What's the best type of wood to make patterns in?

[Michal Lacki]

Hi!
I'm making my own DIY gear shifter for a car game I play on my computer. I want to be able to change gears manually. I want to make a H-pattern (see picture) in wood for the lever to move around in. What would be the best type of wood to make this pattern in ? I want the wood to be durable so it doesn't loose bits when I shift gears quickly.

 

[Job and Knock]

None of the above? Traditional woods used in patternmaking are yellow pine, (pinus strobus - this is NOT the pine found in the DIY sheds, BTW), Brazilian or Honduras mahogany (swietenia mahogani and swietenia macrophylla respectively), cherry (prunus avium), maple (acer campestre), and birch (betula alba). Yellow pine was favoured for one-off castings, mainly on account of cost, but if multiple castings are to be made then the mahoganies were preferable as they are both stronger and more durable. Mahogany was also chosen over yellow pine for patterns that required fine detail, because its strength iss not as compromised in thinner sections (pine can break and splinter). In recent decades jelutong (dyera costulata) has replaced yellow pine partly because it is cheaper and partly because it is available in large sections.