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SEARCH FOR WOOD TYPES SEARCH FOR WOOD TYPES African Blackwood African Ebony African Mahogany African Padauk Afzelia Agba Alaska-Cedar Albizia American Beech American Chestnut American Elm American Holly American Mahogany Atlantic White-Cedar Australian Blackwood Australian Oak Ayan Baldcypress Balsa Balsam Fir Basswood Bigleaf Maple Black Ash Black Cherry Black Locust Black Tupelo Black Walnut Blackbean Boxwood Brazilian Rosewood Brazilian Tulipwood Brazilwood Butternut California-Laurel Ceylon Satinwood Coachwood Cocobolo Common Alder Degame Douglas-Fir East African Cypress East Indian Ebony Eastern Cottonwood Eastern Hemlock Eastern Redcedar Eastern White Pine European Beech European Birch European Cherry European Chestnut European Elm European Hornbeam European Larch European Lime European Yew Flowering Dogwood Freijo Gaboon Guarea Hackberry Honeylocust Hophornbeam Horse Chestnut Incense-Cedar Indian Rosewood Iroko Jarrah Jelutong Karri Katsura Kauri Pine Kingwood Lignumvitae Magnolia Mesquite Muhuhu Muninga Northern Catalpa Northern White-Cedar Osage-Orange Ovangkol Pacific Madrone Pacific Yew Paper Birch Parana Pine Pau Marfim Pear Pecan Hickory Persimmon Ponderosa Pine Poplar Port-Orford Cedar Purpleheart Quaking Aspen Queensland Walnut Ramin Red Alder Red Maple Red Oak Redwood Rhodesian Teak Rock Elm Rosa Peroba Sapele Sassafras Shagbark Hickory Sitka Spruce Slippery Elm South American Cedar Southern Yellow Pine Sugar Maple Sugar Pine Sweetgum Sycamore Sycamore Plane Teak True Cedar Utile Western Hemlock Western Larch Western Redcedar Western White Pine White Ash White Fir White Oak Willow Yellow Birch Yellow Buckeye Yellow-Poplar Afzelia (Afzelia spp.) Hardwood. Also known as doussie, chanfuta, apa, aligna, mkora, mbembakofi, and many other names but sold as single commercial timber. Grows in Africa. Coarse texture, often irregular, interlocked grain, pale straw colored sapwood with brown heartwood. Heavy, very stable in use, high strength and durability, moderate stiffness. Somewhat difficult to work and glue. Finishes to a high polish although grain filling sometimes desired. Highly valued for interior/exterior joinery, window frames, floors, staircases, ships' rails, heavy construction, school and office furniture, laboratory equipment, and chemical containers. A favorite among locals for decorative doors and chests. Agba (Gossweilerodendron balsamiferum) Hardwood. Also known as egba, nitola, ntola, tola, white tola, moboron, mutsekamambole, and Nigerian cedar. Grows in tropical west Africa, primarily Nigeria, Angola, and Zaire. Fine texture with a straight to mildy interlocked or wavy grain. Pale straw to reddish brown hearwood and lighter-colored, indistinct sapwood. Heartwood bears a resemblance to mahogany. Light and relatively soft with low stiffness, low shock resistance, moderately low strength, good stability in service and high decay resistance (heartwood). Steam-bends moderately well. Turns, planes, bores, routs, and otherwise works well although gum may accumulate on cutting edges. Glues, screws, and nails easily. Stains and finishes well, particularly if grain filler used. Top notch wood for interior joinery, paneling, table and chair parts, desks, handles, dowels, and other turned items. Other uses include mouldings, coffins, toys, flooring, exterior joinery, boat and vehicle frames, marine plywood, and decorative veneers. Alaska-Cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) Softwood. Also known as Alaska yellow-cedar, yellow-cedar, nootka false cypress, yellow cypress, Alaska cypress, sitka cypress, and white cedar. Grows along northern Pacific coast of N. America. Generally straight grained with a fine, even texture. Bright, clear yellow heartwood and narrow, white to yellowish sapwood, barely distinguishable from heartwood. Light and soft with moderate stiffness and strength, low shock resistance, and very high decay resistance and dimensional stability. Poor steam bending rating. Works easily with hand or machine tools - turns and carves quite well. Glues, screws and nails satisfactorily. Takes a fine finish and wears smooth with use. Used for interior and exterior finish, furniture, cabinetry, turnery, carving, boat building (decks, rails, paneling), marine piling, posts, novelties, engineers' patterns, shingles, cladding, doors, and decorative veneer. Also used for battery containers Albizia (Albizia spp.) Hardwood. Also known as okuro, ayinre, and sifou. Includes heavy albizia, red nongo, and white nongo (over 30 species). Grows in southern half of Africa. Coarse texture with irregular, often interlocked grain. Heartwood is red-brown to chocolate-brown, at times with a purplish tinge. Fairly heavy, low stiffness and shock resistance, high