table of wood hardnesses

[brocpuffs]

Fir 660 So. Yellow Pine (loblolly & short leaf) 690 So. Yellow Pine (longleaf) 870 Black Cherry 950 Teak 1000 Black Walnut 1010 Heart Pine 1225 Yellow Birch 1260 Red Oak (Northern) 1290 American Beech 1300 Ash 1320 White Oak 1360 Australian Cypress 1375 Hard maple 1450 Wenge 1630 African Pedauk 1725 Hickory/Pecan 1820 Purpleheart 1860 Jarrah 1910 Merbau 1925 Santos Mahogany 2200 Mesquite 2345 Brazilian Cherry 2350

Excellent. Now I'm justified for getting sick of working on some 4' purpleheart cabinet legs! This doesn't even include grain reversal and tearout/splintering proneness.

I nominate myself for "Find The Hardest Way To Do Anything" award of the year

James [e-mail] http:// [e-mail]

[Leon]

James, try working with Ipe. I resaw 5" wide pieces and make small intricate items out of it in quantities of 90 to 100 at a time. Look way down the list. You would love Purlpeheart after an afternoon with Ipe... ;~)

Balsa: 75 Jellotung: 350 White Pine: 380 Basswood: 410 Redwood: 420 Red Cedar: 506 Sitka Spruce: 510 Poplar: 540 Alder: 590 Douglas fir: 660 Yellow Pine: 690 Camphor: 726 Maple, China: 760 Honduras Mahogany: 800 Lacewood: 840 African Mahogany: 845 Cherry: 950 Black Walnut: 1010 Mountain Ash: 1080 Yellow Birch: 1260 Red Oak: 1290 American Beech: 1300 Ash: 1320 White Oak: 1360 Bamboo: 1450 Hard Maple: 1450 Sapele: 1500 Zebrawood: 1575 Wenge: 1630 Padauk: 1725 Hickory/Pecan: 1820 Bolivian Rosewood: 1820 Yellowheart: 1820 Purpleheart: 1860 Jarrah: 1910 Bubinga: 1980 Goncalo Alves: 2160 Tigerwood: 2160 Canalete: 2200 Ivory: 2345 Mesquite: 2345 Brazilian Cherry (Jatoba) 2350 Cocobolo: 2720 Bloodwood: 2900 Rosewood: 3170 Teak, Brazilian: 3450 Ipe (Ironwood): 3670 Ebony, Brazilian: 3692 Lignum Vitae: 4500

[brocpuffs]

Nice list, Leon.

Good cheers to you and your lpe. I'm gonna make everything from balsa after I finish this frickin' project!

James [e-mail] http:// [e-mail]

[Leon]

Yeah.,.. Balsa seems tame enough. ;~)

[Fred the Red Shirt]