# Question Of The Week... (2021 week 8)



## ripjack13 (Feb 21, 2021)

*You get an unlimited supply of any wood in the world to choose from. What are your top 2 choices?*








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**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks, wood spinners, and leprechauns are welcome to post an answer.
Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?


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## ripjack13 (Feb 21, 2021)

Sorry, I'm late this week. We had a power outage and I had to set up the generator. By the time it was set up, the power came back on.

Reactions: Sincere 6


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## woodtickgreg (Feb 21, 2021)

Wow, that's a hard one for me as I've pretty much just used domestic woods. 
Bubinga does come to mind.
Zircote? Paduk? Bloodwood? Maybe.
I dunno? Theres a lot of beautiful woods out there, some are difficult to work or not available in large sized boards so might not be a good choice. Cocobolo, Rosewoods, etc.

Reactions: Like 3


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Feb 21, 2021)

Looks of my lawn, that might not be out of the question as long as I stick to local woods. I have a thing for maple and walnut as long as I get all the varieties in those...

Reactions: Like 2


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## Mike1950 (Feb 21, 2021)

big leaf maple and claro walnut. both nice to machine and plenty of variety. Look is timeless.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Don Ratcliff (Feb 21, 2021)

I think I would get bored if I had only 2 types of wood regardless of what they are. Part of the passion for woodworking is trying to find the ultimate wood that always seems like everyone has but me. Like the old man who forgot about me...

Reactions: Like 2 | Great Post 1


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## Gdurfey (Feb 21, 2021)

New enough at this wood thing to really choose. I know this will hit a lot of the old time members here, but a source of FBE like Kevin had just fascinates me. A wood I had never heard of or seen and now I am drawn to it!! But like others, well........ one high up on the list beca of @Mike1950 is definitely big leaf maple because of the variety.

hmmmmmm.......looking forward to seeing other responses.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Feb 21, 2021)

Don Ratcliff said:


> I think I would get bored if I had only 2 types of wood regardless of what they are. Part of the passion for woodworking is trying to find the ultimate wood that always seems like everyone has but me. Like the old man who forgot about me...


so easy to forget about you- you come and go like the wind

Reactions: Funny 8


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## DLJeffs (Feb 21, 2021)

That's a tough one because for me it depends on what I'm making. If I'm fixing my deck it's something that's structural, treated lumber. If I'm making a piece of furniture it's something that is stable, finishes well, etc. If it's decorative, like a reel seat spacer or box or something it would be attractiveness. I can't think of two that would work for all those uses.

Reactions: Like 2


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Feb 21, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> That's a tough one because for me it depends on what I'm making. If I'm fixing my deck it's something that's structural, treated lumber. If I'm making a piece of furniture it's something that is stable, finishes well, etc. If it's decorative, like a reel seat spacer or box or something it would be attractiveness. I can't think of two that would work for all those uses.


Walnut is structural and rot resistant...

Reactions: Like 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Feb 21, 2021)

One of my favorites is free wood but....

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 3


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## Tony (Feb 21, 2021)

Mesquite and Maple for me.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Feb 21, 2021)

Tony said:


> Mesquite and Maple for me.


You'd just burn it!

Reactions: Agree 3 | Funny 1


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## Don Ratcliff (Feb 21, 2021)

Mike1950 said:


> so easy to forget about you- you come and go like the wind

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Lou Currier (Feb 21, 2021)

I love the look of Olive but don't work with it enough. Other than that, any burl

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arn213 (Feb 21, 2021)

For the sole purpose for an instrument like an electric guitar bolt-on, based on resonance and workability, it would be maple (sugar/rock) and swamp ash or alder; maple for the neck and ash or alder for a slab body. Two domestic and utilitarian woods that Leo Fender* utilized because it was readily available and ultimately revolutionized rock and roll by players such as Hendrix, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Roy Buchanan, Buddy Guy, etc.

If I can have two domestic woods for utilitarian, versatility and general properties (aesthetics, workability and sonic resonance)- it would be rock maple and Hawaiian koa. These could be used inside the house whether it is part of the interior architecture or decorative aspect of an interior (paneling, flooring, cabinets, furniture, etc.). I can use koa for all the components of an acoustic (except for bridge and fretboard material). You can also build an all maple guitar and you just have to be cautious about the body maple species selection so the guitar doesn’t sound overly bright.

If there was 3 materials as an option- I would pick hard maple, Honduran mahogany and Brazilian rosewood. Same usage as the middle paragraph.

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 1


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## barry richardson (Feb 21, 2021)

For me it would be hardwood and softwood

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Great Post 2 | Funny 7


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## Karl_TN (Feb 21, 2021)

BLM burl would be nice, but I could content having a big supply of Ancient Kauri wood.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 2


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## Tony (Feb 21, 2021)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> You'd just burn it!


Only when it gets to be 38 inside the house!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## trc65 (Feb 21, 2021)

I'd probably take Apple and maple. Love to have an unlimited supply of Apple, joy to turn, and it would be great to have enough to make some furniture. Just think back to the days when Disston used Apple on every hands as they made.

