POP QUIZ Y'all: what's stable, tough and good looking? A). White Oak B). You C). The one that got away

A quick heads up about oak. If it's not nice and dry by the time you get it, be careful about which fasteners you use. The tannins in the oak will react with untreated metals like steel and could leave some ugly streaks down your project, especially if it's exposed to rain. Stainless or coated fasteners are usually preferred for oak. Slightly green oak will take the bluing right off a gun if you leave it sitting long enough. If it's inside and well-seasoned, you don't really have to worry though.

I have never heard anyone get so much information out so quickly, so clearly. Mark, you did a fantastic job, I leaned a lot about the wood I've been buying. I learned a lot about box store wood in general. Thank you for your time.

A couple of years ago, I made the switch from working with SPF lumber from the big box store to using, almost exclusively, knotty alder on my small furniture projects. And it has been the best decision I've made in my wood working. The finished product is so much better, and the price difference really was suprisingly not all that much different. It was definitely worth it. And now that I've gotten more experience and have gained more confidence in the craft, I have started working with more higher end woods from time to time; i.e. cherry, walnut, and maple. I'm still learning, but making the switch has definitely made the process much more enjoyable and rewarding. Thanks for the great videos and information that you put out.

Great video! Glad this popped up. Adding this to my playlist. Going to check out your other videos.

Thank you Mark! Really useful, clear and to the point - Spot on!

Loved it man! Very fascinating and informative!

I’ve been going through lots of your videos and I have to say they are really great, thank you.

Thanks for the thorough evaluations for each of these woods. Nice job, Woodworker Source team!

Love the passion and the knowledge you provide! Thanks for the videos.

Newbie woodworker here! Love this quick, precise information. I learned so much in a few minutes and immediately subscribed!

Hey I just wish I found you guys years ago! I've found my way back into woodworking the past few years and this channel has helped me get back in touch with stuff I had forgotten since I was younger. Thanks and keep these videos coming!

A lot of good information and straight to the point. Thank you! Please don't change your style. (just subscribed)

Thank you for your time. Very helpful and to the point.

As a woodworker and someone who works at a hardwoods lumber yard, I dig the videos! And great website! I dig it!

Mark! You do a great job of "cutting straight to the chase", and giving really practical information in a quick, clear manner. This video contains all the information that I've been trying to gather on my own, to decide what hardwoods I'll use to try to take my wood working to the next level without going broke! You're obviously promoting your business, but you're doing it with honest, straight-forward information. I'm actually tempted to order some wood from you! Thanks!

I love that so many woodworkers like yourself are willing and enthusiastic about sharing know. This can only help all of us be better and sell more. Thank you.

I'm just getting started in woodworking and was curious what kinds of woods to look for, and then this video pops up and you answered my questions! Thanks for sharing, I'll be checking out your other stuff for sure

This was awesome info. Thx for posting. All the detail was really informative and helpful for a newbie like me.

Really helpful. Just getting into woodworking. Thanks

You make woodworking videos look simple, but let me say that your clarity and production value really stands out. Fantastic work!

Great info... as always. Thanks! :-)

Good no-nonsense vid on the subject. Thanks!

Fantastic quick overview of these wood choices! I appreciate this video as well as your informative delivery. Keep 'em coming!

Concise, and you identified everything I've been struggling against as a novice trying to make the pine from the big box stores work. Now I know.

This video is top notch. Thank you!

A tip for staining beech without it looking patchy is to spray it on, then wipe it off. That's what we do to get a pretty good, even coverage for our pieces as we stain beech to be a few different browns and greys for our production furniture.

This video was so informative! Thank you!

I’m a huge fan of the straight forward approach to this video. No bs, no drawn out nonsense, and no goofiness. Sub for sure.

I really get a lot of enjoyment out of these wood species videos. I like to think I know my stuff, but I still always learn something new from these. Keep these coming and I’ll keep watching.

Well done, helpful, clear, to the point.

Your videos on specific woods are why I subscribed. I haven't found another channel that provides this information nearly as well. Thank you! Oh, and if you take requests, I'd love some info on spotted gum. I have a beautiful 8/4 quartersawn piece with flame and fiddleback that I don't want to screw up. Videos like yours on spotted gum are basically non-existent.

