Choosing Wood for Your Project
Wood is a wonderful product. It is strong and yet flexible. It can be shaped in a variety of ways and it comes from the lumber yard in a huge range of sizes. It can be used for everything from making a fence to creating a fine piece of heirloom furniture.
When it comes time to choose wood for a project, there are several things to think about. For example, what will the finish on your project be? If you are painting your creation, then you can get away with a cheaper grade of wood. If you are using a stain and polyurethane, then you may need a higher grade of wood unless knots are part of your aesthetic values. If your project will be exposed to weather, then you need treated wood that will resist the effects of water and bugs.
Another factor to consider is the species of wood. Pine is usually the cheapest. There are many varieties of expensive, beautiful wood to choose from, from oak to exotics. These species differ also in how hard they are. Drilling a hole in oak or ebony is very different from drilling a hole in a pine board. If you need a strong species that you are going to paint, poplar is a good choice. If you want the wood grain to show, then you can choose a fine wood such as maple, oak, cherry, or walnut; this type of lumber is very expensive, though.
After you decide what type of wood you want, you will need to select your boards. Wood is an organic entity. That means that there are three different ways wood can warp, based on moisture content, moisture in the environment, and the way the tree grew (grain). A basic flat board, such as a 1×6 that is six feet in length, can bow, cup, or twist. Bowing is a bend from end to end (short side to short side) like the rocker of a rocking chair. Cupping is bending from side to side and twisting means the board is starting to look like a drill bit. When you select boards, be sure you look for ones that are straight in all those different ways. Also watch for splits on the end. If you buy a six foot board with an eight inch split on it, you are paying for eight inches of wood that you cannot use. It is well worth the time to examine all the boards that are the type you want to buy so that you get a useable board.
Working with wood is a very satisfying experience, particularly if you have high quality boards. And the things you build with wood can be attractive simply because the wood itself is so beautiful.