Top wood for turning

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wfsteadman

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Greetings folks,
So I am certain this is a loaded question and the answer is at the interpretation of the turner, but wanted to see what are some of the best woods to turn with. Maybe just tell me your favorite wood to turn with for pen making. I am new, so I know there are oodles of different wood types, but I am sure there are some favorites out there.

Are there any recommended sites for reading about good turning woods?
 
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wfsteadman said:
Greetings folks,
So I am certain this is a loaded question and the answer is at the interpretation of the turner, but wanted to see what are some of the best woods to turn with. Maybe just tell me your favorite wood to turn with for pen making. I am new, so I know there are oodles of different wood types, but I am sure there are some favorites out there.

Are there any recommended sites for reading about good turning woods?
Click to expand...

if it's wood, it's good for turning. :smile:

Different types of wood have different characteristics and present different challenges for turning, sanding and finishing.

Hard woods generally take a little longer to turn.
Tight grained woods like Olivewood & Maple sand and polish well - I generally stop at 600 grit.
Softer woods like Eastern Red Cedar can be turned really quickly.
Open pore woods like oak may take more sanding - I usually go up to 2500-3200 grit with these.

Some woods (like snakewood) are very brittle and need a lot of TLC. Pink Ivory is another one.

I use olive wood for pens more than any other wood, but I like to experiment with different kinds of wood just for variety and to learn how the different woods behave.
 
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I tend to focus on cherry and walnut because I have some that has been following me for about 40 years. They are not figured, but they finish warmly and have deep color. Birdseye & curly maple are also lovely. I tend to avoid all those beautiful figured woods because the are ubiquitous. And the three I mentioned are on my shelf and cost me nothing.
 
One that I have found to have very striking appearance is Canary wood. I usually buy a board about 4 to 6 inches wide by 36 to 48 inches long that is at least 3/4 of an inch thick and rip it down to square strips on the table saw and then cut it into the lengths, mostly 6 inch, that I need. Even those short cut offs left can sometimes be used on pens such as the PSI segmented pen and the Plumas from Woodcraft.
 
Of all the woods I've worked with so far, I'd have to say that cocobolo has been my favorite. It's got that sweet, spicy smell, such a rich color!
 
Maple is my favorite to turn, but kinda boring in character. I like cutting up root balls or crotches of most any tree because they can look spectacular when finished... but they can be a bear to turn.
 
Look for a variety of woods that attract you. For color, for texture, for depth or detail. Since our finished piece is hand held size, keep that in mind for "figure" or grain and detail. It often works best when the detail is in proper scale to the pen. Also, be aware that some woods are "sensitizers" and can result in an allergic reaction! I LOVED Cocobolo. I collected many gorgeous pieces of Cocobolo. Some of my best early pens were turned from Cocobolo....until it almost killed me.
 
My personal favorite - Thuya Burl. Love that aroma and appearance. Olive is close behind followed by Cocobolo and Texas Ebony.
 
I like segmenting with stabilized box elder because it has great grain and comes in a variety of colors. But my favorite pen made from wood so far was made from spalted beech and black ebony.
 
The wood that takes and holds details the best is that of the family buxum.

Better known as boxwood. Incredible in density and ability to take sharp edges and thin shapes

Not much excitement in the grain though.
 
For beginners, you'll be much happier with the results from a closed-grained wood that cuts easily, like olive wood, cherry, ash, and poplar.


Next up would be other closed-grained woods that are harder, like cocobolo, mesquite, and maple, and ebony.


For higher difficulty in finishing, the more open-grained woods are up to bat, like mahogany, oak, wenge, ect ... The sanding dust can be difficult to remove from the wood pores.


Ash, poplar, maple, and oak are cheap and easy to obtain through local lumberyards.


I absolutely love the grain colors and patterns in Cocobolo, but I happen to be allergic to the oils in the wood, so I'll have to go with my alternative ... Northern Texas Mesquite, which I can get for free off the family land any time I want. The heartwood somewhat resembles Cocobolo, but has fewer colors. It does make up for that somewhat with some fabulous chatoyance!
 
For me, the best turning South African woods are:
1.) African Blackwood, it has very subtle colours, but it finishes black. Tend to only use it for segmenting.
2.) Wild Olive, smells great and can be very striking. If I can find burls, I will gladly empty my bank account.
3.) Pink/Red Ivory, but I prefer the reddish colour to the pink,

Come to think of it, all three has a pleasant aroma, maybe that is it
 
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