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Discover the natural beauty and enduring strength of hardwood. Perfect for furniture making, cabinetry, flooring, and custom woodworking projects, our hardwood selection includes a wide variety of species such as maple, ash, walnut, birch, cherry, and more. Whether you’re looking for rough-sawn lumber or live edge slabs, we carry top-quality hardwoods in a range of sizes and finishes to meet your needs. Each piece is carefully sourced for character, grain consistency, and long-lasting performance, ideal for both DIYers and professional craftsmen. As a proudly Canadian company with locally owned stores, Windsor Plywood specializes in hard-to-find wood products and offers expert, one-on-one service to help you bring your vision to life. Visit your local store to browse our full hardwood selection and get the guidance you need for your next project.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is canarywood and what makes it distinctive?
Canarywood (Centrolobium spp.) is a South American hardwood with vivid yellow to orange-red colour and irregular dark streaking that varies dramatically between pieces. It has a Janka hardness of approximately 1520 and a fine to medium texture. Canarywood is used for turning projects, decorative furniture accents, inlay work, knife handles, and musical instruments where its bold, warm colour is the design feature.
Does canarywood colour change over time?
Yes. Canarywood's bright yellow-orange colour darkens and mellows with light exposure to a more orange-red tone over time. UV-inhibiting finishes slow this process. The aged colour is also attractive, though it loses some of the vivid initial contrast. Keeping finished pieces away from direct sunlight preserves the colour for longer.
Is canarywood difficult to work with?
Canarywood is moderately easy to work with for an exotic hardwood. Its interlocked grain can cause tearout if worked against the grain direction, particularly when planing. Carbide-tipped tools are recommended. It turns cleanly and sands to a smooth surface. The natural oils in some pieces can interfere with finishing — a light wipe with mineral spirits before finishing improves adhesion.
What finish is best for canarywood?
Oil finishes and hard wax oils that penetrate the surface complement canarywood's natural colour and figure. Polyurethane varnish provides a more protective film for functional applications. UV-inhibiting clear finishes are strongly recommended to slow the natural colour darkening that occurs with light exposure.
Does Windsor Plywood carry canarywood?
Windsor Plywood carries canarywood as a specialty exotic hardwood subject to current availability. Contact your local Windsor Plywood branch to confirm whether canarywood is in stock and in the dimensions suited to your project.