Thanks for the suggestions, Billy. I have tried most of those and other simple remedies, yet one image may have results much better than the next one, in same conditions, light, etc. I suppose I have to admit I am on old codger now, and suffer from diabetes, which affects motor skills. Maybe only a case of shaky hands, and not an easy way to counteract that in our shop environment. Bob Kutella

Almost none of the woods on your list are used or appropriate to our restoration work. A lot of what we do calls for GENUINE MAHOGANY, a variety very costly and in such short supply that it is difficult to find suitable straight grained stock at any price. Other species that go through the shop often include ash, WHITE oak (not red, pin, or other oak types), poplar, maple, southern yellow pine (not the other lumber yard pine types), true Douglas fir, maybe a piece or two of chestnut, walnut, cherry, hickory, but rarely. Sometimes you can find the species but not in the width or thicknesses we look for, or dried down to the equilibrium moisture. Green wood from a sawmill should not be used for car work. For certain specialty applications which would include B&G work, pressure treated Southern Yellow Pine can be used, but that offers its own problems due to high moisture and variable quality. That would be the broad answer to your question. Bob Kutella