starter wood?

[Ken Wilsbach]

Is there any wood that is preferable from an ease of use and price stand point to begin working with?

I'm waiting on some books to come in that i'm sure go into some characteristics of wood and how to pick some out, but i'd like to get some input ahead of time so i pay particular attention to specific species while i'm reading

[Beechwood Chip]

Poplar is inexpensive around here, and is very easy to work. Red oak is also inexpensive if you want something harder than poplar. Different parts of the world have different inexpensive woods. I'd find a local lumber yard or hardwood dealer and ask them this question.

[kyleheon]

A buddy I work with consistently tells me that black walnut is a joy to work with. I have a board at home but haven't done anything with it yet. I've heard similar things about cherry.

[STL Woodguy]

I second red oak. Not much thrilling about it, but it's cheap (here anyway), strong, looks good when stained, and great for simple things I work on (hanging racks, containers, etc).

[CessnaPilotBarry]

What are you doing?

If you're going to practice dovetails and other hand joinery, poplar can't be beat. It works well and is stable, is inexpensive, and available nearly everywhere.

If you're going right into making furniture, I'd recommend using the wood that is most appropriate to the style you want to build. This can include cherry, mahogany, red or white oak, pine, maple... An example of this is if you LOVE Newport or Philly stuff, it makes no sense to work with red oak, learn to work with mahogany, cherry and mahogany. If you love genuine Stickley or craftsman stuff, go directly to quartersawn white oak.

As a beginner, you will make mistakes. If so, use the messed up part for a smaller part.

For hobbyists, exotics excepted, the actual difference in the cost of different species is often negligible for the number of board feet you'll actually use in a year. Using the species you like the most, regardless of cost, with increase your enjoyment, as well as better build your skills with the materials you like the most.

Above all, avoid practicing with cheap grades of pine or construction lumber. All you'll do is frustrate yourself.

[dwacker]

I think poplar is a great choice, I prototype in poplar. Just went to an AWI seminar last week and poplar is really becoming the new green wood for the cabinetry industry. The local voc schools cabinet program is now shipping out all poplar and has ramped up the finishing departments to show people how to properly finish it without all the evil issues of the past. If you can find a decent supplier, not home depot or lowes you can get it real cheap.

Don

[Ken Wilsbach]

What are you doing? If you're going to practice dovetails and other hand joinery, poplar can't be beat. It works well and is stable, is inexpensive, and available nearly everywhere. If you're going right into making furniture, I'd recommend using the wood that is most appropriate to the style you want to build. This can include cherry, mahogany, red or white oak, pine, maple... An example of this is if you LOVE Newport or Philly stuff, it makes no sense to work with red oak, learn to work with mahogany, cherry and mahogany. If you love genuine Stickley or craftsman stuff, go directly to quartersawn white oak. As a beginner, you will make mistakes. If so, use the messed up part for a smaller part. For hobbyists, exotics excepted, the actual difference in the cost of different species is often negligible for the number of board feet you'll actually use in a year. Using the species you like the most, regardless of cost, with increase your enjoyment, as well as better build your skills with the materials you like the most. Above all, avoid practicing with cheap grades of pine or construction lumber. All you'll do is frustrate yourself.

you bring up an amazing point that i havent considered deeply enough... style. Honestly, i don't know what style i'm going after. I don't want anything overly ornate. is there a "guide to furniture styles" that goes into what they're made of, etc?

i'm stoked though, i just got a package of 6 books from amazon.

[jHop]

Above all, avoid practicing with cheap grades of pine or construction lumber. All you'll do is frustrate yourself.

Here, I'd disagree. (I agree with everything else, though.)

I'd argue, if you are just beginning, to start with a few pine boards, to get the hang of learning to cut. Realizing, of course, that Pine behaves differently than almost every other wood out there. I'm not suggesting that you take all the tools you own to the pine, but practicing cutting straight lines can sometimes be cheaper to use pine, which adds a nice aroma to the house and is great for fire starters.

Cutting a 2x4 into blocks and leaving them around can also help with your humidity checks... assuming you haven't already done that.

The drawback is that you will have to remember to change your approach to some woods if all you practice on is pine... like me...

