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Olive Ash / Ripple Ash

These are two unusual characteristics normally found in more mature parkland trees which have had a chance to develop fully in girth rather than height. The 'ripple' effect runs at right angles to the grain and is combined with the grey/brown streaks running along the length of the grain. These very attractive features make this variety of ash much prized by all woodturners, which is reflected in the price you have to pay for it. Olive Ash is a sought-after veneer and for woodturning.

 

Beech Wood

A tall stately tree which with good reason, has been referred to as the queen of the forest. Its silver-grey main stem and branches make it one of the easiest trees to identify and its huge domed crown forms a great circle of shade when in full leaf.

Beech is a pale cream colour, sometimes with a pink or brown hue. Beech has a good workability, it machines well, glues, finishes and turns well. Beech is a hardwood and usually reserved for bespoke joinery, crafting furniture, flooring and fine veneers. Beech has a good strength and stiffness. Pre-drilling will be required if your nailing and screwing.

The timber is hard and close grained and has a fine even texture. There is no marked difference between the spring and summer wood and the colour is generally pinkish/buff. Beech turns particularly well and was the timber predominantly used by the Chiltern pole-lathe turners. While not possessing the elastic qualities of Ash, it does lend itself to steam-bending and for this reason was used extensively in the furniture trade.

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Spalted Beech Wood

Much prized by woodturners.The spalted effect is obtained from logs which have lain on the ground for some time after felling and are affected by a fungus which causes the attractive black lines and spots.

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Chestnut (sweet)

A large, handsome tree which develops long narrow cracks, and spiralling bark. There is no mistaking this tree when it bears the prickly green husks which protect the golden-brown nuts. The timber bears a strong resemblance to oak, although it does not show the medullary rays that give oak its 'silver grain' when quarter sawn. This timber is increasingly being used for high-quality work and is very suitable for turning. 

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Horse Chestnut

The heartwood is creamy white or yellowish brown, not clearly separated from the sap wood. The grain is interlocked or wavy with a fine texture. Horse chestnut is easy to work, but its low density and grain can lead to fuzzy surfaces. Horse Chestnut is not very available, and limited to its natural range in Europe, where prices should be moderate. The Horse Chestnut is named due to the nuts from the tree being toxic to horses. It is easy to cut, plane, chisel, sand and polish, despite being relatively soft, as it is generally a close grained hardwood with a smooth silky texture. Horse Chestnut tends to be rather weak, and for this reason it has never been widely used. However its absorbent properties make it great for fruit storage, keeping fruit dry and thereby prevent rotting.

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Elm (English)

A magnificent, tall and stately tree which has been the victim of the most disastrous setback to native hardwoods in recent times - Dutch Elm disease, a fungal disease spread by Elm bark beatles. Dutch Elm Disease has wiped out millions of Elm trees worldwide. While by no means as valuable as Ash or Oak, elm was indispensable for many reasons. Village carpenters and wheelwrights appreciated its qualities of strength, durability and resistance to splitting, features which make it an ideal timber for chair seats, wooden pumps, wheel hubs and fellows, etc. In colour it varies from the yellowish / white of its sapwood to the light brown of its heartwood. Its wild, irregular grain makes it one of the most attractive of timbers.

Although the coarse and irregular grain means it is not the easiest of timbers on which to achieve a good finish, patience, sharp tools and a good turning technique will reward the user with beautiful results. It is particularly suited to bowl turning in both 'green' and seasoned states.

The grain is interlocked, making it very resistant to splitting, with a slightly uneven and coarse finish. Elm can be challenging to work because of the interlocking grain. Planing could cause tear-out or possibly fuzzy surfaces. Elm is frequently used for boxes, baskets, furniture, hockey sticks, veneer, archery bow's and paper. Elm is classed as a soft hardwood meaning its quite durable and tough however it is softer than other hardwoods. The interlocked grain adds to its toughness and makes it more resistant to splitting. Its a highly durable wood with shock resistance. Elm is frequently used for furniture making, especially Elm Burr, but is also used for interior joinery and cladding. Elm is popular with turners for small decorative items. Elm was used for both building and in coffins due to its durability when wet. Elm is also resistant to decay when permanently wet, and hollowed trunks were widely used as water pipes during the medieval period in Europe. Elm was used as piers in the construction of the original London Bridge. However this resistance to decay in water does not continue to ground contact.

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Elm (Wych)

In outline a much smaller and more rounded tree than the English elm, but with very similar properties. Many examples have distinctive green streaks running through them which enhances their appeal and look well on bowl work.

