Help with Wood Choice

[Brodie Brickey]

I've used lyptus before. Its pretty easy to work. Very straight grained. Most people who see it won't guess its lyptus either.

[Matt Moore]

Matt,

That's a pretty ambitious project that, IMO, deserves as good a wood as you can afford.

I've used lyptus before. Its pretty easy to work. Very straight grained. Most people who see it won't guess its lyptus either.

I did some searching on lyptus and it definately looks like a good option especially at $2 bf. I am awaiting a return call from the CL poster. It does not say if it is rough or not. I want to work with the rough.

[Matt Moore]

After all of this...... I think we are going to choose poplar. I want to make the beds and with the color that my wife wants I don't think it is wise to pay alot for another hardwood and then stain it dark.

Now, I hope our local supply has enough in stock. I did not see much over there today.

[Chris Padilla]

If you can't find enough clear poplar for staining, be sure to sample stain some of the greener poplar to ensure it looks all right after staining. This will tell you if you need to pick clear poplar...which could be quite trying.

[Cary Swoveland]

Well, if oak is out then likely ash is out, too, since they are similar looking. Ash isn't as open-pored as oak but it isn't closed like maple....

I wouldn't be so fast to rule out ash. It's a beautiful wood to work with, stains well and is reasonably inexpensive. If you don't like the look of its grain, quartersawn ash might provide the appearance you are looking for. (I sometimes use quartersawn ash veneer for the interior of boxes--it has a very uniform appearance.) You should use a filler, and applying a conditioner would give the stain (or dye) a more uniform appearance.

Cary

[Joe Chritz]

I am a big fan of maple and don't use much cherry so that would be my first pick for a bed like that.

The difference is likely not that much when you figure how much a similar piece would sell for retail with much less quality.

Some advice I got a long time ago is "it only hurts once" meaning once it is purchased you can enjoy it for a long time after.

Joe

[Shawn Christ]

Why not consider a nice clear/select pine? It's more affordable than most hardwoods yet not as soft as standard pine, and there are no knots. I think it's an attractive wood and you could stain it to any color you want.

[Brian Brown]

Matt,

I would strongly consider alder. It is a reasonable replacement for cherry in the looks department, although it is a lot softer. I don't know where you live, but if you live near the northeast corner of the US, it is often cheaper than pine, and doesn't gunk up your tools with pitch. I made a china hutch for my wife a couple of years ago and wanted to use cherry, but it was ecconomically unfeasable. The alder worked well as a substitute. www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=54897 It mills well and takes stain well if you use a pre conditioner. Good luck, and we want to see the results.

[Prashun Patel]

Lyptus or eucalyptus grandis are decent choices. They look like African mahogany without the ribboning. Eucalyptus takes stain and dye very well. People warn that it can get stringy, but I found it to machine very well. I used it on a sofa table with af mahogany and after dyeing, you can't tell the difference.

If your head and footboards are going to have wide, flat surfaces (vs spindles) you should consider using birch. Baltic birch ply could then be used for the panels. (In fact, even if yr using maple or pop, you could use BB for the panels).

A dark (like mahogany) gel stain will act much like a paint anyway, so I don't think you'll have much staining probs. You might practice with using a 'priming' coat of thinned, dewaxed shellac to even out the absorption.

But heck, if you've worked w/ cherry, then you probably know how to deal with stain probs on maple/birch/poplar already.

[Don Orr]

Nobody mentioned Birch. If available, it takes stain well and is strong and works well. Lots of cabinets use it for doors and drawer fronts to simulate Maple or Cherry. Just a thought.

[Matt Moore]

Nobody mentioned Birch. If available, it takes stain well and is strong and works well. Lots of cabinets use it for doors and drawer fronts to simulate Maple or Cherry. Just a thought.

Thanks. I would do birch but it is not available at any of my supplies in anything other than plywood.

[Jim Becker]

Liptus...which is a wonderful substitute for mahogany at a much lower cost would be a nice alternative.

[Chris Padilla]

Nobody mentioned Birch. If available, it takes stain well and is strong and works well. Lots of cabinets use it for doors and drawer fronts to simulate Maple or Cherry. Just a thought.

See post #9.