnut Willow

Medium Very Soft

Strong Very Weak

2.87 2.03

Very Easy Very Easy

Very Easy Very Easy

Good Good

Excellent Excellent

Domestic Softwoods
Cedar, Aromatic Red Cedar, Western Red Cypress North America Western North America Southeastern North America Western America Western America Western America Western America North Soft North Soft North Very Soft North Very Soft Very Weak 1.88 Easy Very Easy Excellent Good Not durable. Once the most commercially important timber type in America, but overuse has depleted supply. Suitable for heavy construction. Resists decay, holds nails and screws poorly. Sawdust is a potential irritant. Weak 2.08 Easy Very Easy Adequate Good Also known as Knotty Pine. Strong 2.34 Very Easy Very Easy Excellent Excellent No relation to the poisonous herb. Very Strong 2.50 Easy Very Easy Good Difficult Medium Very Soft Soft Very Weak Very Weak Medium 2.45 1.67 2.44 Easy Very Easy Easy Very Easy Very Easy Very Easy Good Excellent Excellent Good Good Good Has strong but pleasant odor. Despite folklore, no evidence that odor or wood oil repels insects. Decay resistant, sawdust is a potential sensitizer. Decay resistant. More veneer and plywood are made from this species than any other. Sawdust is potential irritant.

Fir, Douglas Hemlock Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Sugar

Pine, Eastern White Pine, Southern Yellow Redwood Spruce, Sitka

Northeastern North America Southern North America Western North America Western North America

Very Soft Medium Very Soft Very Soft

Weak Very Strong Weak Medium

1.82 3.07 1.82 2.08

Very Easy Easy Very Easy Easy

Very Easy Easy Very Easy Easy

Good Good Excellent Excellent

Excellent Adequate Good Excellent

Imported Woods
Balsa Bocote Central and South America Central and South America Very Soft Medium Very Weak Medium 0.83 2.87 Very Easy Easy Very Easy Easy Excellent Adequate Poor Excellent The softest and lightest hardwood available commercially. ----------------------------------------Gum pockets in the wood make gluing difficult, may also cause pitch to build up on cutters. Endangered. Dulls cutting edges, may react with some oilbased and lacquer finishes. Potential irritant. Endangered.

Bubinga

West Africa

Very Hard

Very Strong

3.70

Easy

Moderate

Poor

Excellent

Cocobolo

Central America

Very Hard

Very Strong

5.73

Difficult

Moderate

Poor

Good

WOOD PROPERTIES
Species Origin Hardness Strength Weight (lb/bf) Hand Tools Power Tools Gluing Finishing Comments Dulls cutting edges, chips easily. Potential irritant and sensitizer. Supplies severely depleted. Endangered. Interlocking and irregular grain make it difficult to work. Potential sensitizer. Endangered. Has become a favorite among wood carvers. Is similar to Basswood but more stable. Related to American Sycamore Similar properties and appearance as Honduran Mahogany. Most cherished furniture wood in world. Preferred for classic styles. Resists decay. Endangered. Waterproof, resists decay. Premium furniture wood. Sometimes substituted for Honduran Mahogany, but texture is coarser. Very stable, resists decay. Potential irritant. Endangered. Resists decay. Alcohol-based finishes dissolve purple color. Lacquer finishes preserve color. Best substitute for Brazilian Rosewood, which is depleted. Resists decay. Potential sensitizer. Endangered. A fair substitute for Brazilian Rosewood. Resists decay. Potential sensitizer. Endangered. Resists decay. Potential sensitizer. Endangered. Very stable, resists decay. Potential sensitizer. Endangered. Stable, resists decay. Potential sensitizer. Member of the Rosewood family. Stable, resists decay. Sometimes substituted for Ebony. Stable. Interlocking grain makes it difficult to plane and joint.

Ebony, Gaboon

Central Africa

Very Hard

Very Strong

5.37

Difficult

Difficult

Good

Excellent

Goncolo Alves

South America

Very Hard

Very Strong

4.38

Difficult

Difficult

Good

Excellent

Jelutong Lacewood Mahogany, African

Indonesia, Malaysia Europe West Africa

Very Soft Medium Soft

Very Weak Medium Medium

1.88 3.23 2.19

Very Easy Easy Moderate

Very Easy Moderate Easy

Excellent Excellent Good

Excellent Excellent Excellent

Mahogany, Honduran Mahogany, Philippine, Lauan Mahogany, Philippine, Meranti Padauk

Central America Indonesia, Malaysia Malaysia West Africa, Indonesia Central and South America

Soft Soft Medium Medium

Medium Strong Medium Strong

2.34 2.08 2.08 3.75

Very Easy Very Easy Easy Easy

Very Easy Very Easy Easy Very Easy

Excellent Excellent Good Good

Excellent Good Excellent Excellent

Purpleheart

Hard

Very Strong

3.49

Moderate

Difficult

Good

Good

Rosewood, Bolivian

South America

Very Hard

Very Strong

4.17

Difficult

Difficult

Poor

Poor

Rosewood, Honduran Rosewood, Indian Teak Tulipwood Wenge Zebrawood

Central America India, Indonesia Southeast Asia, Indonesia South America Central Africa West Africa

Very Hard Very Hard Medium Very Hard Very Hard Hard

Strong Very Strong Strong Very Strong Strong Strong

5.00 3.91 2.87 5.00 4.59 3.86

Difficult Difficult Moderate Difficult Moderate Easy

Difficult Difficult Moderate Difficult Easy Difficult

Poor Adequate Good Good Poor Good

Poor Good Good Excellent Good Excellent