Heartwood is light to medium reddish brown. Paler sapwood is usually well defined. The grain is interlocked (making it very resistant to splitting). With a somewhat coarse, uneven texture, it can be a challenge to work because of interlocked grain, especially on quarter sawn surfaces. Planing can cause tarots and / or fuzzy surfaces. Poor dimensional stability. Responds well to steam bending and holds nails and screws well. Easily infected with Dutch Elm Disease.

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Elm (Burr)

Burrs occur on several species of tree and are formed by a curious wart-like growth which in the case of the elm, is usually towards the base of the trunk. They are caused by the stunted growth of a number of buds and when cut through, the burr reveals the characteristically large number of closely grouped miniature knots. Such burrs are indeed beautiful and make extremely attractive bowls and platters.

Burr Elm can be pure burr or partly burred (burry) and is generally more richly coloured than the surrounding plainer timber. It is more dense than ordinary Elm heartwood and polishes well. A burr is a rounded growth caused by the grain growing around a foreign object, a localised virus or fungus infection. This leads to the formation of many small knots formed from dormant buds. They are easy to spot and are extremely common in our city trees.

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Hornbeam

A smallish tree with silver-grey bark. The boles of the more mature trees tend to become deeply fluted and twisted. It is not in great supply, but a favourite timber for turning and is particularly suited to long-stemmed and translucent goblets. The timber, yellowish-white in colour, is strong, tough and difficult to split, qualities which make it ideal for such things as cogs, plane stocks skittles and mallets.

Common hornbeam is a deciduous, broadleaf tree which has pale grey bark with vertical markings, and sometimes a short, twisted trunk which develops ridges with age. The twigs are brown-grey and slightly hairy and the leaf buds are similar to beech, only shorter and slightly curved at the tips.

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Oak

Very few Englishmen are unable to identify the most revered of our native trees. It is one of the latest trees to leaf and the unique shape of the leaves, together with the acorns, makes it impossible to confuse with other species. Its properties are well known, for durability and strength it is beyond compare. The Possibilities with oak are seemingly endless, and it has been used for centuries for such things as ecclesiastical woodwork, furniture, roof supports and trusses, wheelwrighting, agricultural implements, timber framed buildings, etc. But of course it is best known for the construction of sea-going vessels, the hearts of oak which formed the British fleet.

Oak is by no means easy to turn to a good finish and demands a combination of very sharp tools and sound technique to achieve good results.

Heartwood is a light to medium brown, commonly with an olive cast, through there can be a fair amount of variation in colour. Nearly white too light brown sapwood is not always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Quartersawn sections display prominent ray fleck patterns.

Grain is straight, with a coarse, uneven texture. May have irregular of interlocked grain depending on growing conditions of the tree. English Oak has been rated as having very good resistance to decay and is commonly used in boat building applications. Oak produces good results with hand and machine tools. Can react with iron (particularly when wet) and cause staining and discolouration. Responds well to steam bending, and finishes well.

Widely grown and available in Europe. English Oak is not seen nearly as commonly in the USA and would be considered as imported lumber. Moderately inexpensive if purchased in an area where it grows locally. English oak falls into the white oak group, and shares many of the same traits as white oak. One of the most famous English Oak trees, the Major oak, is a massive tree located in Sherwood Forest, in Nottinghamshire, England. The tree is estimated to be approximately 1,000 years old, and is purported to have been a common hideout for Robin Hood and his outlaws.

There are approximately 500 species of oaks. Oak wood is expensive because it is a hardwood. Hardwoods are more dense and durable but grow much slower than softwood, which makes them more expensive. Is oak a good wood for furniture? that would be a resounding Yes! Oak is strong, durable and resists everyday wear and tear while offering natural beauty that fits into almost any home style.

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Sycamore

A splendid and hardy tree. Its distinctive leaf form a yellow-green tassel-like flowers followed by winged seeds, make identification easy in its converted form, the timber is whitish with close fleck grain. Some logs have wonderful rippled markings across the grain and is in great demand, not only by woodturners but also for veneers and the bodywork of stringed instruments (it is often referred to as fiddle-back sycamore.

Sweet is a sycamore as a nut - a fact appreciated by the old rural woodturners and it was extensively used for making clarity and kitchen implements sure as churns, butter scoops, mashers, rolling pins and bowls. It is certainly a joy to turn. 

Sycamore is similar to Maple, the wood of Sycamore trees is predominantly comprised of the sapwood, with some darker heartwood streaks also found in most boards. The sapwood is white to light tan, while the heartwood is a darker reddish brown. Sycamore also has very distinct "Ray flecks" present on quarter sawn surfaces - giving it a freckled appearance, sometimes giving it the name of "Lacewood".

