Elm

Color: Brown to dark brown, sometimes reddish  heartwood 

Density: Moderately hard and heavy wood 

Grain: Mostly coarse open grain 

Machinability: Machines fairly well, can be abrasive to tooling at times

Finishing: Takes finish well. We suggest using a sanding sealer. 

Distinctive Characteristics: Has been used as a Chestnut substitute, good bending quality

Common Uses: Bent chair backs, some furniture, flooring, paneling, some cabinets 

Other Names: Red Elm, Slippery Elm, American Elm (Gray Elm) has a gray-white color with a slightly tighter and more closed grain.

Hard Maple

Color: Creamy white to off white sapwood-tinged occasionally with slight red brown heartwood 

Density: Hard, heavy and strong, very resistant to shock and abrasive wear 

Grain: Closed grain, uniform texture. Some of the figured Hard Maple is available (Curly, Birdseye, and Quilted)  

Machinability:Excellent, will tear out with dull tooling

Finishing: Finishes very well. Some of the figured woods will show variable levels of penetration. 

Distinctive Characteristics: Great wood for applications requiring hardness. Birdseye and curly patterns are available.

Common Uses: Furniture, handles, cabinets, woodenware, flooring, paneling, millwork and mouldings 

Other Names: Sugar Maple, Black Maple, Norway Maple, Rock Maple 

Available in Certified:  Check for availability

Hickory

Color: Tan to reddish brown heartwood, cream to yellowish sapwood  (variable mixture of heart and sap) 

Density: Very hard, strong, stiff and heavy 

Grain: Moderately coarse open grain 

Machinability: Excellent machinability, but very abrasive on tooling

Finishing: Will take stains. 

Distinctive Characteristics: The combination of its hardness, strength, toughness, and stiffness are unmatched by any other hardwood.

Common Uses: Cabinets, flooring, tool handles, paneling 

Other Names: Includes seven species (5 are true Hickories and 2 are Pecan Hickories)

Eastern White Pine

Color: Sapwood is yellowish white to cream colored, heartwood is reddish brown to creamy tan 

Density: Soft and very lightweight 

Grain: Mixed broad to tight grain with significant difference between winter wood and summer wood (growth rings). 

Machinability: Excellent

Finishing: Takes a stain and paint very well. 

Distinctive Characteristics: One of the few softwoods produced like hardwood lumber (random width and length), it has been often called “God’s gift to the woodworker” due to its diverse properties and uses.

Common Uses: Exterior millwork, furniture, mouldings, paneling, carvings, turning, pattern making 

Other Names: White Pine

Mahogany

Color: Blood red to reddish brown, sometimes lighter in color with pale red to grayish tinge 

Density: Medium texture, moderately heavy 

Grain: Fine grain with interlocking parallel runs at times (ribbon) 

Machinability: Excellent

Finishing: Takes stain well, will soak it up quite a bit. We suggest using sanding sealer. 

Distinctive Characteristics: Has long been a premier choice for high end furniture and millwork. Usually the grade is excellent and average width is wider than most domestic hardwoods. Excellent exterior uses.

Common Uses: High end furniture, interior millwork, exterior doors, windows, and trim 

Other Names: Honduras Mahogany, Genuine Mahogany (African Mahogany is genuine also), South American Mahogany

Red Oak

Color: Pinkish red to blonde in color 

Density: Very hard and strong 

Grain: Openly porous and with dramatic grain patterns. Like White Oak, it is offered in Quartered and Rift grains also. 

Machinability: Excellent

Finishing: Due to porous nature it will soak up stains but also offers a wide variety of finish tones. 

Distinctive Characteristics: This is probably the most popular hardwood used in modern woodworking. Broad grains give this a pronounced appearance.

Common Uses: Furniture, cabinets, moulding, trim, flooring, paneling, turning 

Other Names: Encompasses many individual species: Northern Red, Southern Red, Black, Shumard, Cherrybark, Scarlet, Pin 

Available in Certified:  Check for availability

Soft Masple

Color: Creamy white to grayish white sapwood, heartwood can be brown to greenish brown with some mineral streaks. 

Density: Moderately hard and strong, not quite as strong as Hard Maple 

Grain: Fine, tight closed grain, some flecking evident 

Machinability: Excellent

Finishing: Finishes well and also takes a stain very well. 

Distinctive Characteristics: The name “Soft Maple” is misleading. This is a very reasonably priced hardwood that is often substituted for Hard Maple in moulding, trim, furniture applications due to price. It can be stained to look like other woods (Cherry, Birch, and Hard Maple).

Common Uses: Furniture, cabinets, moulding, trim, flooring, paneling, chair parts 

Other Names: Red Maple, Maple 

Available in Certified:  Check for availability.

Yellow Poplar

Color: White to yellowish cast sapwood, heartwood is straw brown to green with occasional purple mineral streaks

Density: Light weight, but moderately stiff with good strength-but low in shock resistance

Grain: Relatively straight grained, closed

Machinability: Very good

Finishing: Holds paint well, dark stains are preferred over light ones due to the heartwood repelling absorption to some degree.

Distinctive Characteristics: Widely used because it is cheaply priced and very diverse.

Common Uses: Interior trim, mouldings, paneling, furniture interior parts

Other Names: Tulipwood, Tuliptree, Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar, Old