If you are a woodworker or just getting into woodworking, chances are, you are wondering what types of wood are popular in woodworking and which ones are best for your needs and skills. Hardwoods for building furniture, to softer woods that are better suited for whittling or other light projects, know different wood types and how they react to different tools is essential to successful woodworking. Before you start tackling projects, make sure you know what wood you are going to go with and how it will shape into what your want for your needs.
Are you looking to build yourself some wooden furniture? The best wood for you is most likely going to be oak. Oak is a very popular wood in furniture making as it is a very strong and sturdy. While oak is a very reliable wood to work with for furniture, it can be a bit of a pain to work with if you do not follow certain guidelines. If you are a highly skilled woodworker, this is probably the wood for you. If you are just getting into it, perhaps you should start with some other options.
For an alternative to oak, that still has a strong foundation, maple is a wise choice to go if you are still in the furniture building department. Maple is another popular wood used for furniture making due to the beautiful looking grain. It is also a very strong and durable wood that is a bit easier to work with than oak. Maple can provide some issues however when it comes to finishes.
One of the most common hardwoods you will find when it comes to furniture and fixture making is black walnut. This is a popular hardwood due to the easy ability to cut it and you will commonly find this wood being used to create cabinets. You will also find black walnut as a trim on many different items, such as boats.
If hardwood is not particularly your taste or forte, there are a plethora of good softwoods that are more than suitable for your woodworking needs. Possibly the most common softwood you will come across is cedar. This type of wood will come in a myriad of different finishes, most commonly, a reddish tint. Western red cedar will most commonly be found being used for outdoor furniture or for a deck flooring as it does not rot after being exposed to extreme weather.
No matter what your project, there is always the perfect wood type out there, from your indoor furniture, to a deck or outdoor patio furniture.