First project I built with the wrong wood. Pine cutting board. Soft, porous, showed knife marks after one use. Lesson learned.
The Basics
Softwood: pine, cedar, fir. Cheap, easy to work, dings easily. Great for painted projects, construction stuff, shop furniture. Don’t expect it to take abuse.
Hardwood: oak, maple, walnut, cherry. Costs more, lasts forever, finishes beautifully. Worth it for anything you want to keep.
Quick Species Guide
Poplar – cheap hardwood, machines nice, paints great. Ugly grain though, never stain it.
Red oak – the standard. Available everywhere, strong, prominent grain. Takes stain okay but shows everything.
White oak – tighter grain, more water resistant. Better for outdoor stuff.
Walnut – gorgeous dark brown, darkens more over time. Expensive but worth it for nice projects.
Cherry – pink to deep red with age. Softer than oak but beautiful. Darkens dramatically in sunlight.
Maple – hard as nails, great for workbenches and cutting boards. Boring grain unless you find figured stuff.
Buying Lumber
Big box stores are fine for construction lumber. For real projects, find a lumber yard. Better quality, more selection, people who actually know wood.
Moisture Matters
8-10% moisture content for indoor furniture. Kiln-dried is standard. Build with wet wood and it’ll warp, crack, and generally make you sad.
Let lumber sit in your shop for a week before building. Especially in extreme seasons.
