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I
But my most favorite wood is free....I'll take some of it anyday :lol::lol::lol:
Dave
+100:icon_thum:icon_thum
J
jeff...
Kathy I'm with you on this one, my favorite is now sycamore, it over took red oak a little while ago. One thing I like about sycamore is it's interlocked grain. I also like that there is no real distinction from heart / sap wood. Sycamore has all the goodies, from curl, to ambrosia markings, it's nice when spalted too.
When you find a sycamore, it's usually the biggest and tallest tree in the woods and when you cut one down water runs out of the trunk. It's a dream to saw on the mill because of it's high moisture content. You don't need to be concerned with using blade lube, water runs out of the log just ahead of the blade. I recently cut almost 1500 BF of sycamore without changing or sharping the blade once. You just won't get that kind of mileage out of a band with oak.
Although flat sawn sycamore is a little bland, quarter sawing makes it look like a completely different wood, no wonder some people call it American lace wood.
Surprisingly (not) my least favorite is black walnut, it's down right nasty to saw on the mill. When green it stinks bad, stains just about everything it touches black and it a real pita to get a logs that saws well. I don't know why but I break at least one band on every batch of walnut I saw, it's not trash or anything like that. I pour on the lube and the bands just break for no apparent reason. I've cut many a walnut log and it's pretty much the same thing no matter what I try differently.
I can say I learned a little about how to process walnut, A guy can take a tight stack black walnut (no stickers) dump a bucket of well water on each layer, tightly cover with a tarp, and place in the direct sun. In a matter of a week or so all the sapwood will turn black like the heart wood. This needs to be done as the lumber is coming off the mill and when it still has that "green" color. Apparently the wet heartwood acts like a dye when mixed with water and heated. I think the bigger sawmills steam their walnut to bleed the heartwood color into the sapwood. But us small time guys can do the same with water and a tarp. I do it as people request it, but have not done this for any walnut I sold to NCWoodWorkers.
Thanks
Can't pass putting up my vote here ... gonna have to say Cherry is the color I personally prefer, however Walnut is very nice. I also really like Brazilian Cherry and Mahogany. And while I've never worked with the Sycamore, what I've seen of it would make me think I'd like it a lot!
Least favorite ... MDF ... wait, that's not wood :eusa_doh:
Least favorite ... MDF ... wait, that's not wood :eusa_doh:
Walnut tops my list. I really like the rich color when it is finished properly. We renovated our kitchen with walnut cabinets. The decorator who came to do the drapes said she had never seen a walnut kitchen. First time for everything I guess. Cherry comes in second. Oak of any kind is at the bottom of my list.
J
jeff...
Looks like most everyone like ole nasty walnut and cherry. Now Cherry is much better it has the smell of a mild womans purfume, but walnut :XXpuke:need I say more?
That's what you say about Red Oak too :lol::lol::lol: You need to get you some nose plugs, and keep cuttin' that beautiful wood :icon_thum:icon_thum
Dave
J
jeff...
That's what you say about Red Oak too :lol::lol::lol: You need to get you some nose plugs, and keep cuttin' that beautiful wood :icon_thum:icon_thum
Dave
Hey fresh cut red oak smells just like puke, but I can get through it ok. It's the Black Walnut is just down right nasty, nothing like taking the maximum allowable benadril dosage and blowing black snot out of your nose for days afterwards... Even a dust mask don't help none.
Anyways I pictured that pretty 8/4 black walnut diving board you picked up at one of the lumber runs this this summer. It's boards like that, that make sawing black walnut worth the trouble... You know?
Thanks
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