# Whats your holy grail of domestic hardwood?



## Burlsandcurlstexas (Mar 13, 2022)

So many beautiful woods grow and are harvested throughout this country. What is your favorite and why? Easy to work, the beauty, the price? 
When it comes to unique, gorgeous woods my favorite has to be Spalted Ambrosia Maple burl. 

For easy Workability I would go with Pecan, its beautiful as well.

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 6


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## Tony (Mar 13, 2022)

Mesquite

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Mar 13, 2022)

Free

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## Burlsandcurlstexas (Mar 13, 2022)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Free


Good answer

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## Burlsandcurlstexas (Mar 13, 2022)

Tony said:


> Mesquite


I ALWAYS heard how hard Mesquite was so hard to work. I come across it alot but stayed away for that reason.. Until a client wanted a dining room table with dark wood but didnt want to pay for Walnut so I settled with Mesquite. Boy was I wrong. Its a joy to work. The grain and figure isnt spectacular but still overall a great wood. Especially if youre from S. Texas, its probably everywhere

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## Mike1950 (Mar 13, 2022)

Big leaf maple. Quilt curl and burl.

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## Burlsandcurlstexas (Mar 13, 2022)

Mike1950 said:


> Big leaf maple. Quilt curl and burl.
> 
> View attachment 224147
> 
> View attachment 224148


Yeah, Im right there with you. 99% of the wood I use and sell is BL Maple. All the burls and curls.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Jonkou (Mar 13, 2022)

Highly figured maple for artistic pieces, qtr sawn rock maple for utility.

Reactions: Like 3


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## David Hill (Mar 13, 2022)

Mesquite, Huisache--related to Mesquite but different colors and harder, Black Walnut.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Chris S. (Mar 15, 2022)

Curly White Oak. Got a little stash to build a nice dining table from when figure where gonna settle for a while.

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## Mike Hill (Mar 15, 2022)

Spaghetti oak burl, walnut crotch, quilted maple, birdseye maple. Wait then there's that redbud burl! Or that Purdy piece of curly American chestnut. Curly walnut!!!!! Ive seen some aspen burl I'd love to get my hands on. Then there's Texas Ebony! Oh, i give up - I can't decide!!!! I need to eat some ice cream and go hide under my rock again

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 5


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## phinds (Mar 15, 2022)

High flame box elder

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## barry richardson (Mar 15, 2022)

Any thing with figure, a piece of cottonwood burl is more valuable that a straight piece of walnut to me...

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 1


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## trc65 (Mar 15, 2022)

Since I mostly turn what I have growing "out back" I guess it would have to be the black locust burl that I'm letting grow up a little bit. Maybe get around to cutting it next winter.

Reactions: Like 2


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Mar 16, 2022)

I am partial to high flame box elder myself but it's drawback in furnishings is uv fading. I liveon a plateau and there is a county by county difference in what is available based on elevation

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## Mr. Peet (Mar 16, 2022)

2feathers Creative Making said:


> View attachment 224240I am partial to high flame box elder myself but it's drawback in furnishings is uv fading. I liveon a plateau and there is a county by county difference in what is available based on elevation


That there looks Holy to me...

Reactions: Agree 1


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## T. Ben (Mar 16, 2022)

Flamed boxelder and black walnut.

Reactions: Like 2


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## ripjack13 (Mar 16, 2022)

Snakewood....

But I hate that stuff with a passion. 
It's a love/hate relationship...but it works for me.


Sometimes.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2


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## ripjack13 (Mar 16, 2022)



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## T. Ben (Mar 16, 2022)

ripjack13 said:


> View attachment 224242


I don’t see the cracks......


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Mar 16, 2022)

They are wriggling around on the other side....

Reactions: Funny 4


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## Ed D. (Mar 16, 2022)

Osage Orange is my favorite domestic wood for turning...holds detail and is very easy to sand/finish.

Reactions: EyeCandy! 1


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## phinds (Mar 16, 2022)

T. Ben said:


> I don’t see the cracks......


I agree. They must be well hidden since it's not possible that they aren't there

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## Mike1950 (Mar 16, 2022)

phinds said:


> High flame box elder
> View attachment 224233


great when fresh- plain when it turns light tan

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Mike1950 (Mar 16, 2022)

I will add that I love walnut also. Figured walnut in first 2 pics and BLMB in 3rd

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## Mike Hill (Mar 16, 2022)

Danged - that's eye-popping walnut! Would still like some.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Mar 16, 2022)

Mike Hill said:


> Danged - that's eye-popping walnut! Would still like some.


i have some left. i will dig

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## phinds (Mar 16, 2022)

Mike1950 said:


> great when fresh- plain when it turns light tan


Well acquainted w/ that

Reactions: Informative 2


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## William Tanner (Mar 16, 2022)

I’m stumped on this one. Now my favorite whiskey is...

Reactions: Funny 5


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## Mike Hill (Mar 16, 2022)

Stumps work too!

Reactions: Funny 5


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## sprucegum (Mar 16, 2022)

Cherry; plain, curly, burl, or spalted. It's easy to find, easy to dry, easy to work and it's beautiful.

Reactions: Like 3 | Agree 2


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## Mike1950 (Mar 16, 2022)

sprucegum said:


> Cherry; plain, curly, burl, or spalted. It's easy to find, easy to dry, easy to work and it's beautiful.