crushing strength, moderate bending strength, and low movement in service. Can be challenging to work due to fine dust, blunting effects on tools, and irregular grain. Pre-drilling recommended for screwing or nailing. Finishes ok although filling of grain required for a smooth surface. Has many uses including marine construction, flooring, vehicle bodywork, various furniture components, boxes, crates, beams, joists, interior construction, and veneer. Common Alder (alnus glutinosa) Hardwood. Includes black alder, gray alder, and red alder. Grows in northern hemisphere - Europe, Russia, western Asia, and Japan. Red alder grows on Pacific coast of United States and Canada. Straight grained, fine textured, orange brown sapwood and heartwood with no outstanding figure. Moderately heavy and soft with low bending strength, shock resistance, stiffness, and decay resistance. Nails, screws, glues, and works well. Stains and polishes satisfactorily and sometimes stained to match other cabinet woods. Carves and turns quite well. Used for broom and brush handles, textile rollers, toys, clogs, artificial limbs, cabinet work, plywood cores, and veneer. Red Alder (Alnus rubra) Hardwood. Also known as Oregon alder, western alder. Grows along the Pacific coast of United States. Straight grained and even textured. Pale yellow to reddish brown with indistinct boundary between heartwood and softwood. Soft, light, not particularly strong, with good elasticity, good steam bending, medium stiffness, low shock resistance, low decay resistance, and good stability in service. Works easily with hand or machine tools. Turns and carves extremely well. Marginal nail and screw holding properties. Glues, sands, stains and finishes easily. Commonly used for panel core stock (one of the easiest commercial timbers to peel). Also used for interior furniture, sash, doors, millwork, and carving. Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra) Hardwood. Also known as brown ash, swamp ash, basket ash, and hoop ash. Grows in United States and Canada. Generally straight grained with a coarse texture. Grayish brown heartwood and light brown sapwood. Moderately heavy and hard with medium strength, stiffness, and shock resistance. Softer, weaker and lighter than white ash. Poor resistance to abrasion and decay. Good stability in service. Steam-bends exceptionally well. Works well with hand or machine tools - easier than other ashes. Marginal turning and mortising properties. Glues satisfactorily. Holds nails and screws well but pre-drilling recommended. Stains and finishes well. Used for interior trim, furniture (bent parts especially), basket weaving (splits easily along annual rings), dowels, plywood, and decorative veneer. White ash is a better choice than black ash for applications such as tool handles where strength is important. White Ash (Fraxinus americana) Hardwood. Also known as American ash, Biltmore ash, and cane ash. Grows in United States and Canada. Generally straight grained with a coarse texture. Pale-brown heartwood and almost white sapwood. Moderately heavy, hard, strong, and tough with moderately high shock resistance, good dimensional stability, and poor decay resistance. Steam-bends very well and is quite elastic. Machines fairly well with machine tools although turning and mortising properties are marginal. Glues, screws, and nails satisfactorily. Stains and finishes well, although filling may be required. Used for furniture, cooperage, baseball bats, boat oars, ladders, chairs, food containers, agricultural implements, tool handles, plywood, and decorative veneer. Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Hardwood. Also known as aspen and trembling aspen. Grows in north-eastern and north-central United States. Straight grained with a fine, uniform texture. Grayish white to grayish brown heartwood and lighter-colored sapwood. Often sold as poplar or cottonwood. Soft, light, and low in strength, stiffness, decay resistance and shock resistance. Dents very easily. Easily worked by hand or machine tools. Turns reasonably well. Used for pallets, boxes, matches, turned articles, veneer, particleboard, and pulpwood. Australian Oak (Eucalyptus spp.) Hardwood. Includes three species marketed together - E. delegatensis (alpine ash, white-top, woollybutt), E. obliqua (messmate stringybark, brown-top stringybark), and E. regnans (mountain ash, Victorian ash, stringy gum, swamp gum). Grows in south eastern Australia. Typically straight grained, sometimes interlocked or wavy, with a coarse texture. Narrow, indistinct sapwood and pale brown to light brown heartwood with a pinkish tinge. Moderately heavy to heavy, hard, moderately stiff, high crushing strength, medium bending strength, and moderately high shock resistance. Medium movement