Sycamore has a fine and even texture that is very similar to Maple. Overall, Sycamore works easily with both hand and machine tools. The interlocked grain can be troublesome in surfacing and machining operations at times. Sycamore Trees make handsome shade trees for large landscapes. The most striking feature of the tree is the bark that has a camouflage pattern comprised of grey-brown outer bark that peels off in patches to reveal the light gray or white wood beneath. Sycamore leaves have three or fine lobes and are light to dark green. In winter, Sycamore trees are easy to spot due to the brown balls hanging from the bare stems.

The ancient Egyptians had a somewhat different way of looking at the tree. Their sacred tree was a Sycamore that stood on the threshold of life and death and connected the two, rather than a tree that connected the heavens with the earth and then the underworld.

Sycamore tree's are majestic in nature averaging 50m height and 1.5m diameter or more and so it follows that Sycamore logs are substantial in size too. They are fast growing, growing more than two feet a year. Chunks of the Sycamore bark can be used as a coffee substitute. While it may never happen, Sycamore can grow so large they have hollow trunks and many a settler sought long - term shelter inside a Sycamore. It was not uncommon to have a pig or a horse inside a living Sycamore. Sycamore are native hardwood trees to the UK, deciduous and fairly commonly found from well managed, sustainable woodland sources.

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Walnut

A tree that might well be referred to as the aristocrat of the woodlands because of its delicious nuts and the regal quality of the timber it yields. The leaves of the tree, late to show, are reddish-brown before changing to green. This characteristic together with the unmistakable deeply fissured grey bark, again make identification easy.

The timber varies from a pale buff colour to dark brown and has a fine, even grain and texture. Besides being fairly hard and durable walnut is capable of being worked to a smooth, lustrous finish. It possesses a beautifully attractive figure and occasionally throws up a 'ripple' effect such as occurs in sycamore. These qualities together with its renowned stability, made it the favourite timber of the cabinetmakers of the Queen Anne period. 

Supplies of this valuable timber are limited and if the woodturning beginner is fortunate enough to acquire some, I suggest that it should be saved until sufficient skill is attained to do justice to it.

English Walnut heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown with darker brown streaks. Colour can sometimes have a grey, purple or reddish cast. Sapwood is nearly white. European Walnut can occasionally also be found with figured grain patterns such as crotch, and burl. The grain is usually straight, but can be irregular. Has a medium texture and moderate natural buster. Walnut is typically easy to work provided the grain is straight and regular. Planer tarot can sometimes be a problem when surfacing pieces with irregular or figured grain. English Walnut is likely to be rather expensive, and is sometimes only seen in veneer form. English Walnut (Jugulars regia) is the source of what are the most common form of edible walnuts for human consumptions. Branches of English Walnut are sometimes grafted onto the trunk of Claro walnut trees in Californian walnut orchard to take advantage of the latter tree's roots, which are better sited to the locale and produce more fruit.

The fruit is more commonly known as the walnut, nut, which is not culinarily considered a nut and used as such, it is not a true botanical nut. Walnuts are rich in heart-healthy fats and high in antioxidants. It also appears, regularly eating walnuts my improve brain health and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Seven whole shelled nuts is the recommended amount of walnuts per day.

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Yew

One of our three native conifers, and although it is a softwood, its timber is very dense and harder than many hardwoods. The myths and legends surrounding the yew tree are endless, but it is without doubt best known for its use as a longbow as captured in the lines of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. What of the bow? The bow was made in England of true wood, , of yew wood, the wood of English bows.

Yew is the longest-living tree in Europe and some specimens are reputed to be as old as the churches in yards they stand. The leaves, bark and fruit are poisonous and children should be educated to identify the tree and to be aware of its dangers. 

It is without doubt my favourite wood for turning. The colours vary tremendously from the whitish sapwood to the rich brown which is often tinted with purple streaks and spots.

All the above are timbers of commerce, and are available, albeit some more easily than others.

There are other smaller native timbers equally suitable for woodturning, which are not really timbers of commerce. These smaller trees and shrubs from gardens, orchards and hedgerows, are not generally on sale from timber merchants, although many turners feel they are most suitable for woodturning and to work with them.

Furthermore not only are such timbers suitable to turn, but many have beautiful grain and colour which can match even the most exotic of imported species, although the sizes and sections are understandably small. Accordingly, contact with tree surgeons, park official and local authorities may well prove a valuable source of varieties such as those listed below.

Sapwood is usually a thin band of pale yellow or tan colour, while the heartwood is an orangish brown, sometimes with a darker brown or purplish hue. Colour tends to darken with age. The grain is straight, with a fine uniform texture and a good natural lustre. Overall Yew is an easy wood to work, though knots and other grain irregularities can be a challenge - yew turns very nicely. Lewis perhaps among the hardest of all softwood species. Its density and working characteristics are more inline with a heavy hardwood than a softwood, yet its tight, fine grain and smooth texture give it a lustrous finish.

