New To Woodworking » Wood

Maple (Hard)

admin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:20:54 +0000

Hard maple is a creamy blond hardwood native to northeastern North America. This wood is prized for its durability and light appearance and is an American woodworking favorite. Commonly found in furniture, cutting boards, workbenches and flooring. Also known as Rock maple and Sugar maple. Trees with undulating wavy grain will produce “figured” maple of a few varieties, including curly (tiger), quilted and birdseye maple.

Maple (Soft)

admin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:00:19 +0000

Soft maple is a creamy blond hardwood native to the eastern US and Canada. Also known as Red Maple and Swamp Maple. Soft maple is a good alternative to hard maple since it typically looks the same and costs less. Don’t be deceived by the term “soft”. It is softer than hard maple, but its by no means a soft wood.

Purpleheart

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:48:46 +0000

Purpleheart comes from Central and South America. It appears dull gray when freshly cut but quickly oxidizes to a bright purple color. A woodworker’s favorite! Further oxidation and exposure to ultraviolet light darkens the wood to a brown color with a slight hue of the original purple. Overharvesting has caused several species to become endangered in areas where they were once abundant.

Walnut

admin — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:24:01 +0000

Chocolate-brown wood that grows primarily in the Eastern United States and Canada. Some varieties (like Claro Walnut) come from northern and central California.