Identifying Types of Wood

There are numerous species of wood that are used for woodworking around the world. Each species has different rules for getting the most out of that particular type of wood. In this list, find woodworking tips for dealing with just a few of the most popular varieties of wood used for woodworking, such as oak, maple, pine and more.

When you visit your home center or woodworking supply house, you'll notice that stock comes in varying sizes using terms that may not make sense to the beginning woodworker. Learn how to find the exact sizes of stock you need to complete your project.

R. Bruce Hoadley's masterpiece was first published in 1980, but was completely revised and updated in 2000. This second edition is a must have for any woodworker who wants to know why wood behaves as it does.

Quarter-sawing is a method of milling trees into lumber. Quarter-sawn lumber is highly sought after, particularly in certain species such as oak or maple, where look of the grain of the wood is accentuated by the method of cutting the tree. While rip-sawing is the most efficient (and common) method of milling, quarter-sawing yields much more...

As an ever-improving woodworker, you should understand the difference between heartwood and sapwood, and why most experienced woodworkers will remove sapwood and use heartwood when building their furniture or other projects. Learn the reasons why you should do the same when building your woodworking projects.

Hardwoods, as woodworking materials, have much different uses than softwoods. Learn about the differences between hardwoods and softwoods, where hardwoods come from and which hardwoods you should use in your woodworking projects.

Walk through the lumber department of any home center and 90% of the material you find will be softwoods, and only about 10% hardwoods. Why the disparity? In this article, you'll learn about woodworking with softwood lumber and when to use these soft woods in your woodworking projects.

Most of the dimensional softwoods sold at home centers and lumberyards today consists of a variety of spruce, pine and fir species (referred to as SPF lumber). These softwoods are great for construction purposes, but can SPF lumber be used for fine woodworking projects? Learn the answers in this woodworking article.

If you've ever examined the cross-section of a tree trunk, you've undoubtedly seen the growth rings. These same growth rings, when viewed in lumber, are referred to as the grain. Knowing how the grain, or growth rings, are constructed will help you understand how wood behaves in your completed woodworking plans.

Although there are numerous varieties of the species, one of the most revered types of wood used in woodworking is oak. There are a number of considerations one should remember when woodworking with oak. Learn some steps for getting the best results out of your oak woodworking projects.

Along with cherry, walnut and oak, maple is one of the most popular hardwoods for woodworking. It's tough and looks great when finished properly. Woodworking with maple can also be somewhat trying, as it can be temperamental, particularly in the finishing stage. In this article, learn some tips for woodworking with maple, to get the most out of...

Cedar is a type of wood that encompasses a few species (Spanish Cedar, Juniper, Eastern Cedar and more). When woodworking with cedar, one needs to know the wood's limitations and it's strengths. Cedar is more weather-resistant than a lot of other commonly-available species, making it ideally-suited for outdoor woodworking projects such as...

Poplar wood is one of the most common types used in furniture making, boat-building and other woodworking projects because it is inexpensive wood, fairly workable, will take paint well and is moderately durable. While Poplar wood shouldn't be used for every set of woodworking plans you intend to build, it is a versatile material and can be used...

Pine is one of the most common softwoods available at home centers. Pine is typically regarded as utilitarian, but it can also be used for building fine woodworking projects. Stable pine, particularly old long-leaf pine, is quite beautiful in fine furniture. Learn tips for getting the most out of pine in your woodworking projects.

Ipe is a hardwood from Brazil that is popular for its strength and water resistance. The Brazilian Ipe that is sold by fine wood suppliers can actually be as many as ten different, but very similar Brazilian species, all of which are sold as Ipe. Learn how to work with Ipe, what types of woodworking projects are best suited for this type of...

Particle board is widely used in commercial furniture for a number of reasons: it is cheap, lightweight and stable. However, should you use particle board in your fine woodworking projects? In this article, we outline the advantages and disadvantages of particle board, to help you decide whether you should use it to complete your woodworking plans.

Medium-density fiberboard, commonly known as MDF, is regularly used in mass-manufactured furniture. In many cases, MDF has a veneer glued to its faces, making it appear to be finely grained wood. Why not use real wood? MDF is cheap, and can be built from scraps of other woods. It also contains formaldehyde, which can be hazardous to your health....

Pressure-treated lumber is typically dimensional lumber that has been treated with a solution to help the wood be more weather-resistant. For many years, pressure-treating used a process called wolmanizing, but in recent years, this formula has been replaced with a copper-based formulation, which has made it less toxic but more susceptible to...