Yet perhaps Yew's greatest claim to fame is that of its mechanical properties: despite its strength and density, yew has an incredibly low and disproportionate modules of elasticity. What this means is that the wood is extremely flexible, yet strong, making it ideally suited for use in Archery bows. In fact, Yew was the wood of choice for English longbows in medieval warfare.

Yew trees can be found in graveyards as sacred to Hecate, Ancient Greek Goddess of Death, witchcraft and necromancy, and was said to purify the dead as they entered the underworld of Hades. Celtic druids also saw yew as sacred and planted it close to their temples to use in death rituals. It is possible to use yew wood for quality furniture and wood working projects as if it were a hardwood because yew is one of the few conifers which has a timber hard and dense enough. Its annual growth rings are so tight that it is usually harder and heavier than your average hardwood.

The wand of yew is reputed to endow its possessor with the power of life and death, which might, of course, be said of all wands; and yet yew retains a particularly dark and fearsome reputation in the spheres of duelling and all curses. The oldest Yew tree is 60 foot wide and sits in the grounds of St. Cynogs church yard near Swansea in Wales.

Yew like Mahogany is incredibly hard and elastic, meaning it can be easily shaped all the while keeping its strong composure. It is resistant to most general wear and tear, making it a perfect choice for dining and dressing tables

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Apple

Although a very difficult timber to season satisfactorily, it is well worth experimenting with despite being very hard and bough, it turns easily and provides a very pleasing reddish-brown coloured timber with attractive grain.

Heartwood can vary from a light reddish or greyish brown to a deeper red/brown. The grain of Apple is sometimes seen with streaks of darker and lighter bands of colour, similar to olive. Sapwood is a pale cream colour. Apple grain is straight (though on some sections of the tree it can also be wild). With a very fine, uniform texture, closely resembling cherry. Apple can be somewhat difficult to work due to its high density, and can burn easily when being machined. Apple is seldom available in lumber form, and is usually seen only in very small sizes when available. likely to be rather expensive, and is usually meant for only small projects. Common uses are fine furniture, tool handles, carving, mallet heads, turned items and other small speciality wooden objects. Apple has a high shrinkage rate, and experiences a large amount of seasonal movement in service. Its Its appearance and texture closely resemble Cherry, another fruit tree. 

Hardwood trees are angiosperms, plants that produce sees with some sort of covering. This might be a fruit, such as an apple or a hard shell, such as an acorn, softwoods, on the other hand, are gymnosperms. These plants let seeds fall to the ground as it, with no coverings. Apple tree wood used in smoking is a fine option as it results in a light, fruity, sweet smoke flavour. It is excellent to use for beef,  pork, chicken and fish. Apple wood, being hard, of very fine and uniform texture, capable of receiving a high polish though of little natural lustre is very well adapted for handsaw handles.

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Blackthorn 

A common hedgerow bush that heralds the first signs of spring when its bare  black twigs are covered in the familiar masses of pure white flowers. It yields tough strong timber which has a very attractive reddish-brown heartwood and yellowish sapwood.

Prunus Spinosa, called Blackthorn or Sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native to Europe, Western Asia, and in North West Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand, Tasmania and Eastern North America.

This variety of plum (Sloe berry) is a medium is`ed shrub. The wood was used to make cudgels in England and Ireland, the latter famously known as shillelagh. The wood is very tough, and because it is so twisty, it is made for great looking walking sticks.

Blackthorn is named after its dark bark. The twigs are black with leaf buds along the sharp spines. Take care when identifying this tree as its spiky thorns can cause a nasty reaction if you get scratched. Twigs are slender, brown and covered in thorns which emerge from the same point as the buds.

Blackthorn is an important species for all kinds of wildlife, but is especially vital for the rare black, Hairstreak butterfly who lays its eggs in its hedges. Here, they overwinter and the caterpillars emerge in spring ready to feed on the plant. Sloe berries grow on blackthorn, a tree or bush in the rose family.

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Cherry Wood (Wild and Cultivars)

Most desirable and beautiful timbers to turn. The wild cherry provides a slightly scented golden-brown timber which is much valued for high-class furniture veneers and turnery. It is a tough, strong wood but easy to turn and polishes extremely well.

