Most Popular Woods Used for Woodworking

Most Popular Woods Used for Woodworking

Did you know there are different types of wood with different uses and maintenance?

There are hardwoods and softwoods. You may have an idea or two on which type of wood to use and where. But these types of woods are not as their names suggest.

To rule out the misconception that hardwoods are “hard” and softwoods are “soft”. Let’s see their differences. 

  • Hardwoods come from trees that are broad-leaved and grow in the tropical rainforests. While softwoods come from trees that have needles and cones.
  • Hardwoods are more expensive because they grow at a slower rate compared to softwood.
  • Uses for softwoods trees include making of door frames, paper, photo frames, and furniture.
  • Hardwood trees produce more durable products like decks, flooring, and high-end furniture.
  • Hardwoods types include maple, oak, hickory, beech, teak, mahogany, etc. 
  • Softwoods include cedar, pine, redwood, Douglas fir, to name a few.

In this article, there are some of the most popular woods used in woodworking and their uses.

  • Oak

Most popular wood used in furniture making, flooring, cabinetry, boats, kitchenware, and barrels.

Choose white oak for your masterpieces and red oak for your furniture.

Its density makes it hard to work with if you are a starter in woodworking. You can use a power tool like X-Carve CNC Machine to work on it.

Oak can also work for your outdoor projects due to its ability to resist moisture.

  • Maple

When you see maple what comes to mind is the maple syrup, but we’ll talk about maple trees for wood.

Maple wood has 2 types: 

  • Hard maple is dense and is found in the northern part of the U.S 
  • Soft maple is less dense and also found in the eastern part of the U.S. 

Maple is most often used in making furniture, cabinets, chests, and tables.

With a good finish maple wood generally produces an exquisite look.

  • Pine

Due to its fast growth and availability, pine furniture is the cheapest among the woods in wood-making projects. 

With pine wood, you don’t need power tools to work on them because they have great workability with both hands and machine tools.

Most pine woods are used in making photo frames, cabinets, furniture, floors, paneling, window, and door frames.

  • Cedar

Another commonly used wood is cedar. It’s a type of softwood that is easy to work with, durable, rot-resistant, and insect repellant.

Its many uses include making cedar oil, furniture, fencing, making boats, musical instruments, and closets.

  • Beech

If you’re an artistic person, this is a great choice for your projects in woodworking. The pale color makes it great for staining giving your pieces a more elegant finish.

Beechwood is odorless which makes it a preferred choice to accommodate larger spaces, so you don’t need to worry about the smell.

Conclusion

Make your wood crafts more appealing and durable by choosing the best type of wood and proper tools for your projects.

Get professional advice before working on any wood.

find a plumber

Latest article

More article