Bubinga Desk

[Bud hill]

I'm going to make a desk for my wives new office. I have purchased a bubinga slab. I am almost finished the the planes for the desk but now I'm worried about the color for the desk wood. Water fall bubinga is so intense that I'm not sure I can make this look good. I was planing on using cherry and curly maple. I would color the maple to be the same as the edges of the bubinga. I'm not sure what to do with the cherry. I am not good with colors. I don't want to waste the money and time for something that looks bad. Does anybody have any ideas. Help!!!!desk model-7.jpgBubinga.jpg

[Mel Fulks]

I would not use the maple as it shown in your drawing. That would be too similar to the natural edge top; I don't think that works ....since they are totally different. The top wil look best with an all cherry base.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Hi Bud. That's a beautiful piece of wood. I'll bet it cost you a petty penny. It's going to make a gorgeous desk.

I really don't mind the sharp contrast between the bubinga / cherry and the maple, especially with the light colored bubinga sapwood added to the mix (with a curly pattern of its own).

What I'd do is test. Put a finish in a small section on the back side of the top, where it will eventually be hidden, and do the same with a piece of the the cherry. Look at them together and see if it's a good match or a nice contrast. If not, try to color another scrap of cherry a little bit, finish it and compare again. Remember, the sapwood will be providing a bit of a color barrier between the bubinga and the cherry. If you don't feel you're good with colors, ask your wife's opinion. .. After all, she'll be the one looking at it all the time.

Good luck and post pictures.

[Jon Nuckles]

I am going to go the other way and suggest not using cherry with bubinga. Once the cherry darkens a bit, I think it will be too similar to the color of the bubinga to work well. Plus, with cherry, you never really know what the final color will turn out to be. You could use black dye on maple for an ebonized look on the base, which I think looks good with bubinga. Or you could buy some quarter or rift sawn bubinga to build the base from; same color, but a totally different grain look. Just my opinion on what to run by your wife. I agree that her opinion is what counts.

[Brian Holcombe]

Hope you don't find my suggestion offensive, but perhaps something a bit lighter looking than the heavy executive desk for the live edge top.



This desk is by hans wegner, and while I'm not suggesting making a copy, something to this effect in terms of proportion would look very nice with a live edge bubinga top.

For the base I would either use more bubinga, or use something that contrasts it but works with red, like Shedua, Wenge, ect.

[Yonak Hawkins]

I am going to go the other way and suggest not using cherry with bubinga. Once the cherry darkens a bit, I think it will be too similar to the color of the bubinga to work well. Plus, with cherry, you never really know what the final color will turn out to be. You could use black dye on maple for an ebonized look on the base, which I think looks good with bubinga. Or you could buy some quarter or rift sawn bubinga to build the base from; same color, but a totally different grain look. Just my opinion on what to run by your wife. I agree that her opinion is what counts.

I agree that the cherry is the issue, not the maple. As Jon says, the two are close enough in color that achieving a match or good contrast may be difficult.

[Al Launier]

That's a great looking piece of wood. Regardless what you use for trim wood that bubinga slab wil certainly catch everyone's eye. By the way, how many "wives" do you have?

[Bud hill]

I thank everyone for your opinions. I reread my original post and I only have one wife it just seems like theres more than one sometimes. I am still completely lost on this issue. I am going to call a professional finisher to come out and tell me how he would finish it. I was thinking that as the cherry got darker it would look better. Bye the way my wife is as good with color as I am. I wonder if I can buy enough rift sawn lumber around here to do the job.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

That is one very special piece of lumber. I built a wood surfboard with Bubinga, Flamed Maple, and Peruvian Walnut. The contrasts looked amazing. It is hard to match to Bubinga, so sometimes a contrast is the way to go. That said, it looks to me like you have enough for the top and rails and stiles. I like the maple inserts, but they need to be flamed or quilted maple (my opinion). The only problem is maple yellows, and Bubinga not as much.


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=owxHr32JHz0

[Mark Bolton]

That is one very special piece of lumber. I built a wood surfboard with Bubinga, Flamed Maple, and Peruvian Walnut. The contrasts looked amazing. It is hard to match to Bubinga, so sometimes a contrast is the way to go. That said, it looks to me like you have enough for the top and rails and stiles. I like the maple inserts, but they need to be flamed or quilted maple (my opinion). The only problem is maple yellows, and Bubinga not as much.


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=owxHr32JHz0

Wow, thats a pretty impressive piece of craftsmanship. Impressive.

[ron david]

the nice piece of wood is the main feature of what you are going to make and it will truly stand out by itself. the rest should be very subtle to support it and not to be competing with it. i would just use a straight grain bubinga on the case and a figured bubinga on the panels. to much contrast will destroy the visual component of it. also do agree with some others that it should be of a more open nature without the constraints of the traditional base. the board is a showpiece in itself. hope your wife is not one who likes clutter on the desktop or no one will see it
ron

[Frank Drew]

Wow, that's a stunning piece of wood! Can you get any similar material for the drawer fronts and side panels (even veneer)?

[Sam Murdoch]

MY choice would be to build the entire base out of maple with no coloring other than the amber cast of a good oil or varnish. Red alder might be another good alternative. The grain tends to be less elaborate than maple and when naturally finished would have only a hint of red. Allow the waterfall to flow. Select some very nice bronze pulls as compliments but otherwise no elaboration. Here is a case for restraint.

Also, I know this is a desk but it would be a shame to loose the live edge - perhaps just cut a square edge at the seating section but otherwise leave it live.

[ron david]

MY choice would be to build the entire base out of maple with no coloring other than the amber cast of a good oil or varnish. Red alder might be another good alternative. The grain tends to be less elaborate than maple and when naturally finished would have only a hint of red. Allow the waterfall to flow. Select some very nice bronze pulls as compliments but otherwise no elaboration. Here is a case for restraint.

Also, I know this is a desk but it would be a shame to loose the live edge - perhaps just cut a square edge at the seating section but otherwise leave it live.

the maple sounds good as it would keep the flow of the edge(colour wise) and keep it subtle and emphasize the heart of the board more so. Trimming of a square section of the live edge would diminish the flow of the board don't you think?

ron

[Sam Murdoch]

the maple sounds good as it would keep the flow of the edge(colour wise) and keep it subtle and emphasize the heart of the board more so. Trimming of a square section of the live edge would diminish the flow of the board don't you think?

ron

Yes - that is why I suggest doing it only at the knee hole portion of the desk - in effect creating a little jog on either side of the "work space".

However -if none of the OPs "wives" object to the live edge directly in front of them I would not sacrifice the wood. I suppose he could set the live edge to the back but that would never be my choice.

I am currently building a pair of live edge side boards and the live edges are dominant and aggressive - kind of scary really - but as no one will sit in front of these the clients are OK with it.