Cherry is a Harwood with a fine, straight grain that ranges from reddish brown to blond. Furniture made out of cherry wood is sure to bring delight to any owner. This versatile wood that comes from the cherry tree is known for its beauty and durability, think of it as the classy all-star of woods. Natural cherry wood is perhaps the most prized furniture wood in America. Easily our most popular seller is a smooth-grained, reddish-brown hardwood that comes from the American Black Cherry fruit tree. One of the reasons cherry wood is so expensive is because it’s highly sought after and hard to find. The aesthetic look and unique visual appeal of it makes cherry wood a hot ticket item for those that enjoy beautiful furniture. Cherry is of medium density with good bending properties, has low stiffness, and medium strength and shock resistance. Fine furniture and cabinet making, moulding and millwork, kitchen cabinets, paneling, flooring, doors, boat interiors, musical instruments, turnings, and carvings. Cherry heartwood is a light pinkish brown when freshly cut, darkening a medium reddish brown with time and upon exposure to light. Heartwood is rated as being very durable and resistant to decay, though not typically used in exterior applications.

Heartwood is a light pinkish brown when freshly cut, darkening to a deeper golden brown with time and upon exposure to light, sapwood is a pale yellowish colour. Cherry has a fine to medium texture with close grain. The grain is usually straight or slightly wavy. Cherry is easy to work with both machine and hand tools, the only difficulties typically arise the wood is being stained, as it can sometime give blotchy results but to its fine, close grain. A sanding sealer or gel stain is recommended. Sweet Cherry is the old World counter part to black cherry found in North America. Cherry is said to exhibit a bit more of a colour contrast than black cherry and it also tends to be slightly denser and stronger.

Cherry's hardwood is a moderately durable wood; its hear is very resistant to rot and decay; Cherry woods strength is that is is a hardwood, moderately strong and has a medium ability to resist shock loads. Cherry flexibility is its ease to cut, carve, mould, turn and is used for many different applications due to its flexibility.

Smoking Cherry wood is ideal for poultry, beef, pork, (especially ham), game birds, lamb and some seafood.Cherry wood has a sweet mild, fruity flavour that is a good match for all meats.

Cherry is a hardwood with a fine, straight grain that ranges from reddish brown to blond. Cherry has a simple, fine, closed grain, much like that of maple. Fake "Cherry" wood often has little or no grain pattern. its made by taking a cheaper wood, bleaching it, texturing it with chemicals, then staining it with a "Cherry" stain.

Direct sunlight could damage it if exposed for prolonged periods, it is also quite expensive even more expensive even more expensive than oak or maple wood. This material is also not resistant to water damage and could be affected by moisture damage. Cherry has medium density, with good wood bending properties, medium strength and shock resistance, but low stiffness. Being hard and stable when dry the wood is very easy to stain and finish to an excellent surface.

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Holly

A tree that is familiar and recognisable to everyone with its glossy, dark green prickly leaves. It yields a white timber which is very close-grained and turned easily. This makes it ideal for the green turning of thin-walled bowls and platters, etc. for which many turners are now using it. 

Holly is an ideal lumber, it has a very uniform, pale white colour with virtually no visible grain pattern. Knots are common, which can reduce the usable area of the wood. Can develop a bluish / grey fungal stain if not dried rapidly after cutting. Holly is usually cut during the winter and kill dried shortly thereafter preserve the white colour of the wood. Grain is interlocked and irregular, with a medium to fine uniform texture with moderate natural luster. 

Can be difficult to work on account of the numerous knots and interlocked grain. It glues, stains, and finished well, and is sometimes stained black as a substitute for Ebony. Holly turns well on the lathe.

Holly is seldom available for commercial sale, it is an expensive domestic lumber and is usually only available in small quantities and sizes. Holly is used in inlays, furniture, piano keys (dyed black), broom and brush handles, turned objects, and other small novelty items. Holly is typically used only for ornamental and decorative purposes. It has a fairly large shrinkage rate, with a lot of seasonal movement in service, and its strength properties are mediocre for a hardwood.

Holly leaves, branches and berries are beautiful Christmas decorations, but the berries are poisonous to people and pets, swallowing holly berries can cause sickness, diarrhoea, dehydration, and drowsiness. Children have had symptoms after swallowing as few as two holly berries.

The Druids regarded holly as a symbol of fertility and eternal life, thought to have magical powers. Today, christians have adopted the holly tree as a symbol for Christmas. The sharp leaves are said to symbolise the crown of thorns worn by Christ, while the berries represent his blood. More recently, preparations of holly leaf have been used for coughs, digestive disorders, water retention, and yellowed skin (jaundice). Ilex aquifolum leaves are used for treating fevers that come and go, joint pain (rheumatism), swelling, water retention, and chest congestion.

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Laburnum

There are few more welcome and striking springtime sights than the laburnum when it puts forth its gay blossom. The timber it yields is equally beautiful and comes a close second to yew as a favourite timber to turn. It is hard and heavy, with a rich brown heartwood marked with golden flecks, contrasting strongly with the pale yellow sapwood. 