Maple is so versatile, easy to color and enhance, provides contrast to darker woods, and perfect to do some more basket illusions. Plus, perfect as a secondary wood on all my Apple furniture.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Nature Man (Feb 21, 2021)

Ebony and Ringed Gidgee would suit me just fine. The remaining wood species I could still obtain in limited quantities, which would suit me just fine! Chuck

Reactions: Like 2


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## David Hill (Feb 21, 2021)

Haha— It’s very simple for me!
I already have a relatively unlimited supply of Mesquite— that would be wood #1, then Walnut would be wood #2. In that respect am easy to please.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Sprung (Feb 21, 2021)

Just two? Man, that's a tough choice and it depends on what the project realm is.

If looking at building furniture:

Lately I've really been digging Ash. Built my workbench out of it. Going to be building some living room furniture out of it. I've also got the go ahead from my wife to buy some at some point to hoard/set aside for future use, since ash lumber will eventually be hard to find, with the emerald ash borer wreaking havoc. Cherry would probably be my other one - timeless, nice looking wood. Then there's maple and its so many faces and colors.

If looking at the kind of stuff you'd use more for smaller projects:

Desert Ironwood is a favorite of mine. As is Yellow Cedar Burl. And Thuya Burl. And Boxelder Burl (especially flamed). And Spalted Maple (especially with curls or burl). And...

Yeah, forget this whole "only two species of wood" thing!

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 1


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## Mr. Peet (Feb 21, 2021)

I guess I'd go with Craftwood and Firewood.

Reactions: Funny 2


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## DLJeffs (Feb 22, 2021)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> Walnut is structural and rot resistant...


Hello, Local Lumberyard? Yeah, I'm redoing my deck. Can you send me 18 2"X8"X12ft and 14 2"X8"X16ft walnut joists please? Oh, and I need two 4"X6"X20ft walnut beams too. No twists. A little curve won't hurt, I can straighten them as I stick them to the beams. Hello? Hello? Damn, they hung up.

Reactions: Funny 4


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Feb 22, 2021)

DLJeffs said:


> Hello, Local Lumberyard? Yeah, I'm redoing my deck. Can you send me 18 2"X8"X12ft and 14 2"X8"X16ft walnut joists please? Oh, and I need two 4"X6"X20ft walnut beams too. No twists. A little curve won't hurt, I can straighten them as I stick them to the beams. Hello? Hello? Damn, they hung up.


I was gonna build on the "unlimited supply" model... I mean if we are wishing we may as well wish for a pond full!

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## eaglea1 (Feb 22, 2021)

Ah right, I'm gettin some wood oh wait, I just read the first sentence and it's a question. Darn, ok how about
hardwoods and exotics... that should pretty much cover everything I would need. 
Seriously, I would like Cocobolo and Lignum V.

Reactions: Like 3


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## wade (Feb 26, 2021)

I do like Eaglea1's picks Cocobolo and Lignum Vitae, but I would have to go with #1 - Madagascar Rosewood , Bois de Rose (Dalbergia Maritima) because of it's black streaks with Violet Purple wood. It takes your breath away when you cut into it. Metaphorically speaking...(not because its a toxic irritant...) And #2 - Ziricote. My first job in college was cutting up Train car loads of Ziricote, Granadillo, and Katalox 16/4 timbers. They paid me an hourly wage to cut these timbers up on an old Yates bandsaw, but they didn't really have to pay me. I couldn't wait to go to work everyday. Opening up the Ziricote 4 bys was like opening a christmas present every board. I don't want to even tell you what we did with our scrapwood........ It just hurts to talk about it...........

Reactions: Like 2 | Sincere 2


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## cionow777 (Feb 27, 2021)

Very difficult choice to make but I think that Hawaiian Koa and Black Walnut would be good choices if I needed to be practical.

Reactions: Like 2


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## aag562 (Feb 28, 2021)

For me its simple BURL and BURL cut offs.

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Funny 1


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## T. Ben (Mar 3, 2021)

Fbe and walnut of any kind.

Reactions: Like 1


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## William Tanner (Mar 3, 2021)

Maple for me.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike Hill (Mar 3, 2021)

I've been thinking about this about 2 weeks now. (shhhh - not really, I just forgot about it!) About anything free is best, but I guess in all, and looking at my past purchases, I'd guess walnut crotch! And there is just something about birdseye maple that does it for me. But I have bought some tasmanian blackwood that I'm partial to (you know who you are). I'm getting to like ringed gidgee as I look for it - I have a small piece or too, but I want more since all the curly koa is sitting on other people's shelves. I do like the rosewoods a lot., And I think I'd like Texas Ebony, iff'n I could find some! Oh, and two toned ambonya burl makes my knees weak! For turning - fresh bradford pear - It is such fun seeing those ribbons flying over my shoulder! MUST STOP!

Reactions: Like 3 | Funny 1


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## Tclem (Mar 9, 2021)

Oak and pine

Reactions: Funny 1


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## ripjack13 (Mar 9, 2021)

Tclem said:


> Oak and pine


Of course...

Reactions: Funny 1


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