Ebony has long been a popular wood, especially for use in musical instruments. The black keys on a piano are traditionally made of ebony, woodwind instruments might be carved out of it and ebony is a favored material for guitar necks and other guitar pieces. Yet this may all change soon, as the various species … Read more
Meranti plywood, long known as Philippines Mahogany, is a product of the Red Mahogany tree, which grows in Indonesia and the Philippines. However, the name “Philippines mahogany” doesn’t just apply to the wood of one tree, but rather to several trees which produce similar looking wood with similar characteristics. This makes actual identification of the … Read more
Sapele is a somewhat exotic hardwood which comes from west-central Africa, from Sierra Leone to Uganda and ranging farther south to Angola. The Entandrophragma Cylindricum tree that sapele wood comes from can grow up to 180 feet tall, with a trunk diameter of 7 feet. This makes it one of the upper canopy trees of … Read more
Birch plywood is one of the more popular hardwood plywood varieties, being commonly used in cabinetmaking, furniture making and even in making jigs in the workshop. As hardwood plywood goes, it is one of the lower cost varieties, while providing clean, smooth and attractive grain. By and large, birch plywood has few voids and is … Read more
Balsa wood is one of the most unique types of wood on the market. Although it is technically considered a hardwood, it is the softest and lightest wood commercially harvested and sold. Harvested from the Balsa tree, which grows throughout Central and South America, this wood has little structural mass. The tree, usually harvested at … Read more