# Stable Wood Species



## Nature Man (Dec 21, 2020)

What are the most stable woods that you've worked with, i.e., ones that move the least, crack the least, etc.? Thanks! Chuck


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## DLJeffs (Dec 21, 2020)

Plywood. Oooo, wait, that MDF stuff. Sorry, just being a smart ass. I'm sure someone will give you answers that are actually helpful.

Reactions: Funny 6


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## The100road (Dec 21, 2020)

I’ve heard that mesquite doesn’t move much after being turned while still wet...

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3


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## barry richardson (Dec 21, 2020)

I agree, mesquite is the most stable in my experience, hardly moves as it goes from wet to dry in roughout form... Sissoo Indian Rosewood, that I get around here is quite stable too. And of course anything q-sawn is more stable than flat sawn board-wise...

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## Nubsnstubs (Dec 21, 2020)

Mesquite from what I heard about 15 years ago was ranked #3 in the stable woods category. I think Teak was #2.
As a person who works a lot of Palo Verde, about 50 % of the wood is almost as stable as Mesquite, but the other 50% just goes nuts when drying. Most of the stuff I get already has cracks and splits in it, but after it drys, it doesn't move more than a 16th. Just started finishing 3 pieces I cored several years ago. Movement over those several years was about 1/16". Will show before and after when done. ............ Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## lonewolf (Dec 21, 2020)

I'm going to vote for south American mahogany . Although I have seen some serious warp, in general I've had great stability. Any species can be significantly improved with quarter sawn stock.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tony (Dec 21, 2020)

I've got to agree with others on Mesquite. You can turn a bowl fresh cut off the tree and get soaked while you turn it, rarely moves or cracks.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## sprucegum (Dec 22, 2020)

Brown ash is pretty stable.

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## Mr. Peet (Dec 22, 2020)

old growth white pine seems to work well. However, not really available in general.

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## FranklinWorkshops (Dec 22, 2020)

QS American chestnut was often used for drawer sides, backs and bottoms because it is very stable. It was also used as a substrate for veneers for that same reason. I don't think the range for Am chestnut and mesquite cross so the old East Coast furniture makers probably never had it as an option for comparison.

I should also add that any quarter-sawn wood will be more stable than flat sawn.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## JR Parks (Dec 23, 2020)

I have a bowl named 1day it was a tree on Wednesday and a bowl on Thursday never moved. Mesquite

Reactions: +Karma 1


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## JerseyHighlander (Dec 23, 2020)

Are we talking stability going from green to dry or just seasonal movement?
Cherry was the wood of choice for levels and other tools way back when, because of it's inherent stability. I have several of them that are close to and over 100 years old and they are still straight as an arrow. A non warped, very straight arrow that is.
European Beech was also very well known for it's stability and used in tens of thousands of wood planes before they went to cast iron.
Depends on what you will do with it also. Wild grain has great character but is more prone to unusual movement. If the project really requires stability you can just choose good straight grain from many woods and even split/rive the rough piece instead of cutting to insure it follows the grain.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## phinds (Dec 23, 2020)

boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is so stable that it is used for triangular engineering rulers that need to stay exactly the same length over a wide variety of environmental conditions

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1 | Agree 2


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## FranklinWorkshops (Dec 24, 2020)

phinds said:


> boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is so stable that it is used for triangular engineering rulers that need to stay exactly the same length over a wide variety of environmental conditions
> View attachment 198572


And it is quarter-sawn.


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## DLJeffs (Dec 24, 2020)

Paul brought up the engineering scales (scale - ruler; it's like the old this is my rifle this is my gun deal) being from boxwood reminded me that most of the old slide rules were made from bamboo. I still have my first one.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## FranklinWorkshops (Dec 24, 2020)

DLJeffs said:


> Paul brought up the engineering scales (scale - ruler; it's like the old this is my rifle this is my gun deal) being from boxwood reminded me that most of the old slide rules were made from bamboo. I still have my first one.


me too - a Jason that I bought for my engineering classes in 1966. K$E, Post and Jason were standard issue for all engineers BC (before calculators).

Reactions: Funny 1


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## phinds (Dec 24, 2020)

Yeah I still have both to the slide rules I used in EE college. One of them was a really fancy one and yep, both were made from bamboo as I recall (I'm not going to dig them out of that old footlocker to verify).

I forgot all about bamboo, mostly because everything very big at all has to be laminated, not solid, so I don't think of it as normal wood (and that's even aside from the fact that it ISN'T wood, it's a grass).

Reactions: Agree 1


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## JerseyHighlander (Dec 24, 2020)

phinds said:


> boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is so stable that it is used for triangular engineering rulers that need to stay exactly the same length over a wide variety of environmental conditions
> View attachment 198572


That's a good example. Just expensive as can be and large pieces aren't very typical, at least not these days. Would love to get a green piece to carve one of my scoops out of.


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## chippin-in (Dec 25, 2020)

I have only worked with Texas Ebony a couple of times, but it seems to be quite stable.

Robert

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Echoashtoreth (Dec 26, 2020)

Burkett pecan is very stable... also tx ebony i haven't noticed much change on my knives

Reactions: Like 1


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## Nature Man (Dec 26, 2020)

Echoashtoreth said:


> Burkett pecan is very stable... also tx ebony i haven't noticed much change on my knives


I've not heard of Burkett Pecan. Is that a Texas species? Chuck


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## Steve Smith (Jan 16, 2021)

African blackwood

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Arn213 (Jan 16, 2021)

True mahogany (swietenia)

Hawaiian Acacia Koa

Indonesian teak

Brazilian rosewood (d. nigra)

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## Ed D. (Jan 16, 2021)

Italian ColorPly...if you can find it
New England Spectraply
Boxwood
Osage Orange
African Blackwood
Mahogany
Mesquite

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Girk (Jan 29, 2021)

Catalpa and Osage orange are the two most stable N. American hardwoods I've worked with. And catalpa is quite light weight.

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## 2feathers Creative Making (Jan 31, 2021)

I have to agree that quartersawing helps most species. Stability - or at least the requirements for stability - may depend on application. Some items get wide humidity swings like a hunting knife, while other things reach their destination and have a single acclimation to the norm for that building. Especially in todays air conditioned humidity controlled houses that have both a dehumidifier and a humidifier to maintain a very stable humidity level.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## JR Parks (Feb 12, 2021)

Nature Man said:


> I've not heard of Burkett Pecan. Is that a Texas species? Chuck


Chuck,
burkett is a variety of nut so a graft on native pecan stock for nut production. Jim

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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