Wood ID

[CanadianScroller]

Kevin (Jediscroller)
Has offered up this wood sampler, with general price and hardness identified.
He has also given us some comments based on his experiences with the various species
I will also add this link to HobbitHouse
You will find photos of all the woods you can ever imagine there along with some fact sheets. One page alone has 600 pictures of different woods.

Wood Price Hardness (Janka Hardness Scale)
Price legend:
$ = < $5 per bd. ft.

$$ = $5.01 - $10.00 per bd. ft.

$$$ = $10.01 - $15.00 per bd. ft.

$$$$ = $15.01 - $20.00 per bd. ft.

$$$$$ = > $20 per bd. ft


Ash $ (1320)
Often referred to as poor man’s oak. Can have some beautiful grain patterns. Fairly hard wood, can present a challenge when cutting thicker pieces.

Aspen $ (350)
Can be stringy when cut. Very white color, very easy to scroll. Often used for white pieces in intarsia.

African Mahogany (Sapele) $$ (1510)
Deceptive hardness number. Very easy to work with with terrific grain patterns. I haven’t used it in greater than ½” thickness however. I found it easier to work than red oak though allegedly having a higher hardness.

African Rosewood $$$ (1980)

Basswood $ (410)
Very soft wood, really soaks up finishes. Recommend using a first coat of sanding sealer Basswood rounds offer very nice portrait type cuttings and are readily available in craft stores.

Black Cherry $$$ (950)
Fairly easy wood to scroll but strongly recommend covering with packing tape when scrolling. Very prone to burning when working. Darkens over time. Exposure to direct sunlight can speed darkening. Can also break quite easily.

Black Walnut $$$ (1010)
Very nice wood to work with, fairly easy to cut with beautiful grain. Finishes very nicely.

Bloodwood $$$ (2900)
Beautiful dark red wood. Very Hard. Great for deep reds in intarsia.

Bocote $$$ (2200)

Bolivian Rosewood $$$$$ (1780)
Tough to find in widths wider than 4”. Due to high cost I reserve it for high end frames and furniture. Gorgeous grain, finishes nicely. I’ve not scrolled it however.

Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) $$ (2350)
Very hard wood with beautiful grain. Tends to be brittle for very intricate pieces but can be done. Finishes very nicely.

Bubinga $$$ (1980)

Canary $$$ (1030)
Beautiful wood, fairly easy to work with. Finishes very nicely. Can be found with red grain streaks and bright yellow color. I had an awful reaction with instant sneezing, runny nose and eyes when working with it although others enjoy the aroma and have no problems.

Cedar $ (350 - 900)
Many different varieties available, the hardness given is for eastern cedar. Can have very nice aroma (Aromatic Cedar) and very nice grain patterns. Very easy to cut, good wood for thick, intricate projects as even 1” thick pieces cut very easily with a #3 blade. Western Red Cedar is an excellent wood for outdoor projects due to it’s rot and insect resistance.

Cocobolo $$$ (1136)

Cottonwood $ (1023)

Cypress $ (510)
Very pretty, very easy to cut, good wood for thick, intricate projects as even 1” thick pieces cut very easily with a #3 blade. Excellent wood for outdoor projects due to it’s rot and insect resistance.

Douglas Fir $ (660)
Great wood for compound ornaments. Commonly available dimensional lumber (2X4’s etc.) in box stores. Easy to cut, lots of fuzzies.

Ebony $$$$$ (3220)
Too expensive for all but the smallest pieces, great for small black pieces in intarsia.

Hickory $$ (1820)

Lacewood $$$$ (840)
Very pretty yet very expensive. Very easy to work with but irregular grain can present challenges when cutting.

Lyptus $ (1750)
Very pretty, pinkish wood. Finishes beautifully. Terrific wood to work with.

Mahogany $$ (800)
Very resilient yet very easy to cut. Excellent as well for outdoor applications.

Pine $ (420 – 870)
Inexpensive, readily available and works very easily. Good wood for segmentation patterns. Can be tricky to cut due to grain irregularities.

Purpleheart $ (1860)
Beautiful, very hard and brittle wood. I’ve had pieces shatter after being dropped on carpet. Purple color will fade to dark brown over time. UV Protective finishes will prolong the purple color as will keeping the wood out of direct sunlight.

Red Oak $ (1290)
Fairly easy to work with, although is prone to breaking along the grain lines (particularly flat sawn). Quarter-sawn is much more resilient though also more expensive. Open grain makes obtaining a glass smooth finish a challenge.

Sycamore $ (770)
Qtr. sawn is also known as American lacewood. Beautiful grain patterns, very easy to work with and finishes wonderfully.

Teak $$$$ (1000)
Very oily and the sawdust clings to the blade, cuts to a shiny smooth finish though.

White Oak $$ (1390)
A little tougher to work with than red oak but I much prefer it to red oak. Finishes better, better outdoor use as well.

Wenge $$$ (1630)

Zebrawood $$$ (1575)
Beautiful wood but very strong grain patterns make it better suited to solid pieces as opposed to fretwork although it is fairly easy to work with up to ~ ½ inch thickness.