woods

• Softwoods

  • Red Pine - strong, can be difficult to work with as it has lots of knots, straight grained
  • Spruce – easy to work with, strong. tough
• Hardwoods

  • Oak – very strong, tough, durable, can be difficult to work with
  • Beech – close grain, finishes well, strong, durable indoors, easy to work with
  • Mahogany – hard, strong, expensive,
  • Ash – tough, flexible, open grained, durable
• Man-Made Boards

  • Plywood – strong, durable, comes in large sheets
  • Chipboard – relatively smooth surface, rigid board, can chip easily
  • Hardboard – smooth surface, not water resistant, bends easily
  • MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) – easily machined, comes in water and fire resistant forms, stiff, smooth surface