help newbie

[brad covington]

I am new to wood working. I am going to build a pedestal similar to the one posted. I want the body to be cherry or walnut. My question is what type of wood could I use for the trim to give it a nice contrast. In the picture the pedestal is cherry body and walnut trim. I would like the trim to be lighter than the body. What kind of wood combination and stain combo do you think would really look nice?

[Sam Yerardi]

Maple goes well with cherry and with walnut.

[brad covington]

If I went with a walnut top and body and maple trim how would you suggest finishing it?

[Bert Johansen]

Brad, the answer to your question is to try several test finishes and determine what YOU like, since we all have different ideas about what constitutes a "good" finish. For example, I like to begin the finishing process with a yellow aniline dye, which warms up the wood--especially maple. Shellac will also warm up maple (and other woods) and makes an excellent sealer. For the top coats, I often use Minwax Satin Wipe-on Poly, which is a no-brainer. Three coats is about right for the poly, and it goes on fast and dries quickly.

Another way to go if you want to keep the maple as light as possible is to spray on multiple coats of a clear lacquer finish. If you don't have a spray outfit you have two other options for using lacquer. One is to purchase an aerosol product, such as Deft, which does a great job. Or, buy a can of lacquer and a product called Preval, which is a throw-away aerosol and comes with a small glass jar to hold the liquid. Very handy for a quick spray job.

Obviously, choosing a finish and applying it satisfactorily could take up a very long post. Best get a book or two on the subject, test some finishes and application methods, and see what you like.

[Sam Yerardi]

I agree with Bert