in use and decay resistance. Steam-bending rating is moderate at best (E. obliqua). Works well with hand or machine tools with only a moderate blunting effect on cutting edges. Glues satisfactorily and holds nails and screws well. Stains and polishes easily and can be brought to an excellent finish. Used for interior and exterior joinery, building construction, boxes, cooperage, flooring, furniture, sports equipment, agricultral implements, tool handles, plywood, and decorative veneer. Sold as Australian or Tasmanian oak but not a true oak. Ayan (Distemonanthus benthamianus) Hardwood. Also known as movingue, Nigerian satinwood, barre, ayanran, bonsamdua, ejen, and okpe. Grows in West Africa. Straight to interlocked grain, sometimes wavy with fine, even texture and high luster. Lemon-yellow to yellow-brown sapwood and yellowish cream to light golden yellow heartwood. Moderately heavy with medium bending and crushing strength, low stiffness and shock resistance, moderate decay resistance, and very good dimensional stability. Can be difficult to machine due to blunting of cutting edges caused by silica in the wood. Gum build-up can also cause over heating. Pre-drilling recommended for screwing and nailing. Glues, stains, and polishes well (with grain filling). Used for cabinetry, window and door frames, ship fittings, flooring, and decorative veneers. Baldcypress (Taxodium distichium) Softwood. Also known as cypress, southern cypress, cows cypress, pond cypress, swamp cypress, red cypress, yellow cypress, white cypress, black cypress, and Gulf cypress. Grows in eastern half of United States. Generally straight grained with a coarse texture and a sometimes greasy feel. Variable colored heartwood, ranging from yellowish to brown or black; pale yellowish white sapwood. Varies considerably in color, weight, and durability. Typically light, soft to moderately hard, with moderate strength and stiffness, good dimensional stability and exceptional decay resistance (especially older growth material). Works easily with hand and power tools. Holds screws and nails well and glues satisfactorily. Sands smoothly and holds paint and other finishes very well. Used mainly for outdoor building applications because of its high decay resistance. Other uses include caskets, sash, doors, millwork, tanks, vats, silos, containers for corrosive chemicals, boat building, stadium seats, boxes, and crates. Localized pockets of fungus decay often create "pecky" cypress which has a rather novel appearance. Balsa (Ochroma pyramidale) Hardwood. Also known as lanero, polak, tami, topa. Grows in Central America, South America, Indonesia, and India (most comes from Ecuador). Straight grained and spongy with a pale beige to pinkish color. Low in absolute strength, stiffness, and shock resistance, although quite strong for its weight. Quite stable in use. Possibly the easiest wood to cut, shape and sand. Not suitable for steam bending. Finishes fairly well but porous composition soaks up finish. Used for insulation, sound modifiers, buoyancy aids, model-making, cushioning, core stock. Softest and lightest commercial hardwood. Basswood (Tilia americana) Hardwood. Also known as linden, American linden, lime, lime tree, American white wood. Grows in Canada and United States. Generally straight grained with a fine, uniform texture and medium luster. Creamy-white to brownish heartwood and nearly white sapwood. Soft, light, low in strength, shock resistance and decay resistance. Poor for steam bending. Works well with sharp machine or hand tools and is excellent for carving (soft and resists splitting). Glues, screws, nails, stains, and finishes satisfactorily although soft texture can be challenging for staining. Popular among hobbyists for model ships, airplanes, and other wood carvings. Other uses include boxes, crates, cooperage, furniture, millwork, drawing boards, toys, novelties, pattern making, dowels, handles, venetian blinds, core stock, and decorative veneer. American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) Hardwood. Also known as red beech, white beech, stone beech, and winter beech. Grows in Canada and United States. Straight or sometimes interlocked grain with a fine, even texture. Dark to light reddish brown heartwood and very thin, nearly white sapwood. Hard, heavy, strong, stiff and shock resistant. Poor dimensional stability and decay resistance. Machines well but can be difficult to work by hand. Tends to split - pre-drilling recommended for screws and nails. Finishes and steam-bends well. Does not impart taste or odor to food: ideal for food containers, baskets, utensils, and bread/butcher boards. Also used for chairs, handles, flooring, turned articles, clothes pins, workbench tops, tool handles, novelties, and interior furniture.