Best wood for getting my feet wet?

[Nick Boehm]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to woodworking and have selected a few projects that should help develop my skills. Most of the projects use specific woods based on their grain appearance and the finished product and not necessarily the other properties of the wood but for me I have chosen the projects based on the skills involved to create the finished project. What do you guys think would be the most budget friendly wood to start with would be? I'd like something that has similar properties to the higher end hardwoods but maybe a reduced "exotic" appearance or rarity to help save cash on these skill developing projects?

[Mike Nolan]

I would suggest poplar if you were in Southern California. It is cheap, available and well behaved. It turns a nice brown after being exposed to even some sunlight. Check your local hardwood sources. Hardware stores are not usually a good place.

[Nick Boehm]

I'm in VA. I guess that piece of info may help. Hopefully going out this weekend to take a look at a few local hardwood dealers.

[Paul Girouard]

Pine will teach you a lot , it's inexpensive , smells nice ,IMO. Being a native New Englander Pine has been used since the pilgrims landed , for all sorts of things. From flooring to framing stock , to furniture.

If you where in Washington state I'd suggest Alder , which is also a fine wood , it's nicknamed "Poor mans Cherry" as with some stain and finish on it , it can be made to look like Cherry.

Cherry would be the next wood of choice, back where you are it may not be quite as expensive as it is here in Washington state , I moved here with the USN back in 1978 , so I've been here longer than I was in R.I. , but those would be three woods and the order I'd suggest you'd start your quest with , if they are available.

Oh, and on the Pine we get Idaho White out here , look at stair treads for 5/4" thick stock , getting it in 8/4 (1 1/2" ) thick can be a bit tricky out here, not sure what hoop jumps you'd have in Virgina finding 8/4 stock in Pine.

Good luck.

[Bruce Page]

Pine is a good choice although it can be sappy. Popular is also a good choice and more stable. Spoil yourself and pick up a stick of cherry for something small. You'll love it.

[Andrew Hughes]

I think Alder is a good choice too.If you pay a little bit more you can sometimes find it clear.
The cut off pieces are good for smoking and barbecuing win win.

[Doug Hepler]

Nick,

There are many aspects to workability, for example:
1. Ease of cutting and shaping with hand tools (planes, scrapers, chisels, etc.) and machine tools (jointers, planers,
routers, etc.).
2. Propensity of a species to tear instead of cut, leaving rough divots or fuzzy grain. Tearout is also caused by irregular grain patterns in a particular piece of wood.
3. Accommodation of fasteners. Some species and grain patterns tend to split more easily than others and require pre-drilling for screws and nails.
4. Ease of gluing is important, but not usually a problem with most woods and modern adhesives. (Some dense tropical species like rosewood can present problems in gluing).
5. Ability (and need) to evenly stain or dye will matter a lot at finishing time. (I prefer not to stain or dye wood, but some need a little pizzazz. Some woods, like cherry and maple, tend to blotch because of irregular grain.)
6. Ease of finishing.. Some wood has open grain, meaning pores will show in the final finish unless you fill them. Other woods finish hard and smooth with almost any coating. Some oily exotic woods are reputed to interfere with the curing process of some oil-based finishes.

Finally, the effect of the wood on your tools is also important. Some woods tend to blunt cutters more than others, often because of mineral deposits in the wood.

The following very short list of woods would score well on the dimensions of workability: Clear pine (Eastern White, Southern, or Radiata) is easy to work if you get clear wood or cut around knots. Cypress works very well. It has a tendency to split, so drill all screw holes. Among hardwoods,
poplar is easy to work. My favorite is black walnut. It is expensive but it is strong, easy to work, and can be finished beautifully. Mahogany is also easy to work and finishes beautifully. Also consider Soft Maple or Cherry. Oak is much harder to work.

I invite you to read more at this link:http://plaza.ufl.edu/chepler/Notes/C...4%20Lumber.pdf

IMO you can get what you need at a big box home store, at least for now.

Doug

[Paul Girouard]

I won't buy wood at a "big box " store unless it was Sunday and there was no other choice!

[John Lankers]

I won't buy wood at a "big box " store unless it was Sunday and there was no other choice!

Well, I'm not so sure. At least here big orange stores SPF lumber indoors and it generally tests between 9.5% and 10.5%, 2" x 12" x 16' is usually pretty decent if you can transport it - just picked up 20 boards yesterday.
But I would never buy S4S hardwood lumber there due to their prices.

[Paul Girouard]

Well, I'm not so sure. At least here big orange stores SPF lumber indoors and it generally tests between 9.5% and 10.5%, 2" x 12" x 16' is usually pretty decent if you can transport it - just picked up 20 boards yesterday.
But I would never buy S4S hardwood lumber there due to their prices.

The stock I see in my local H/D is fire wood grade , and like you said the S4S stuff they are very proud of! Don't get me wrong I shop my H/D for a LOT of stuff, unfinished wood just isn't one of them. I did get some pre-finished R. Oak floor there , price was good , flooring was good.
Maybe living in the PNW and have a old fashion , family run local lumber yard (Frontier Industries), and access to cabinet shops who buy from suppliers like Edensaw woods , Architectural Woods, and the like , I'm spoiled:-))

[John Lankers]

Here it's the smaller home centers selling the worst quality, even though HD is 1:30 hour away it is worth making the trip. For hardwood lumber we have to go to Calgary which is 3 hrs. away way but with excellent selection and good pricing when buying 300 bf or more.

[Rick Potter]

Another vote for poplar. It is cheaper than clear pine, and is very stable, and it is a hardwood. Another choice is soft maple. I sometimes find it at pretty reasonable prices, and it is used a lot as a secondary wood, like for frames of furniture. Call hardwood dealers, and ask if they have any short pieces. These are 4 or 5 feet long, and usually discounted. I just bought some poplar shorts yesterday.

Plus one on not buying finish type wood at big box stores or places like Rockler. They are very expensive there.

Keep your eye out for people discarding solid wood headboards or tables. Free is always hard to beat.

Hope this helps.

[Paul Girouard]

Here it's the smaller home centers selling the worst quality, even though HD is 1:30 hour away it is worth making the trip. For hardwood lumber we have to go to Calgary which is 3 hrs. away way but with excellent selection and good pricing when buying 300 bf or more.

You're out in the sticks!!!

[Mike Cutler]

Nick

Seeing as that you live in Va., my advice would be oak. A lot of oak is milled in Va, and there are many small mills that specialize in it. Look for some small mill operations. It's not uncommon that oak, maple, walnut ,and cherry ,can be found for less $$$$/bd.ft than quality pine. Pine can be expensive also, depending on the grade.
I have to agree about not buying it a Big Box store. When you convert the price to board feet, the big box stores are pretty expensive.

[Earl McLain]

I'd agree with poplar in general--and for some reason I really like the occasional streaks of green & purple I see in my stash. But, cherry and soft maple have taught me how to set up my machines. Both will burn pretty easily if the table saw fence isn't parallel to the blade, or if the feed rate is too slow.

earl