Heartwood colour ranges from an orangish brown to a darker violet brown, darkening with age. Clearly demarcated sapwood is a pale yellow. Laburnum's dark colour make it suitable for use as on ebony substitute, particularly within its natural range in Europe. Wide rays can exhibit ray fleck on quarter sawn surfaces. Endgrain slices of laburnum are sometimes used in making a decorative "Oyster veneer" pattern for use in furniture. Grain is usually straight, with a fine, even texture and good natural lustre.

Despite its high density and hardness, laburnum is generally easy to work. It is known to be an excellent turning wood, and is also favoured for carving as well. Because of the tree's small size, laburnum is likely to remain available only on a small hobbyist scale. Laburnum is primarily only available within its natural range of Europe. Laburnum is commonly used in turned objects, musical instruments (woodwind), furniture, veneer, fence posts, archery bows, carving, and small specialty wood objects. Laburnum is widely planted as an ornamental tree throughout Europe. It sometimes goes by name "Golden Chain", so named for its vertical rows of yellowish gold flowers that bloom in the spring.

Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Laburnum contains the toxin cytisine. Taken in large quantities, cytisine can be fatal, however, in smaller quantities (such as those inhaled during woodworking operations) constitutional effects have been reported, such as nausea, vomiting, and headaches.

The laburnum trees are deciduous. The leaves are trifoliate, somewhat like a clover, the leaflets are typically 2-3cm long. They have yellow pea flowers in pendulous leafless racemes 10-40cm long in Spring which makes them very popular garden tree's. Common Laburnum is a small tree, introduced into the UK in 1560 and often planted in parks and gardens. It flowers in May and June when it produces large hanging bunches of bright yellow flowers giving this beautiful tree its other common name of 'Golden Rain'.

The entire tree is poisonous and can cause convulsions and violent diarrhoea. Never the less, laburnum wood is one of the great unsung riches antique furniture. It has been justly revered and normally reserved for the finest chests and chairs in much the same manner Yew was employed for making Gothic Windsor chairs.

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Pear

This is another favourite to turn. It is remarkably free from knots, hard and even-grained. Its pinkish, pale appearance is sometimes enhanced by the same ripple effect found in sycamore. Pears heartwood is a pale pink or light reddish brown. Sapwood is slightly paler but is not usually distinct from heartwood. Pear is sometimes steamed to deepen the pink colouration. Pink is also occasionally dyed black and used as a substitute for ebony. The grain is usually straight, with a very fine uniform texture. Overall pear is easy to work with both hand and machine tools, to turn, glue, and finishes well. Pear is a popular and premium hardwood in Europe, it is only available in limited quantities in the United States. Larger logs are usually turned into veneer for architectural purposes. Expect lumber and veneer prices to be high for an imported European hardwood. Pear is used for veneer, architectural millwork, marquetry, inlay, carving, musical instruments, furniture, cabinetry, and turned objects. Its been said that pear is used in Europe much in the same way that Black Cherry is used in the United States: as a popular and high-quality domestic hardwood.

Pear wood is one of the most sensual and satisfying of har woods that a furniture maker can encounter. The structure of the is hard, so hard that the sharpest of tools are required to work it. The general colour of pear wood is almost dark fleshy colour, pinky brown is a favourite description. Pear wood has long been considered a good timber for furniture.

As early as 1613 Gervase Markham suggested, 'if you would choose timber for joint-stools, chairs or chests, you shall then choose the oldest Pear-tree to be found, for it is both smooth, sweet and delicate'. European pear wood also known as Swiss Pear, Allisee, Ellesbear etc. is one of the finest continental hard woods. The finest quality Pear veneer comes from the sorbus tree, one of the only trees to have three heart colour rings. Swiss pear is a lumber that gets richer as it oxidises. Pear wood can be smoked and is similar to peach wood. It smokes a light sweet and fruity flavour that works great with pork, poultry, and small game birds. Pecan wood is stronger than most fruit wood, but milder than hickory and mesquite.

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Plum

Very difficult to obtain in large sizes, but it you are fortunate enough to do so, make something special with it because the even-textured timber which varies from a pale yellow to dark brown and purple is absolutely beautiful.

In addition to the above non-commercial timbers. Experimenting with other such woods as lilac. box, rowan, hawthorn and sumac (stagshorn). You will be pleasantly surprised not only by the ease with which they turn, but also by the beauty they reveal in their grain and colour.

Plum heartwood can exhibit a cornucopia of colours, typically a yellowish brown, with streaks of pink, orange, red, purple, Olive, or grey mixed in. Because of the small size of plum trees, swirled or irregular grain, as well as knots and other defects are common. The grain has a fine texture with close grain and a slight natural lustre. Areas with straight and clear grain are easy to work with hand or machine tools. Care must be taken when surfacing irregular grain or knots to avoid tarot. Plum glues, turns and finishes well.

