WOODSGOOD - Woods Used

~ Woods Used By WoodsGood ~

Here are some of the exotic hardwood, domestic hardwood and softwood species used byWOODSGOOD
WOODSGOOD's policy is to only use products harvested from sustainable forests.

For more information on wood technology, see wood density by species, timber growth, conversion and shrinkage.

Overview

There is a lot of confusion between the naming of the two main groups of timber producing trees used commercially; softwoods and hardwoods, mainly because these categories do not accurately describe the properties of the wood correctly. Here is the correct definition:

Softwoods.

Softwoods are coniferous trees and the timber is not necessarily 'soft'. They are 'evergreen' and do not shed their leaves in autumn. Their general characteristics are: straight, round but slender, tapering trunk; a narrow crown that rises to a point; needle- or scale-like shaped leaves; fruit (seeds) is carried in cones; and a course, thick bark.

Hardwoods.

Hardwood trees are broadleaf and generally deciduous. Their timber is not necessarily hard (balsa is a hardwood!). The general characteristics are: a stout base that scarcely tapers but divides into branches to form a wide, round crown; leaves are broad and may have single or multi lobes; the bark may be smooth or course and varies in thickness and colours; and fruit may be nuts, winged fruits, pods, berries, or fleshy fruits.

Advantages of solid wood.

Using solid hardwoods goes against the "grain" of today's mass-produced and disposable furniture. Hardwoods offer a uniqueness that cannot be imitated as while sharing the general characteristics of its species, every board will display its own unique grain pattern, colour and face. Furrniture built from solid hardwoods will provide generations of hard use while its beauty will survives nicks and scratches. Items can be easily repaired and refinished and their value is lasting.
When choosing the materials for an heirloom piece of furniture, choose wisely. Solid hardwoods are natural not synthetic, classic not artificial. It pays to go beyond aesthetic considerations as substitutes can't compare to solid hardwoods for structural integrity and ability to weather the stresses and shocks of daily use.

Using only the finest solid wood WOODSGOOD can make something special for you.

Exotic Hardwood Species

BLOODWOOD (Satine)

Comes from South America. Rich, strawberry red, sometimes with golden yellow stripes. Hard and very dense, tight fine grain, very deep red colour. Retains its colour well, comes to a beautiful sheen, but because of its hardness, must work down the paper grit sizes to sand to perfection.... well worth the work..

BUBINGA (African Rosewood)

Comes from West Africa. Reddish brown and sometimes has lines of dark purple. Hard and heavy and moderately course in texture. The heartwood is red-brown in color with red and purple veining.

CANARYWOOD (Putumuju,Tarara)

Pale olive green to clear yellow in color, it usually has darker streaks in shades of reds, purple, dark green, blue and black. The wood is straight grained, occasionally with an attractive blister figure. Texture is typically fine and even.

CUMARU (Brazilian Teak)

Fresh heartwood is reddish brown or purplish brown with light yellowish-brown or purplish streaks; upon exposure gradually becomes uniform light brown or yellowish brown
The wood is difficult to saw and bore; where severely interlocked grain is not present, the wood planes to a smooth surface. Because of high density and oily nature, the wood glues poorly

COCOBOLO (Dalbergia)

Comes from Mexico and Central America. Dark red, rose to yellow-brown, with some purple or black. Very hard and tough on tools.

JATOBA (Brazillian Cherry)

Found in Central and South America, this wood is very hard and strong. Over 125% harder that red oak, Jatoba has shock resistant qualities similar to ash and hickory. Because of its hardness, Jatoba can be used for many things including furniture, tool handles and flooring. The bark of the tree is similar to paper birch and is great in canoe making

LACEWOOD (Silky Oak, Louro Faia)

This exotic comes from Australia. Light pink to light reddish brown, speckled figure with dark flecks. Soft/medium density, medium to light brown, mostly know for it's fasinating appearance. When cut correctly each piece shows many cross sections of cells, some 1/4" in diameter and some as large as 3/4" distributed evenly across the wood. Usually it has a straight grain and is course textured, with a light reddish-brown color.

