home depot sells some hardwood lumber, including oak and poplar. these boards are nearly dimensionally perfect and can be fitted into a space like flooring. i have made an oak countertop with rough cut and then planed oak, and it is beautiful. i polyurethaned the boards all the way around and screwed them to 3/4" plywood base and doweled the holes. 2 more final coats of poly on top, and it was gorgeous.