wtnhighlander Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 ... than Walnut? Seriously, do any of you with a wider range of experience have a species that you like better than walnut? If so, what are the reasons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 'Bolivian rosewood'. I've never worked with anything better. It's almost like light walnut but with closed pores....at 220 it felt like glass............I'm sure it would cost a mint to build a large piece of furniture with it, but man it's awesome. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Ross, I do seriously love me some walnut but straight workability, I think genuine mahogany is a bit better 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Ross, I do seriously love me some walnut but straight workability, I think genuine mahogany is a bit better Added bonus, the sawdust looks like graham cracker crumb pie crust......mmmmm pie crust Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Yes especially non-steamed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 No it doesn't get any better. I do agree with Brendon about Honduran mahogany being a bit more friendly under the knife, but walnut has so much going for it...impossible to do better. If I had a gun to my head and was told to choose only one species to work the rest of my life, not a tough choice. It might get a little boring eventually but it will always look good and work nicely. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Flame maple, tiger maple, birds eye maple and English sycamore (acer pseudoplatanus). Awesome when you get it right but none are particularly easy to work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheperd80 Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 In terms of price, workability, finishability, natural beauty, and the fact that it looks good anywhere, walnut is hard to beat for furniture. I do love some mahogany species as well though, the way it glistens when u plane it (in the right direction) and glows when u hit it with some finish. Sure, highly figured woods and exotics are more eye-catching. But theyre also expensive and often tricky to work. And in most homes exotic wood can look out of place on full size furniture. I typically only use the crazy stuff for trinkets, boxes, cutting boards, etc. You just cant miss with walnut. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
estesbubba Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 9 minutes ago, Mike. said: It depends, since we are living in fantasy land are we talking clear, knot free relatively straight grained unsteamed walnut? Or the crap dealers that passes as FAS walnut these days? I personally think straight-grained walnut is boring compared to plain sawn and especially crotch wood. With walnut the wilder the grain the better it gets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boelkers Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I personally am a big fan of red and white oak. Quarter-sawn or straight cut it is just a beautiful wood. Now it must be finished properly to be beautiful in my eyes as I hate the golden oak finish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rapid Roger Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I like cherry the most. I like working with it and I like the color as it ages. But, cherry is hard for me to get so, I'm usually using red oak and poplar. Walnut is near the top of the list though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 These days I'm using a variety of fauxoganies in my projects. The reason being my usual redneckish lumber yard has plenty of that stuff and I like dark woods. They're hard to work with but generally speaking I get good results. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim DaddyO Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 I love walnut for sure. Figured is good in my books, but I love it all. May be nothing better, but maybe there are just as good in my view. I just finished my first cherry project and love it. In that project there is some maple too, and that has got to be right up there. I am not sure on the species, it came out of the fire wood pile. Then oddly enough, I really like using ash. Such beauty and strength. It may be a bit cantankerous at times to work, but I like what it can become. Every thing from axe handles to trinket boxes. Of course, the red headed step child of wood, pine, is one I love too. It harks to a simpler time and I love working it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strasberry Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 11 hours ago, Mike. said: It depends, since we are living in fantasy land are we talking clear, knot free relatively straight grained unsteamed walnut? Or the crap dealers that passes as FAS walnut these days? Cherry would be very very close in my eyes. It ages nicely, works just as well, and supply is good in both plain and figured stock. It would be hard to pick between Walnut or Cherry! Really like both! I just bought 70 bd ft of 16/4 walnut. Nice straight grain and color, only one small spot of bark that needs to be cut around. Thats what my next project is going to be made out of. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Somewhere up on top of my list is qtr. sawn sycamore. I'd never used it before I did one of Marc's builds. That stuff is fun! But walnut is probably more funner! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted December 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Somewhere up on top of my list is qtr. sawn sycamore. I'd never used it before I did one of Marc's builds. That stuff is fun! But walnut is probably more funner! Ok Coop, that's a new one to me. Got any pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Do I have pics!!! Wrong question to ask a woodworker or a grandfather. I'll send you some tomorrow via pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 26 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said: Ok Coop, that's a new one to me. Got any pics? Here's some freshly milled 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewyo Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 It's a tough question. I generally like hardwoods. Given that, each type of lumber has its attributes and its drawbacks. Mahogany is easy to work, and has a stunning sparkle and depth when finished with something like lacquer, but I don't find the grain as interesting as that of Walnut. Cherry is beautiful and the grain can be over the top, but it is as expensive as Walnut for me, and Mahogany isn't too far behind. Maple is a little more difficult to work but it mills well and holds some really nice sharp edges. It's cheaper than some types of lumber and it has a light color which is appealing at times, but doesn't have as pronounced a grain as some would like. Oak is cheap in comparison and the grain and ray flecks can be incredibly interesting, but it's splintery and seems over-used to a lot of people. Birch is tasty stuff, but it can be blotch prone and there is a lot of color variation to incorporate in your design. Oh well...I guess I like them all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrrhode04 Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 I would say it is a tie between cherry and walnut for me, but black ash is starting to interest me the more I work with it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarswell Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 On 12/21/2015 at 10:34 PM, vinnyjojo said: 'Bolivian rosewood'. I've never worked with anything better. It's almost like light walnut but with closed pores....at 220 it felt like glass............I'm sure it would cost a mint to build a large piece of furniture with it, but man it's awesome. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Man I second that. I have 400 board feet of it currently it's amazing . First pic is half the pallet . Second pic is a piece sanded to 220 and one coat of seal a cell. I'm officially out of room for lumber lol I love walnut I do but I'm tired of wasting 40 percent of my supposedly FAS lumber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarswell Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 Taylor I envy you, again. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Trade you for off cuts! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcarswell Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 4 hours ago, Brendon_t said: Of the walnut or the Bolivian rosewood?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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