What do you think is the best wood species to practice hand tool work with?
I’ve had very frustrating experiences in the past trying to say, plane figured/curly wood or chiseling really soft wood or wood like pine with varying latewood and earlywood and not understanding why I was just butchering it and having massive tear out etc.. I’ve read up a later and learned why I had such a hard time and have been able to correct.
I also learned that sometimes to get past the hump, sometimes things go well and you do a good job once. You gain confidence and are more likely to practice something you are not good at more, and when you try agin to work with a less than ideal situation you have a better understanding how to adapt and do a good job.
I am thinking walnut. What do you all think?? I may just buy a board that will be totally scarified to practicing dovetails and cut away after each set or may make boxes or trays that I will probably be embarrassed of that will hold fishing gear or something and hidden away and not really looked at.