Plum is not commercially available in lumber form due to very small tree sizes. It is most commonly seen among hobbyists and other small specialty woodworkers and related retailers. Most commonly sold in turning blanks or other small sections. Prices are likely to be high for a domestic wood. Plum is commonly used for turned objects, musical instruments, inlay, and knife handles.

Although plum is related to cherry, it tends to be heavier and harder than cherry and much more scarce. Sizes are very limited, so plum tends to be assigned primarily to smaller, more decorative purposes. Hardwoods typically are used in furniture, flooring, musical instruments, and veneers. Examples of hardwood are: Apple, banana, cherry, citrus, fig, jujube, mulberry, olive, pawpaw, pear, plum, quince, oak etc.

Plum is a richly coloured fruit wood, usually slightly more dense than its more common neighbour, cherry. The tree rarely grows to a size to yield large straight planks. Although cherries and plums seem like very very different fruit when you see them at the grocery store or farmer's market, they are actually quite similar. Both are part of the genus Prunus and are closely related to the almond (prunus dulcet, hardy in U.S.).

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Mahogany

The excellence of this timber was recognised as long ago as the Spanish colonisation of the New World - in fact some of the vessels of the Spanish Armada were made of mahogany.

For over a century it was the favourite wood of the cabinetmaker. This was because of its dimensional stability, the ease with which it could be worked by hand tools and its beautiful rich appearance.

Brazilian Mahogany, widely used by woodturners and cabinetmakers and still available in very wide boards up to about 30" wide. It is ideal for reproduction wine tables, dumb waiters, victorian style tea tables, etc. where dimensional stability is absolutely vital.

Mahogany family derived from the Melia genus, primarily found in tropical regions Worldwide. Other relations of Mahogany are Sapele and Utile and the hardwood cedars of Cereal and Toona. Although this family derives its name from the Melia genus, that genera is greatly eclipsed by the much more commercially significant swietenia genus and the family's common name reflects this as the mahogany family. However, aside from the incredibly significant Swietenia genus, this family is still chock-full of other commercial timbers and notable species. Most woods in this family are of moderate weight, with overall good workability and grain appearance.

Yes mahogany is an incredibly strong wood with relatively higher compressive strength and bending strength than most woods. It is highly durable and robust wood, because of being strong, Mahogany is a popular choice in furniture making, yachts and boat making, flooring, doors, musical instruments, and many more.

Mahogany is less liable to warping, shrinking, swelling and twisting than other woods. This is because of its unusual resistance to moisture and atmospheric changes. Mahogany does not move - it holds its shape. Because of the size of the mahogany tree, it produces incredibly clear large pieces. Mahogany is a hardwood, it is harder and more durable than Oak, but softer than Maple. Mahogany is used in many decorative settings because of the popularity and elegance of the wood. Naturally, mahogany is a darker wood, and it accepts stain very well. The grain is what makes mahogany truly unique. Mahogany is water resistant, its the king of hardwoods because of its being water-resistant and not prone to decay or rot. Pests can't even penetrate the wood. Outside elements and insects are no match for this rare, unique wood, also it holds paint well. Genuine mahogany's lifespan is a little different, with an average life of 20+ years. The lifespan of your wood depends on a lot of factors. the climate and amount of precipitation in your area can shorten or extend a products lifespan It is not unheard of for mahogany to last longer than 30 years.

Mahogany is known for its cooperative nature and easy sanding and machining, with a Goldilocks-esque balance of density that's just hard enough buy not too hard. When the grain is straight and consistent, there's not much that can go wrong. Does mahogany turn gray? It fades, it loses that rich red-brown colour and turns grey. The criminal here is the sun, specifically, it's ultra violet rays. They will bleach the colour out of any wood, including mahogany.

In addition to having a lovely appearance, African Mahogany is a dream to work with and this greatly increases its appeal to wood workers. It will glue well, take a finish easily and it also an excellent turning wood. The only potential problem is if there is any interlocked grain. The best mahogany wood is swietenia macrophylla is also commonly referred to as Peruvian mahogany, big leaf mahogany. It is the most common substitute for Cuban mahogany, which is hailed as one of the best woods for furniture. The best way to protect and maintain your mahogany pieces is to refinish them periodically. Before you apply sealant, clean the wood thoroughly and sand the surface to remove all excess dirt, pick water-based sealants because they are environmentally friendly and are good for UV protection.

