The more wood I turn, the more I find out what woods turn well and some that not so good.  What are your favorite woods to turn? What ones would  you advise to avoid?

I really like walnut and maple. Red oak is OK. Pine/fir not so much.

 

I've turned some purple heart but found kind of brittle.

Most of my turning has been for pens and such, but I like maple, spalted maple, myrtlewood, and madrone, with myrtlewood my favorite.  I have turned others, but I like these.

Edited April 26, 20179 yr by Chips N Dust

The best is cherry, maple, walnut. Have turned white oak and red oak but the red does crack pretty bad when drying. Very hard but turns well would be ebony. Rosewood not quite so hard and turns very well.

     Would not recommend Chinese Chestnut and Royal Paulina. Mahogany turns easily but does not leave a sand free surface.

      Any wood can be turned but as noted there are several that will not easily leave a smooth surface from tools .

 

My favorite wood to turn is maple, it's just so versatile. Next would be cherry and then walnut. Sycamore and beech turn and spalt nicely. I tried turning catalpa once, it is beautiful but it also makes me itch and it is very dusty. I pretty much stick with domestic hard woods, just not ready to blow up an expensive import.

 

Steve

My daughter went to Rocklers and picked up about 15 pieces of different woods and acrylic blocks for my birthday. She knows nothing about it and most are really nice. I am finding out that not all turn nicely and some are down right difficult. After I saw your favorites,  I agree with your choices.

Edited April 27, 20179 yr by Ron Altier

Like the others have said...  maple & walnut.  I turned a piece of bocote several weeks ago that was really fun to turn and finished well, but the blank was very expensive.

I'd like to add Poplar.  It turns and sands nicely and makes a cheap wood for beginners.  It takes finishes well too.

 

 

I just picked up a block of Ambrosia Maple.  Look forward to making some kind of rounded bowl shaped thing out of it.  Others like Walnut, and I like the finished product but the dust drives me batty.  Really bothers my respiratory system like no other wood.  The most difficult wood I have turned was Kiawe from Hawaii.  Very hard wood, better used for meat smoking from what I have heard.  An old tree fell on base Pearl harbor and I was able to talk the Arborist into letting me have a few logs.  May make a bowl from one of the larger pieces but I know it will be a struggle like no other.