I love cherry. Smells so good. Curly and burl are so nice. Only negative is it burns so easy.
I will change again. My favorite wood is the one I am working with.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (Mar 16, 2022)

T. Ben said:


> I don’t see the cracks......


I dont use it. I keep it in my binder. No cracks. But it soaked in ca for about month.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mr. Peet (Mar 16, 2022)

sprucegum said:


> Cherry; plain, curly, burl, or spalted. It's easy to find, easy to dry, easy to work and it's beautiful.


Have any spalted cherry pictures? Can't say I've used any. Have used some with white rot and red rot.


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## Trob115 (Mar 16, 2022)

I would say Osage orange, followed closely by cherry, Bradford pear , and Sweetgum. Sweetgum is a great wood for turning.

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## sprucegum (Mar 17, 2022)

Mr. Peet said:


> Have any spalted cherry pictures? Can't say I've used any. Have used some with white rot and red rot.


I do not, I have only ever come across one small log. It does not spalt as readily as some wood, you are correct it does tend to rot rather than spalt. The log I had was from a small tree that was dead and standing, it had no bark left and I assumed it was a elm killed by the dutch elm until I cut it for fire wood and realized it was cherry. I sold the few boards that I milled from it. Cherry logs will keep a long time just laying flat on the ground, I milled some last year that had been cut at least 4 years the only rot was sapwood and bark.

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## bhatleberg (Mar 17, 2022)

Desert ironwood burl for beauty

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## bhatleberg (Mar 17, 2022)

Bristlecone pine for overall cool factor

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## Mike Hill (Mar 18, 2022)

Brian, you should be hung up by your fingernails. I have wanted a few pieces of BCP to carve for a few decades now!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## 2feathers Creative Making (Mar 18, 2022)

bhatleberg said:


> Bristlecone pine for overall cool factor
> 
> View attachment 224304
> 
> View attachment 224305


How does bcp compare to what they sold in the big stores as radiata pine? It looks very close on the flat plane...


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## Mike Hill (Mar 18, 2022)

Radiata (Montery Pine) - VS - BCP

Native area: California Coastal - Subalpine 6,000' to 12,000'
Growth rate: Fast growing - very slow growing
Lifespan: 80 years or so - 1,000's of years
Height: 80'+ - less than 30' even less at higher elevations
Tall and straight - GNARLY

This is supposedly 700 yo dwarfed tree (from Nat. Geo.)




Some idea of the heights of some of the oldest.





Cannot find a reliable pic of the two oldest. 
Some say this is a pic of the oldest - but it's pretty secretive

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## bhatleberg (Mar 18, 2022)

It works like...well, pine. Gums up every blade it touches, smells great, and is pretty all around easy. Best part is that everything I've ever made with it sells instantly for premium prices because of the "touch the oldest thing on earth" factor. I try to leave the outer surface visible (second pic) bc it's so cool looking.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Gdurfey (Mar 18, 2022)

Don't know my favorite yet. I need to go back and play with a few I have worked with and try some of the new ones I see!!! FBE of course and as everyone says, so sad as it fades away; DIW and Texas Ebony rank right up there so far.


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## RJBud1 (Mar 18, 2022)

My favorite wood I've ever worked with?

Blue spalt bradford pear. One of my trees split in half on my driveway and I jumped at the chance to mill it up. Unfortunately I have no more of it, until another tree comes down.

A close second is mulberry. Can't get over that beautiful yellow grain

Reactions: Like 4 | EyeCandy! 1


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## Mr. Peet (Mar 19, 2022)

RJBud1 said:


> My favorite wood I've ever worked with?
> 
> Blue spalt bradford pear. One of my trees split in half on my driveway and I jumped at the chance to mill it up. Unfortunately I have no more of it, until another tree comes down.
> 
> ...


It would be better described as 'Blue stained' 'Bradford' pear. Spalt is more reserved for wood with the black fungal lines similar to the right end of the top piece in your second picture, and lower left of the bottom piece.

You mention 'Mulberry', are one of those pictured 'mulberry'?

The center piece in picture two looks a lot like 'sycamore'.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## RJBud1 (Mar 19, 2022)

Mr. Peet said:


> It would be better described as 'Blue stained' 'Bradford' pear. Spalt is more reserved for wood with the black fungal lines similar to the right end of the top piece in your second picture, and lower left of the bottom piece.
> 
> You mention 'Mulberry', are one of those pictured 'mulberry'?
> 
> The center piece in picture two looks a lot like 'sycamore'.


Yes,bottom piece is mulberry. Sorry for confusion


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## GS-76 (Mar 19, 2022)

MYRTLE !!!!!!!!! But heh, it might be just me. !!

Reactions: Like 2 | Sincere 1


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## Mike Hill (Mar 19, 2022)

RJBud1 said:


> My favorite wood I've ever worked with?
> 
> Blue spalt bradford pear. One of my trees split in half on my driveway and I jumped at the chance to mill it up. Unfortunately I have no more of it, until another tree comes down.
> 
> ...


Man I've cut and shaped a number of Bradford pears - we used to have festivals for them, but never seen it blue stained - that's way kewl!!!

Reactions: Sincere 1


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