So this is a fun but time consuming project. It’s tricky to work with smaller projects and mistakes you make are harder to cover up. He used Howard beeswax and orange oil to finish the project and the wood he used was Maple burl and Walnut. The choice of wood can make a difference in projects like this where you use a lathe.
The pros of using Walnut is that it is a very strong and stable wood that can take intricate carving, the color can also be beautiful.
The con is that it’s a more costly wood.