[duckkisser]

where are you located? what do you plan on building? are you doing turnin, crafts, cabnets? what kind of quantity?

if you can look for a small mill you can get a killer deal if you buy rough cut lumber strait from a one man mill operation. ask around cabinet makers, tree removal companies, wood groups, turning clubs, can proably give you some numbers to call.

[Ken Wilsbach]

where are you located? what do you plan on building? are you doing turnin, crafts, cabnets? what kind of quantity? if you can look for a small mill you can get a killer deal if you buy rough cut lumber strait from a one man mill operation. ask around cabinet makers, tree removal companies, wood groups, turning clubs, can proably give you some numbers to call.

i'm not sure if i want to invest in a planer and jointer just yet... that pumps my start up costs to around 3k vs 2k and i'd prefer to pump that extra cash into wood that i can start using. I'd like to start building nice quality furniture for the house along with doing some cabinet and crown molding work that we need done. wouldnt mind eventually getting a lathe as well, but thats down the line. I've got a lot of house furniture to make I am looking at doing higher quality stuff and focusing on some details like inlays and nice joinery.

honestly, my main goal is to have people say, "oh, thats really nice looking" and be able to reply, "i made that myself"... now, being able to take rough lumber down to surfaced and furniture quality would be a bonus

[dwacker]

i'm not sure if i want to invest in a planer and jointer just yet... that pumps my start up costs to around 3k vs 2k and i'd prefer to pump that extra cash into wood that i can start using. I'd like to start building nice quality furniture for the house along with doing some cabinet and crown molding work that we need done. wouldnt mind eventually getting a lathe as well, but thats down the line. I've got a lot of house furniture to make I am looking at doing higher quality stuff and focusing on some details like inlays and nice joinery. honestly, my main goal is to have people say, "oh, thats really nice looking" and be able to reply, "i made that myself"... now, being able to take rough lumber down to surfaced and furniture quality would be a bonus

I would rethink that thought process. A jointer and planer will make your life much easier. Buying s4s stock is expensive and almost impossible to get straight stock. You are going to find out the hard way after you relieve cut the material that it will need jointing and or planing.

Don

[rmac]

As a beginner, you will make mistakes. If so, use the messed up part for a smaller part.

That second part is a really good point. The corollary is, "(when possible) make the bigger parts first."

-- Russ

[Ken Wilsbach]

I would rethink that thought process. A jointer and planer will make your life much easier. Buying s4s stock is expensive and almost impossible to get straight stock. You are going to find out the hard way after you relieve cut the material that it will need jointing and or planing.

Don

a valid point. i would be happy to have both in my shop. I suppose i could stretch to get the dewalt three blade planer: http://www.lowes.com/pd_221858-70-DW735_0__?productId=1061489&Ntt=planer&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dplaner&facetInfo=

not sure on what jointer to get though... http://www.lowes.com/pd_80877-70-PC160JT_4294936478__?productId=3059865&Ntt=jointer&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Tools_4294936478__s%3FNtt%3Djointer&facetInfo= doesnt seem "good enough" when they've got a 12 blade for 100 more http://www.lowes.com/pd_371427-26463-40610GH_4294936478__?productId=3539720&Ntt=jointer&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Tools_4294936478__s%3FNtt%3Djointer&facetInfo=

[dwacker]

Take a look at grizzly or maybe even a combo unit if the budget is tight. Stay far away from those little bench top jointers.

Don

[Ken Wilsbach]

Take a look at grizzly or maybe even a combo unit if the budget is tight. Stay far away from those little bench top jointers. Don

i'd love to make a huge order from grizzly... perhaps i'll price everything up from them and see just how bad the damage would be

[dwacker]

i'd love to make a huge order from grizzly... perhaps i'll price everything up from them and see just how bad the damage would be

Im not sure where your at in this or if youve made any purchases yet. Maybe start another thread explaining your budget and what you would like to do. Maybe tell folks what you have and they can help you determine what is lacking.

