What's that smell?

[Brian Brown]

Last weekend, I started a new segmented piece, and tried zebra wood for the first time. As soon as I cut into it, my nostrils were assaulted with the smell. PU!!! :eek: I have found a few other woods that have a really putrid smell like Russian olive. I know a lot of people don't like the smell of walnut, but I like it. So I wondered, what woods do you think smell the worst when you work with them? Also, what woods have the best smell? Let me know what you think about different woods green or dry, and common or exotic.

Brian

[Dan Forman]

Sassafras is nice, a complex blend of camphor, licorice, and lavender if I recall correctly.

Dan

[John Hart]

I like cherry the best....kinda like pie.:) My most unfavorite was a piece of wet, moldy, worm-riddened, spalted hickory. Sorta had that flavorful compost bouquet.:D

[George Guadiane]

:confused:Opiuma (An Hawaiian wood) smells like a musty public bathroom. I threw the rest of that one away.
:eek:Weeping Willow burl doesn't smell much better and it's NO FUN to turn... Really soft AND it likes to get furry, no matter how sharp the tools.

:DMy favorite so far is cherry burl. It smells different from "plain" cherry to me, kind of like the old cherry flavored pipe tobacco smelled when I was a kid - back in the dinosaur days :confused:

[Bernie Weishapl]

I to love the smell of cherry burl. Smells like my grandpa's pipe. Walnut is a close second.

[Neal Addy]

Worst smelling: Thuya
Best smelling: Amboyna, Cherry

[Chris Fierro]

I really like the smell of lignum vitae. It smells like a milder, nicer version of incense.

[Don Orr]

One of my favorites to turn is Cedar/Juniper. Makes the whole shop smell great for several days. I just got a big piece from my nephew, an arborist.

[TYLER WOOD]

cedar, honey locust, cherry, bacote, lignum vitae. All of these to me have pleasing smells to them.

Oak, green cotton wood, elm (some varieties) are wretched. Cotton wood smelling the worst. My garage smelled like 500 cats had used the garage as a urination station!!

[Roy Hatch]

Spanish cedar has what I call a spicey aroma. Made a humidor over a year ago and have some scraps that still smell great.

Roy

[Reed Gray]

Love cherry, myrtle, walnut, cascara (chittum here) smells like pumpkins, chinkapin (golden chesnut), apple, some maples smell like bread yeast. Others I am sure. Worst is cottonwood, smells like some one threw up. Rotting woods can also have a very sour smell.
robo hippy

[Bill White]

Like the spicey fragrance of padauk. Just don't like to try to get the greasey dust off everything.
Bill

[Barry Elder]

I agree with you on the Zebrawood. Reminds me of a corral full of animals with an "intestinal disorder". Good woods to turn include aromatic cedar, olive, and cherry.

[Tyler Purcell]

Call me strange but the distinct smell of zebrawood has grown on me. If I had to describe it, I'd say its a mix of wet dog, parmesan cheese, and white wine. At first I hated it but now when I smell it, it no longer reminds me of all these things but rather simply of woodworking (does that make sense?). I also love the smell of purpleheart, very sweet, almost like candy. And I am with everyone else on the big three domestics... cherry, maple, and walnut all smell great!

[Jon Lanier]

I have found thus far the only wood smell I don't like is Poplar. I don't know why? I like Walnut and Sassafras the best. Bethlehem Olive Wood is up there as well.

[Andy Livingston]

not a big fan of the cocobola smell. had some buckeye burl that was parfumy (not in a good way)!

[Anchor Sarslow]

I love Lignum vitae and Walnut so far. I am hoping that turning woods dont semll like thier flowers. If they do, then I have some sumac that when blooming smells like stepped on carp on the shores of the St. Croix River. I wont look forward to that.

[Jude Kingery]

Interesting topic, on the worst smells I'd say Red Oak, too musky, and Mulberry I didn't like. Cedar smells great, but it so doesn't like me, allergic to it. Best have been Sassafras which to me smells like Cinnamon, very pleasant, I like Mesquite which has a mild, dry, coffee odor. Jude

[Greg Savage]

Favorites - Amboyna, Camphor, Rajador(smells like Doritos!)

Least Favorites - Buckeye, anything river, lake or bog salvaged

[robert hainstock]

East IndianRosewood is the best in my book. It realy lives up to its name.
cannot rhink of any realy bad ones though me wife says i can't smell any thing anyway.

[Bill Wyko]

MONTERILLO whew! Smells like dog POOP!:eek:

[Jon Lanier]

Rajador(smells like Doritos!)

Now that could be a good, depends on what kind of Doritos.

[Dean Thomas]

I'm with Tyler on the stench that comes from cottonwood. Green is bad, spalted is worse! Dry or not quite. AWFUL stink.

Some of the oaks I actually like. A bit musky, and reminds me a bit of that back flavor of some wines aged in oak. Maybe that's why I like it. :)

Cocobolo, padauk, imbuia, and makore are my favs right now. I LOVE the spiciness of them. Hate the fact that I become a redhead with the padauk, but love to turn it. Nothing against redheads, just that turning orange or red like that makes it hard to go to work the next day! My shop can get very warm in the summer and I sweat just thinking about warm, so turning padauk in summer means that the dust mixes with the sweat. Stains skin, clothes and my gray hair. First time was a bit of a surprise to look in the mirror and not see any gray hair! My beard is normally nearly white enough to do Santa--the avatar is a couple of 3 years old and the gray has increased. Ho Ho Ho.

Caveat though. I'm told that if you're sensitive to "things", that makore might be the number one wood to watch out for. We have a guy in the KC chapter that is radically allergic to exotics of all sorts. He only turns domestics and has to be careful hanging around when we turn exotics at club functions. Another guy has the same reaction to red cedar. Just be careful!

[Bill Wyko]

Bubinga smells like chocolate though. Based on the smell I bet the scraps would make a good wood for smoking ribs. As long as it isn't toxic:confused:

[Bob Hallowell]

My favorites are tulipwood smells like perfum and lignum vitate smells like lemons. I got some donna wood that I refer to as dog s##t wood. just picking it up makes your hands smell.

Bob

[Brodie Brickey]

Favorites: Walnut, Sassafras, and Yellowheart.

Least Favorite get this out of my shop: Palmetto. -- Is that wood or a dead body in my shop!

[Bill Wyko]

Bocote has a strong citrius smell that will stop you sinuses in their tracks.:cool:

[TYLER WOOD]

Agree on the bacote being great smelling I forgot that one. I turned a little kiddush cup the other day. Smelled sooo nice while turning.

[Doug Shepard]

So what's the concensus on purpleheart? Been hand planing it a lot lately for benchtop sides. Can't put my finger on exactly what it reminds me of. Sort of fruity and nutty at the same time. It's got a vaguely familiar smell to it, but I'm drawing a blank as to what that smell is.

[Justin Bukoski]

I love amboyna, cocobolo, spanish cedar, teak (love teak), cherry burl, bubinga and some strange wood I have that I don't know what it is.

I think jatoba smells like dog crap when you cut it and both Iroko and Makore make my lungs bleed.

great topic!