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Maple Wood (Field)

Unlike most hardwoods, the sapwood of maple tends to be used rather than the heartwood. Sapwood colour ranges from nearly white, to a honey colour. The heartwood tends to be a darker reddish brown. The grain tends to be straight but may be wavy, with a fine, even texture. Maple is fairly easy to work with, but has a tendency to burn when being machined, can become blotchy when staining, so a pre-conditioner, gel stain or toner may be necessary for an even colour. Field Maple grows very slowly, so has a moderate price. Maple is commonly used for flooring furniture musical instruments and turned items. Maple tree's are one of the most common hardwoods in North America. There are numerous species of Maples that fall into two main categories, hard and soft Maples.

Maple wood is durable long-lasting and strong. It has a straight grain and uniform colour. Maple has a good resistance to decay and takes stains and polishes well.

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Scots Pine 

A valuable commercial softwood. It is used extensively in the building and construction trade. You may have read that it is not suitable for turning but I disagree. With the recent increased demand for pine bedroom and kitchen furniture, and the use of turned components, woodturners are realising the full potential of this attractive timber. It matures to a rich honey colour when finished with clear lacquer.

Pine is an ideal timber to practise on. When you can get a good finish on pine straight off the tools, then you can consider yourself accomplished. It is a suitable timber to turn and that a good finish is possible without recourse to heavy sanding.

An important advantage of using this timber, particularly for practice, is that you can often acquire suitable off-cuts fairly cheaply and additionally the workshop is filled with the pleasant aroma of pine shavings.

Pine is pine? Not quite. There is a good range in density and strength when it comes to the Sinus genus. Take one of the species of Southern yellow pine, shortleaf pine for instance: it has strength properties that are roughly equivalent to Red Oak (with the notable exception of hardness), and in some categories, such as compression strength parallel to the grains, the pine is actually stronger! 

Yet there are also a lot of types of pine that are considerably weaker, and while they certainly have a prominent place in the construction industry, by using all species interchangeably with the generic name "pine" we create a very inaccurate picture of this interesting wood.

It can help to know what you've rally got, so lets go over some of the key types of pine seen today.

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The Soft Pines

 

This group is characterised by pines with low density, even grain, and gradual early-wood to late wood transition. Species within this group can't reliably be separated from one another, but it can be helpful to distinguish them from the hard pines. There are 4 principal species of soft pines; 

• Sugar Pines
• Western White Pine
• Eastern White pine
• Limber pine.

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The Hard Pines

The major species in this group fit into the signature hard pine profile: they have the highest densities, very abrupt early wood to Late wood transitions, and are very uneven grained. All of the species in this grouping are essentially indistinguishable from one another-even under microscopic examination. The 20 major species of Southern yellow pine are:

 

• Shortleaf pine​
• Slash pine
• Table Mountain pine
• Longleaf pine
• Loblolly pine
• Sound pine
• Spruce pine
• Pitch pine
• Virginia pine
• Pond pine
• Caribean pine
• Jeffrey pine
• Lodgepole pine
• Ponderosa pine
• Jack pine
• Radiata pine
• Red pine 
• Scots pine
• Austrian pine
• Pinyon pine

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London Plane

A real city slicker, the London plane is the capitals most common tree. As a hybrid of American sycamore and Oriental plane, it was first discovered in the 17th century then widely planted in the 18th. The major use of the London plane tree is for planting in urban environments, though the tree is more widely used in its living form, its wood can be used for a variety of other purposes, such as veneer, plywood, flooring, furniture, interior trim, carvings, and other other small specialty wood objects. This hardwood has many beautiful aspects, such as colour and pattern throughout cut lengths, it is often used in other more basic applications. London plane wood, though not widely available, is a popular choice for plywood, flooring and even wooden pallets.

London plane has a close grain and is light brown in colour. There are numerous medullary rays of medium size that are very conspicuous and decorative on quarter cut surfaces. The grain is usually very straight and has a fine and even texture which is very similar to maple, it works easily with both hand and machine tools. It turns, glues and finishes well. 

Similar to Maple, the wood of London plane trees is predominantly comprised of the sapwood, with some darker heartwood streaks also found in most boards, (though it is not too uncommon to also see entire boards of heartwood too). The sapwood is white to light pinkish tan, while the heartwood is a darker reddish brown. London plane also has very distinct ray flecks present on quarter sawn surfaces - giving it a freckled appearance - and it is sometimes even called "Lacewood", though it bears little botanical relation to the tropical species of lacewood.

London plane has a fine, even texture that's very similar to maple. The grain is usually straight. The timber is rated as non-durable to perishable regarding decay resistance, and is susceptible to insect attack. Overall,London plane works easily though tearout can sometimes occur in rays of perfectly quarter sawn sections during planing, otherwise it turns well.

Usually moderately priced if available domestically, though London plane is commonly sold as quartersawn boards, which can increase the cost. Not to be confused with European Sycamore - which is actually just a species of maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) - London plane is a hybrid

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