PADUAK (Barwood, Camwood)

Comes from West Africa. Bright orange-red, often with dark stripes. Medium density, coarse grain, very orange wood when freshly cut and mellows to a more burnt orange with exposure to sun. This elegant tree often grows in small groups and is common in dense equatorial rain forests. The tree grows to a height of 100 to 130 feet, clear of branches to 70 feet, and has trunk diameters from 24 to 60 inches. Padauk possesses excellent weathering properties and will last for more than 25 years in contact with the ground without any preservative treatments.

PURPLEHEART (Amarante, Nazareno, Violetwood)

It's purple! Comes from Mexico, Central, and South America. Very hard and heavy density. A consistent dark purple, straight grained wood. This wood has exceptional bending strength (far stronger than Maple, Oak, or Teak) with a high tolerance to shock loading. It is highly desired by hobbyists and craftsmen who use this hard heavy wood in small projects. The trees grow to 150 feet with trunk diameters up to 48 inches. Purpleheart will slowly lose its color and turn to a rich-brown hue when cut due to oxidation.

YELLOWHEART (Pau Amerillo,Brazilian Satinwood) This interesting species exhibits colors that range from yellow through orange to red. This is a heavy hard wood that is compact with a medium texture. Pau Amerillo is very durable with great resistance to preservative treatment - a favorite for fancy turnery and decorative veneers.

ZEBRAWOOD (Zebrano,Zingana) Zebrawood is a distinctive hardwood that is sometimes found in pure stands along river banks, but growing sites are reported to be quite inaccessible. Although abundant, It is an expensive wood because of its difficulty to harvest and preparation necessary to bring it to market. The heartwood is a light golden-yellow with narrow-veining streaks of dark brown to black rendering its zebra-stripe appearance.

Hardwood Species

	ALDER Alder, a relative of birch, grows from Alaska to Southern California. Alder has a light redish colour. Small clusters of minor knots is common in the wood. Brown traces from harmless kambium insects can occur and also brown heart, fresh knots and black rotten knots.
	ASH Comes from Eastern U.S. and Canada. Light cream to light brown. Medium density, pale pink, open pored grainy wood that serves as a great cabinet quality wood.
	BIRCH Sapwood is creamy yellow or pale white in yellow birch; heartwood is light reddish brown tinged with red. Medium figuring, straight, closed grain, even textured. Occasional curly grain or wavy figure in some boards.
	CHERRY Comes from Eastern U.S. and Canada. Reddish brown with a golden luster that darkens with age. A favorite of furniture makers but now quite costly. Known for its fine, tight grain patterns. Soft/medium density, closed pored, tight grain like maple, beautiful pink/reddy brown colours that darken with age.
	MAHOGANY Comes from the Africa. Very hard and heavy with glorious deep reddish brown color.
	MAPLE Comes from the U.S. and Canada. Very hard, heavy, and light colored. Curly, striped and irridescent grain patterns. Maple is a strong and durable hardwood and tends to be evenly and closely grained.
	BIRDS-EYE MAPLE
	OAK Common throughout the eastern and southern U.S. and favorite of Arts & Crafts movement, especially quartersawn, showing rays and fleks. Strong, open grain, soft browns and pinks to near-white colours.
	TEAK Heartwood varies from yellow-brown to dark golden brown,turning rich brown when exposed to sunlight. Sapwood is lighter cream colored
	WALNUT Common throughout the eastern and southern U.S. Deep dark chocolate brown with some black grain patterns. Durable strong with a grain wavier near the roots and straighter at the trunk.

Softwood Species

PINE Heartwood varies from light yellow/orange to reddish brown or yellowish brown; sapwood is light tan to yellowish white.

CEDAR

Western Red Cedar contains natural oils that give off an aromatic spicy scent that act as preservatives to help the wood resist insect attack and decay. Colours range from light amber to deep honey brown.

Let WOODSGOOD make something special for you!

