Top 5 wood to mill

[Pat Ferrett]

Because the OP asked for hardwoods.

 

Alec

 

Put me foot in it there for sure

Just wondered as I have a few butts to mill that have been down a year and I keep putting it off because of it being so bloomin hard.

[Big J]

Put me foot in it there for sure

Just wondered as I have a few butts to mill that have been down a year and I keep putting it off because of it being so bloomin hard.

 

It's technically a softwood due to it's reproductive cycle (it's a gymnosperm as opposed to a hardwood, which is an angiosperm) however it is harder than almost any native hardwood.

 

I really do like yew, but it can be quite disappointing to mill unless it's very high quality. Sold quite a bit of it in the last year, but not in terms of general sale. Very specific purposes (whisky boxes and long bows).

 

Jonathan

[Woodworks]

As a furniture maker my favorite is walnut. I still have a few boards from 15+ years ago that allegedly came from the Cadburys plantations which were planted to provide nuts for there chocolate. I reserve them for special jobs as I suspect I will never get my hand on such beautiful wood again.

[Big J]

As a furniture maker my favorite is walnut. I still have a few boards from 15+ years ago that allegedly came from the Cadburys plantations which were planted to provide nuts for there chocolate. I reserve them for special jobs as I suspect I will never get my hand on such beautiful wood again.

 

I do agree that walnut is pretty special. It's something that I very rarely find up here (I have milled a grand total of two walnut trees in my time) which is why I couldn't include it on my list.

 

Fancy popping up a picture or two of the Cadbury's walnut?

[Woodworks]

Sorry Jay I don't mill, there only boards I bought I never saw the trees.

[Big J]

Sorry Jay I don't mill, there only boards I bought I never saw the trees.

 

Quite OK - it was really just the finished product I was wanting to see.

 

Jonathan

[Woodworks]

That I can do Here a couple of picture of a Tantalus during construction, the pictures of the finished piece don,t show the depth of colour of the wood. And looking at the pictures now still does not really do the wood justice.

[Big J]

That really is beautiful - stunning figure in the walnut too. It will be a bittersweet day for you when you use your last board!

[Woodworks]

" It will be a bittersweet day for you when you use your last board!" Yep but at the rate I am using it and the fact I have almost given up making furniture means it could be many a year until I run out

[burrell_]

i will list what i enjoy milling as alec did

opening the first cut up waiting to see the colour

Walnut

Oak

Cherry

Elm (old knoty bit is best)

Acacia (if u can find a good bit ) and im not shore if u would call it a hard wood but shore big j will tell me

i no its a hard wood to cut

 

martin