I only use 4x2 for workshop projects. For the types of projects I'm looking at dressed pine or plywood is better. Frankly, around here getting any type of wood that isn't pine is kind of tricky. We have some amazing native timbers but at the moment you can only get them at recyclers because it's illegal to cut down native trees. That seems like a weird thing but it's a part of a reparation package to make amends for the Treaty of Waitangi. That being said they are starting to come into the market, but they aren't coming into the big box stores.

This then gets tricky because I'm generally a weekend woodworker and the shops I might be able to get hardwoods etc from generally aren't open on the weekends. These shops also have to order them in because they cater to the trades and they generally don't use hardwoods. So we pretty much are left with whatever the stores that cater to the DIY guys supply and guess what that means? Even less likely to get good woods.

It is slowly changing but it's still easier to go to building recyclers and they know they have a captive market and charge accordingly.

For the projects that I am working on it's machinery all the way. I'm trying to get good at making wooden toys and the idea of trying to cut those fiddly bits with a handtool is really bad. Using a scroll saw is a much better idea and is the subject of an article I will be republishing soon.