Our readers keep the lights on and my morning glass full of iced black tea. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.7 Best Ash Wood Lumber | Ash Lumber That Stays Flat & Cuts Clean

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This is the bundle that prompted this entire guide. Six boards of kiln-dried ash, S2S, with actual thickness at 15/16″ and a 6-inch width that gives you real real estate for tabletops, breadboards, or wide panel glue-ups. Customer reports consistently call out zero bows, cups, or twists — a level of consistency that is rare for online hardwood orders. The open ash grain takes stain evenly, and the light cream-to-tan color provides a clean canvas for any finish.

Each board goes through Gutchess Lumber’s quality process with no harmful chemicals, and the listing explicitly states that unsound defects are absent on one face. The “hit or miss” finish means you will still want to run the boards through a planer if you need precision joinery, but the faces arrive flat enough that many users skip the jointer entirely. The included carpenter pencil is a small touch that signals attention to detail.

For a woodworker who needs a reliable supply of ash for a single large project or multiple small builds, this six-pack eliminates the uncertainty of sourcing from a big-box store. The boards are straight, the grain is clean, and the price per board foot lands in the sweet spot of the mid-range — you are paying for confidence, not just wood.

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If ash end-grain turning is your goal — bowls, pepper mills, or spindle work — these Barrington Hardwoods blanks deliver a full 2-inch square profile that cleans up to 1-3/4″ under the lathe. The kiln-dried ash holds its shape during roughing, and the white sapwood provides the high-contrast grain that finishers love. Reviewers note that the blanks arrive square and flat, with none of the twist that makes mounting on a lathe a headache.

The “hit or miss” surfacing on one side means some pieces may have a slightly rough edge, but every verified purchase report confirms the wood itself is free of cracks and splits. A reviewer who glued them together to make a small tabletop mentioned that no planing was needed. The measured density runs about 36.5 lb/cu.ft., which is right on spec for white ash.

These blanks are a solid choice for turners who want a reliable source of ash without driving to a specialty lumber yard. The 2×2×6 size is versatile enough for small bowls, handles, and hollow forms. Stick them in the sun for a day if you want the ash to lighten slightly before finishing.

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Fifteen boards in three domestic species — walnut, cherry, and hard maple — all surfaced and kiln dried to 6–9% MC. The ¾×2×24 size is ideal for cutting boards, serving trays, and small box projects. Buyers consistently praise the straightness of the boards, with almost no warping. The walnut boards show consistent dark chocolate color without pale sapwood streaks, the cherry has a warm reddish tone, and the maple (described by one reviewer as “eh” compared to the others) still works fine as an accent species.

Moisture content this low means minimal movement after you glue up a panel. The pencil included with the order is a nice bonus. The only recurring hiccup is shipping time — some customers report Amazon fulfillment taking up to two weeks despite an “in stock” label. If your project deadline is tight, order ahead.

This bundle is the most economical way to stock a small shop with three species for multi-wood projects. The cost per board is lower than buying individual bundles of each species, making it a smart choice for weekend woodworkers who want variety without a trip to the lumber yard.

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Purpleheart is one of the hardest domestic exotics — Janka rating around 2,520 — and this S4S board from Barrington Hardwoods arrives smooth on all four sides, ready for final dimensioning. The two pieces in this pack measure ¾×6×18 and are kiln dried for stability. A reviewer noted that the wood looks gray on arrival but turns a rich violet-purple after a couple days of sunlight exposure.

One user building a guitar specifically praised the board’s clarity, and a luthier-level grain evaluation confirms tight, consistent figure. Another reviewer attempting a routed dovetailed wine rack discovered that purpleheart will destroy router bits if you push too hard — this material demands sharp carbide tooling and light passes. That density also means it makes an excellent mallet head or knife handle.

If you need a premium accent species for small furniture pieces, musical instruments, or decorative inlays, these purpleheart boards deliver the vivid color shift that ash simply cannot match. Just plan for the tool wear and let the UV exposure do the color work.

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Hard maple from Forest 2 Home — four boards at nominal 1×5×24, actual 15/16×4½×24. The S2S surfacing gives one clean face with no unsound defects, though you will still need to flatten, plane, and sand to final dimensions. Reviewers who made charcuterie trays and cribbage boards reported that the maple grain comes alive with a simple oil finish, and the shallow saw marks sand out in a couple minutes.

One customer experienced a size mix-up (received 2″ boards instead of 5″) but noted that Barrington Hardwoods issued an immediate refund — a sign of responsive customer service. Two of the four boards in one order had a slight bow, but the buyer was planning to mill them to 9/16″ anyway, so it was not a dealbreaker. The included carpenter pencil is a consistent touch across all Forest 2 Home bundles.

This pack is a reliable source of domestic hard maple for kitchen accessories, small furniture, and shop projects. The light creamy color pairs well with ash if you want a two-tone cutting board, and the price per board foot is competitive with box-store pricing minus the drive.

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Ten cherry boards at the compact 1×2×24 size — ideal for dovetailed boxes, watch cases, and end-grain cutting board accents. The S2S surfacing delivers one clean face, and actual thickness holds at 15/16″. One buyer building an end-grain cutting board found all boards straight and accurate, while another noted that a single board had a large indent that planing did not fully remove — a reminder that “hit or miss” means you may get one piece that needs extra work.

The cherry darkens beautifully with exposure, shifting from pinkish-tan to a rich reddish-brown over a few months. Buyers praise the fast shipping and clean cuts. A reviewer using cherry for a cribbage board praised the wood for taking crisp routed lines without tear-out.

If you need a bulk supply of narrow cherry stock for small joinery projects, this ten-pack delivers high board count per dollar. It also matches well with the ash from the number-one pick for two-tone boxes or cutting boards.

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Four pieces of commercial-grade walnut, sanded on two sides to a consistent ¾″ thickness. The boards measure 2″ wide by 12″ long, making them suited for small repairs, accent strips, and knife scales. One buyer used a single board to replace a missing piece on an 1880s Eastlake mirror — the walnut matched the antique patina after a light stain. Another turned a full set into beautiful cutting boards, noting that the wood arrived ready to use with no warping or cupping.

The “commercial grade” rating means you may see minor color variation or small defects, but every review emphasizes how square and flat the boards are. Surfaced two sides means the faces are smooth; the edges will need a pass through the jointer if you need glue-ready joints. The straight grain is consistent across all four pieces.

This is the entry-level option for anyone who wants to test Barrington Hardwoods before committing to larger bundles. At this price point, the per-board cost is minimal, and the walnut quality punches above its weight class. Perfect for small jewelry boxes, decorative inlays, or practice pieces before cutting into expensive wide stock.