	BLOODWOOD (Satine) Comes from South America. Rich, strawberry red, sometimes with golden yellow stripes. Hard and very dense, tight fine grain, very deep red colour. Retains its colour well, comes to a beautiful sheen, but because of its hardness, must work down the paper grit sizes to sand to perfection.... well worth the work..
	BUBINGA (African Rosewood) Comes from West Africa. Reddish brown and sometimes has lines of dark purple. Hard and heavy and moderately course in texture. The heartwood is red-brown in color with red and purple veining.
	CANARYWOOD (Putumuju,Tarara) Pale olive green to clear yellow in color, it usually has darker streaks in shades of reds, purple, dark green, blue and black. The wood is straight grained, occasionally with an attractive blister figure. Texture is typically fine and even.
	CUMARU (Brazilian Teak) Fresh heartwood is reddish brown or purplish brown with light yellowish-brown or purplish streaks; upon exposure gradually becomes uniform light brown or yellowish brown The wood is difficult to saw and bore; where severely interlocked grain is not present, the wood planes to a smooth surface. Because of high density and oily nature, the wood glues poorly
	COCOBOLO (Dalbergia) Comes from Mexico and Central America. Dark red, rose to yellow-brown, with some purple or black. Very hard and tough on tools.
	JATOBA (Brazillian Cherry) Found in Central and South America, this wood is very hard and strong. Over 125% harder that red oak, Jatoba has shock resistant qualities similar to ash and hickory. Because of its hardness, Jatoba can be used for many things including furniture, tool handles and flooring. The bark of the tree is similar to paper birch and is great in canoe making
	LACEWOOD (Silky Oak, Louro Faia) This exotic comes from Australia. Light pink to light reddish brown, speckled figure with dark flecks. Soft/medium density, medium to light brown, mostly know for it's fasinating appearance. When cut correctly each piece shows many cross sections of cells, some 1/4" in diameter and some as large as 3/4" distributed evenly across the wood. Usually it has a straight grain and is course textured, with a light reddish-brown color.
	PADUAK (Barwood, Camwood) Comes from West Africa. Bright orange-red, often with dark stripes. Medium density, coarse grain, very orange wood when freshly cut and mellows to a more burnt orange with exposure to sun. This elegant tree often grows in small groups and is common in dense equatorial rain forests. The tree grows to a height of 100 to 130 feet, clear of branches to 70 feet, and has trunk diameters from 24 to 60 inches. Padauk possesses excellent weathering properties and will last for more than 25 years in contact with the ground without any preservative treatments.
	PURPLEHEART (Amarante, Nazareno, Violetwood) It's purple! Comes from Mexico, Central, and South America. Very hard and heavy density. A consistent dark purple, straight grained wood. This wood has exceptional bending strength (far stronger than Maple, Oak, or Teak) with a high tolerance to shock loading. It is highly desired by hobbyists and craftsmen who use this hard heavy wood in small projects. The trees grow to 150 feet with trunk diameters up to 48 inches. Purpleheart will slowly lose its color and turn to a rich-brown hue when cut due to oxidation.
	YELLOWHEART (Pau Amerillo,Brazilian Satinwood) This interesting species exhibits colors that range from yellow through orange to red. This is a heavy hard wood that is compact with a medium texture. Pau Amerillo is very durable with great resistance to preservative treatment - a favorite for fancy turnery and decorative veneers.
	ZEBRAWOOD (Zebrano,Zingana) Zebrawood is a distinctive hardwood that is sometimes found in pure stands along river banks, but growing sites are reported to be quite inaccessible. Although abundant, It is an expensive wood because of its difficulty to harvest and preparation necessary to bring it to market. The heartwood is a light golden-yellow with narrow-veining streaks of dark brown to black rendering its zebra-stripe appearance.

	PINE Heartwood varies from light yellow/orange to reddish brown or yellowish brown; sapwood is light tan to yellowish white.
	CEDAR Western Red Cedar contains natural oils that give off an aromatic spicy scent that act as preservatives to help the wood resist insect attack and decay. Colours range from light amber to deep honey brown.