Concise, and very helpful!

Good man and honest. Nobody raised the need and concerns for new woodworkers. Thank you great man.

I always enjoy your videos. They are a great way to learn about different woods for people like me who have very little knowledge about wood types and their properties. 👍🏻👍🏻

OMG, I needed this video. I'm fairly new to wood working and this will totally help me decide on some future projects.

First time I've seen this channel. Excellent job, sir. Fast, informative, entertaining. Appreciate the time you put into it. Thank you.

Your channel is way underrated. Great contents

White oak is one of my favorites. Also, it's gets a bonus - I absolutely love the smell when worked.

Very informative, thank you!

Excellent video.

Great video Mark! Really helped me, a novice, to the point that I feel much more comfortable in deciding what wood to use for certain projects. Thanks for taking the time!

I was taught with yellow pine 50 years ago. 50 years later yellow pine has been, was and still is the backbone of our 75 year old millwork, high end cabinetry and furniture business. We've used all the hardwoods and softwoods but yellow pine is still the mainstay in our business., We're now into 5 generations of family management, my daughters, and they too were taught on yellow. pine. Every wood has it's place in woodworking, yellow pine just seems to be the wood that has given us good lives, paid for college educations, and kept a business working for 75 years, and seems to be the wood that will carry us into the 6th generation, our grand daughter. Thanks for the video, very informative especially for beginners.

Thank you so much for breakin' it down for us!

Mark: "just like you!" Me: ☺️ *SUBSCRIBES* This is the kind of positivity I'm allowing in 2020.

I'm not likely to pop down to your store (i'm in UK) but definitely would . What a refreshing KZfaq video.. cut to the chase, clear information and the why Questions are answered too... AND no music over dubbed to stifle the information. Great stuff, thanks

Been doing woodworking for about 5 years now in my free time. There's times I feel like an expert, more often there's other times I feel like it's my first day, and anywhere in between! I really enjoy these videos for beginners because there's always one or two things I learn that I didn't know before or get new ideas for a next project. The dude in the video did a great job explaining these woods and I will definitely be checking out more of their videos. Kinda interested to try some of that Alder or Beech now.

Wow thank you!! Really useful!

Your title: "12 woods better than pine." My first thought was: "12 random types of wood."

These folks bring information of genuine value through their videos. To LIKE them is always good. To direct business there way is better. Big box stores are will never support us like these guys do. Find your reasons to support them as they do us.

Thanks for the very informative tutorial on these woods. By the way, this video's production values are top tier. Whomever is producing your video content, they've got their job nailed.

I have an order pending with you guys right now. I’m anxious to see it.

You’re so nice and informative man! Love watching your videos, especially when I’m frustrated and stressed out. Your voice and demeanor just makes all that noise go away and gets me grounded. Thanks for the woodworking info and the therapy too! 😉

Beech has amazing medullary rays if cut exactly on the quarter. Its weight also varies considerably.

Thank you very much. Excellent tutorial. I'm going to the lumber yard tomorrow with confidence! :)

Dude. Incredible video!! Thank you!!! 😍

I've had great success with poplar. It stains and finishes very well, plus it's reasonably priced and available at the big box stores

We need to send this video to every Instagram/ KZfaq "woodworker" out there. Drives me nuts to see people building furniture out of SPF. As I said before, you all should have 100K subs! Truthful and great info here!

Honestly thank you man! I’ve really just gotten into woodworking during quarantine I keep having bowing problems and come to realize I get all my lumber from Home Depot. This opened my eyes to better suit my needs and make quality furniture. Thank you for being so informative yet so fast!!

Love it - thank you! Very helpful - making this a favorite

It really depends on where you live. Here in Ontario white oak is super expensive. Where I live hard maple, ash, popular and red oak relatively cheap. It will give you a good variant in different types of wood too. I fine the softer the wood the harder it gets to work with and pine is soft but hard enough to work with. Also where I live we have kiln dried construction lumber. Mostly because it's cheaper for us to import lumber from the USA and it needs to be dried to enter Canada.

hi mark great viveo buddie im an irish man living in the uk i did like your table saw sled any chance for some details on it its one of the best i have seen so do a mate one and let me have the plans for it

This video taught me a LOT!! Thanks.