Don

[Ken Wilsbach]

Im not sure where your at in this or if youve made any purchases yet. Maybe start another thread explaining your budget and what you would like to do. Maybe tell folks what you have and they can help you determine what is lacking. Don

sure thing! i'll go ahead and do that later tonight. i'd love some help picking stuff out. right now i only have a few hand power tools... that being a jigsaw and cordless drill

[duckkisser]

a valid point. i would be happy to have both in my shop. I suppose i could stretch to get the dewalt three blade planer: http://www.lowes.com/pd_221858-70-DW735_0__?productId=1061489&Ntt=planer&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dplaner&facetInfo= not sure on what jointer to get though... http://www.lowes.com/pd_80877-70-PC160JT_4294936478__?productId=3059865&Ntt=jointer&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Tools_4294936478__s%3FNtt%3Djointer&facetInfo= doesnt seem "good enough" when they've got a 12 blade for 100 more http://www.lowes.com/pd_371427-26463-40610GH_4294936478__?productId=3539720&Ntt=jointer&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Tools_4294936478__s%3FNtt%3Djointer&facetInfo=

i know for a fact that the planer in question is a prity decent unit and if you buy rough cut lumber and mill it yourself you get a better product and the saving in lumber will eventuly pay for you tools twice over. as for jointer get at least a 8 inch machine. oh and if you are planing on doing some long term wood working covert your shop to 220. also keep an eye on paper, cregs list ect you can pick up some realy nice machines for a fraction of the new cost.

[Ken Wilsbach]

i know for a fact that the planer in question is a prity decent unit and if you buy rough cut lumber and mill it yourself you get a better product and the saving in lumber will eventuly pay for you tools twice over. as for jointer get at least a 8 inch machine. oh and if you are planing on doing some long term wood working covert your shop to 220. also keep an eye on paper, cregs list ect you can pick up some realy nice machines for a fraction of the new cost.

i'm running new electric anyway to get 60 amps to the garage. I pondering running a 220 line, not sure if it's necessary since i won't be running anything that required it... but that was when i contemplated the grizzly hybrid table saw

[duckkisser]

i say run two line's 110 and 220 then you can put in some smaller tools like scroll saw and have a jointer and planer that runs on 220

[preeng2]

Any wood you can get your hands on to start is good wood. Pine and poplar are easy to work and readily available at most big box stores. After you get some smaller projects under your belt, you can start looking for special wood for the finer projects. I wouldn't suggest you go out and purchase curly maple or cherry to practice on your first projects.

This is an early project I made of pine from the big box stores.

[dwacker]

i'm running new electric anyway to get 60 amps to the garage. I pondering running a 220 line, not sure if it's necessary since i won't be running anything that required it... but that was when i contemplated the grizzly hybrid table saw

You dont run just 110 to get a 60a service. You run a 60a 220v and split that up as needed into 220 and 110v outlets.

Don

[CessnaPilotBarry]

you bring up an amazing point that i havent considered deeply enough... style. Honestly, i don't know what style i'm going after. I don't want anything overly ornate. is there a "guide to furniture styles" that goes into what they're made of, etc? i'm stoked though, i just got a package of 6 books from amazon.

Just look at things you like...

You can always post pics here if you'd like opinions on the style or what wood a particular item could be.

[Bombarde16]

Here, I'd disagree. (I agree with everything else, though.)Realizing, of course, that Pine behaves differently than almost every other wood out there. I'm not suggesting that you take all the tools you own to the pine, but practicing cutting straight lines can sometimes be cheaper to use pine, which adds a nice aroma to the house and is great for fire starters.

Great (if noisy) in the fire pit...lousy if you want to smoke a pork shoulder.

Even though most of the conifers we see are garbage boards thrown up as construction lumber, I think what Barry is getting at is this: Conifers are actually quite difficult to work well. Try pushing a chisel or a block plane across the endgrain of a pine board. Unless the blade is atom-splitting sharp and you have already perfecting your paring technique on more predictable woods, you're going to end up frustrated as the blade goes ka-DUNK-ka-DUNK-ka-DUNK, alternately crashing into dense growth rings while crushing the delicate wood in between. In the finishing room, horrible things happen whenever pigmented stains get anywhere near a conifer.

All this on top of the usual litany of problems (warped, bowed, reaction wood, twisted, knotty, grain reversals, etc.) that comes with dimensional lumber.

[suiciedchild]

Personally I would suggest starting with pine, but would not suggest getting it from the big box places. Goto a lumber yard where you may pay a dollar or two more for a board but they tend to be straighter , less bowed. After grabbing some at my local place and comparing it when I got home I will never buy from depot /lowes again. I used to tell my son when we were there that it " wasn't about finding one that is perfect, more about finding one that is the least sh$&ty"