The Wargaming Woodworker
Domestic Woods Currently Available
I use select hardwoods for all of my dice trays, boxes, and accessories. Listed below are each of the four options that I offer along with some information on those options. I will update these with actual product examples as I get opportunities to build with them. From time to time, I run into a deal or I snag a some interesting lumber while out and about. I make a point of posting it here. If you have interest in commissioning a tray made of a wood that isn't listed, simply contact me. I can get my hands on almost any domestic or exotic wood out there at reasonable prices.
American White Oak
American White Oak is the perfect wood for its namesake. It's versatile, reliable, and strong as iron. White oak is one of the more ubiquitous woods, so it's rather affordable. Its incredibly dense grain makes it very, very resilient. In fact, it's so tough that it wears the carbide on saw and planer blades rather quickly. It finishes beautifully with a nice creamy/yellow color. Its grain, however, rarely offers much variation.
Curly Maple
There are a wide variety of maple species that range from soft to hard woods. Curly maple, of the hardwood varieties, offers gorgeous grain patterns and a rippling spalting effect in the wood grain. Its unique grain pattern means that it comes at a premium cost for domestic lumbers, but it is well worth the price. The rippling has an almost metalic sheen when finished, and the unique wood grain is guaranteed to impress.
Cherry
Cherry is a vibrant and beautiful wood. It is extremely workable despite being a hardwood, and it offers a very rich, red-brown color when it is finished. It can have strays of cream or even white grain in it, offering a wide variation in color and appearance. Cherry is a bit pricy for a domestic lumber, but its one of the more luxurious American woods available.
Black Walnut
My personal favorite, black walnut offers a luxurious, chocolate brown color and grains that can vary in color from a deep, almost purple brown, to a light orangish-brown color with a reds and creamy browns in between. It is a reliable hardwood that, like cherry, is very workable. As a result, it is one of the more commonly used hardwoods for cabinetry and other decoration. Unfortunately, due to a severe blight, black walnut trees are really suffering, so the price has been driven up substantially. Hopefully it can make a comeback, because this American staple is truly gorgeous and enjoyable to work with.
Birdseye Maple
Like curly maple, birdseye maple is a variety of hard maple. It is notable for its completely unique grain patterning. It features lots of small swirls and its characteristic, circular "eyes." This figuring is variable to each piece of wood (some are covered in small "eyes," while others might have only a handful). It is a very hard wood that is durable and finely textured.