Great quick video! Thanks!

Here in Belgium Beech, toghether with oak, is a very popular wood tho work with. Very interesting video my friend. wel done. Also nice editing! I love it!

Would love to see a video on how to build the best table saw sled, Thanks

Thank you for the clear and concise video.

Incredibly thankful for what you do. I truly enjoy learning from your videos.

There ain’t no wood better than pine I’ve done many projects in my liftetime and without a doubt pine is the best. My grandpa built my house out of pine and it’s phenomenal he’s since passed but I thank him for it every day.

That cross cut sled looks great. You have a video on how to make that?

Great Mark, love your easy and straightforward way of presenting for us learners. Big up from the UK 👍

Even though you were talking about SPF alternatives - I would have to give a shout out to VG Fir. (Vertical Grain). . It’s used occasionally for furniture making and interior residential trim. It patinas nicely and looks good with no stain. Reclaimed VG Fir also has its purpose. Thanks for sharing the video.

"Overwhelming experience" All we have in our box stores here and most lumber mills are pine. Other types are hard to come by. Wales- UK.

5:57 "it's stable, tough, and good looking... just like you" Subscribed.

Mark, you’re the best, always cultivating the woodworkers intellect on woods, techniques and finishing. They also are a great source for purchasing your project woods, great prices, ships to your door and very convenient. I’ve used them many times. Love the information packed videos! Many thanks.

Joined the Rosewood Club about three months ago and I've also watched a few of your videos Mark. Very educational and has resulted in encouraging me to step outside the box and learn more about hardwoods. Thanks again brother !

Hi mark you didn't mention my favorite Ash right now it is very economical, free machine and takes stain well. I know it may be difficult to get in the future due to the ash borer infestation. Great video lots of great choices.

Man, that TING sound effect makes me think I've got a text every time. Great vid, though!

Excellent overview tutorial. Thanks.

I live in the PNW and I love Alder for my budget projects. Your description is spot-on and it's usually cheap!

There is yet another type of wood that is way better than Pine........ at least in my wife's opinion. Great channel.. your knowledge and videography rock!

Awsome! Just sad I cannot get access to your store frm here in Canada, Quebec.

Great overview for beginners & advanced makers alike. Thanks for demystifying more inexpensive hardwoods.

Thank you for the information, love the lesson.

You forgot Ash wood. Great stuff for projects..

There are many woods that are “better” than pine as far as hardness, ease of finishing and workability, but they come at a much more premium price as well. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Wow. I was thinking about buying a 1x but didn't know which one. You clarified all my questions. Thank you.

Thank you, really needed this video. Just getting into this and I feel this info will be preventing future disappointment.

I wish my one Superpower was the ability to identify wood types, and know their pros and and cons when it comes to certain project applications.

SPF lumber, not only wet BUT 90% is pithy. Also, I wish that there was a lumber store near me that had the variety of woods yours does!

Thank you for a great overview. Really helps me select the wood I wish to use as a rusty wood worker.

Super helpful, thanks 👍

We only can get pine, shit ply or MDF, you are so lucky

we call soft maple "swamp maple" ...its pretty useless for furniture. Poplar is straight but ultra light weight and weak, further more it will not take a high finish, you can never make it look really good. Its great forbuilding the carcasses of sofas and padded chairs. For the past several years and going forward for a bit longer, there is a tremendous glut of white ash lumber in the central Atlantic states. this is because of an infestation knwon as the "ash borer beetle" which has killed virtually all of these trees. Ash has open grain a lot like oak but the wood is whiter and a bit prettier. It does split and chip the way oak does, it is also lighter weight. I've seen kiln dried for as low as $2.50 a board foot, so I would highly recommend it. good luck, John's Wood

I learned so much in such a short time. Thank you!👍

Great, informative video! thought i’d be stuck with SPF for a while.

Well for starters, all of them.

Honestly, painting wood (solid colours) should be a crime. Just found your channel. Subscribed!

Incredibly concise presentation. Thank you.

Good to see quality videos coming from your guys. You’ve come a long way from the original website and mail orders! Wish I still lived in the area. - Todd Harrison