Real Woodwork Plans

The choice of wood species is the single most consequential decision in a woodworking project — it determines how the piece looks, how it works under tools, how it holds joinery, and how it performs over decades. These six guides cover the full landscape: how to identify an unknown wood, the complete characteristics of the … Read more

Every wood species has a measurable set of physical characteristics that predict how it will perform in a build. Janka hardness tells you how much the surface resists denting. Wood movement ratings tell you how much a panel will expand in summer and contract in winter. Workability ratings tell you how well the species responds … Read more

The 12 hardwood species in this guide represent 95% of what most woodworkers will ever buy or use. Each entry covers the properties that matter for real project decisions: color and appearance, how it works under tools, finishing behavior, price range, and the specific applications where it excels. Understanding these species lets you make better … Read more

Identifying an unknown wood species is a practical skill with immediate applications — recognizing reclaimed lumber before building with it, understanding what a piece of antique furniture is made from, or identifying a board at a lumber yard that’s labeled incorrectly. Wood identification uses five criteria: color, grain pattern, pore structure, weight/density, and smell. Working … Read more

Mahogany is the benchmark fine furniture wood — straight-grained, stable, easy to work, and beautiful under a finish. It dominated European and American furniture making from the 1700s through the 1900s and remains a reference point for what a fine furniture wood should be. Understanding mahogany means understanding both the true species (Swietenia mahagoni and … Read more

Wood comes in hundreds of species, but for woodworking purposes, most projects draw from a core group of 15–20 species available at lumber yards and hardwood dealers. Understanding the types — hardwood vs softwood, open vs closed grain, stable vs unstable — lets you match the right material to each project and predict how a … Read more

Part of: Wood Species Guide → Woodworking is not a single craft — it’s six distinct disciplines, each with its own tools, techniques, wood preferences, and end products. A furniture maker and a wood carver work with different species, different tools, and different standards of precision. Understanding the types of woodworking helps you find the … Read more