What do folks who have used it think of alder? It's pretty inexpensive here on the west coast.
My reference (http://www.hardwoodinfo.com/species_...ecies=redalder) says:
"Red alder machines well and is excellent for turning. It nails, screws and glues well, and can be sanded, painted, or stained to a good finish. When stained, it blends with walnut, mahogany or cherry. It dries easily with little degrade and has good dimensional stability after drying."
It also says it has "low bending strength, shock resistance and stiffness."
Looking through past threads it appears it might have finishing "issues".
Thanks in advance,
Maurice