Wood choice for cabinets

[Brendan Hogan]

I am a new woodworker and am planning to test my cabinet building skills by building a small cabinet to mount on the wall over the toilet in our master bathroom. I am planning to finish the cabinet with a very dark stain, so grain is not too important to me. What I am wondering is what is the best plywood/trim wood combination to get a good even finish.

I could also use some input on where to get decent wood around the Wichita, KS area if anyone knows.

Thanks,

Brendan

[Paul Greathouse]

Hello Brendan, welcome to Sawmill Creek

Not sure whats readily available in Kansas, but the following are pretty standard picks and should be available at most lumberyards and home centers.

If you want to stay with something inexpensive that will still be good quality, go with Birch plywood and face it out with Poplar. Poplar is very easy to work with and not a bad price to learn on.

If you want to go a little nicer, use Oak Plywood and face out with Oak. Oak is also easy to work with and will look much better with the dark stain than the Birch/Poplar combo would.

Whatever you decide post some pictures of your work after your done so we can see the results.

[Brian Kent]

I'm from California, which is a long way from Kansas, so I can't help you with word sources, but

Welcome!

Brian Kent

[Brent Leonard]

I'm from Topeka and the following are the closest places I know of up this way.

Mark Frieden, in Pomona. Mark has good prices on good wood. He sells to most of the area high schools. His stuff is S2S. He won't give you much of a price break, if any for rough stock but you will get first crack at his best boards. He surfaces the wood himself to 7/8" on 4/4 material. He has just about anything, including most plywoods in the common veneers. Very good to buy from.

Kansas Hardwoods in Belvue, up on Hwy 24, near Wamego. They are a sawmill with the basic stuff, no exotics. They sell rough stock and you get to pick the boards you want. some stuff is good, some, not so good. He does give a little break on the bdft count for the not so good stuff. He has the best prices, but you might get some of the not so good stuff, or poor color matches. Sometimes you get lucky and get some awesome stuff for the regular price. I have unknowingly gotten some wonderful curly maple for the normal price. Very good to buy from.

Robersons lumber in SilverLake. They carry only S2S-1E. Their stuff is about perfect and the price to go along with it. They carry all sorts of plywoods in just about any veneer you want, which is really nice.

I avoid Home Depot. Their maple, red oak and poplar is EXPENSIVE. All plain sawn.


Mark would be closest to Wichita. You won't be disapointed in his stuff or prices. I'm sure you have someone down towards Wichita that I don't know of too. Always watch Craigslist too.


I agree with the birch ply and poplar or even birch edging. Inexpensive for a first project and available at the homedepot if you need to make a quick run to the store for more materials.

[Rob Young]

+1 on Frieden Hardwoods. Pretty good stuff and for the most part you can pick individual boards for yourself. I've gotten some nice cherry, walnut and a little birch from him. All from the short ends pile becase I was more interested in playing with some new "toys" than building a big project. But soon I belive I will be heading back for some cherry to do bathroom vanities.

Unfortunately woodfinder.com isn't much help for a Wichita zip code (I punched in 67201). Mark's was listed as the closest at 123 miles. :( That is a lot of driving.

Won't be the cheapest source but might be worth a look-see, there are two Woodcraft stores in Oklahoma, one in Tulsa and one in OKC

[Joe Chritz]

I don't use much dark stain but you can dye poplar with Rit Clothing dye then use a traditional oil stain and get a very nice dark color. It was just in the latest Wood magazine.

Wood choices are a very personal thing based on tastes and the rest of the residence. For example, I prefer to work with cherry and walnut but the wife doesn't like either. So, my house is mostly oak with some maple tossed in.

Oak is pretty easy to handle. It cuts well, doesn't chip really bad if your careful, sands easy and takes a clear finish very well. By using a dye then a dark pigment stain it can get very dark in color.

Joe

[Mike Gager]

hey guys im from topeka as well, thanks for the info on the local wood suppliers, ive been wondering where to go besides HD!

brent, does robersons let you pick through the boards to find what you want?

[Brendan Hogan]

Thanks for the answers. I was pretty sure I'd have to drive a little way for wood. I might just go the birch/poplar route for this project and save the 2 hour trip for some future project plans.

Thanks

Brendan

[Jacob Mac]

hey guys im from topeka as well, thanks for the info on the local wood suppliers, ive been wondering where to go besides HD!

brent, does robersons let you pick through the boards to find what you want?

I live 1/4 mile away from Robersons, so I feel qualified to field this one:D
Robersons has fantastic people working for them. They have always gone above and beyond my expectations when I have bought wood from them. And they have always let me pick through the boards.

Their prices are a little high, but the people are great and the quality of wood is really nice. I would suggest you go and look around.

[Brent Leonard]

hey guys im from topeka as well, thanks for the info on the local wood suppliers, ive been wondering where to go besides HD!

brent, does robersons let you pick through the boards to find what you want?

Yes, what Jacob Mac said.....

you can go through what they have and pick what you want. It's nothing to them, all their stuff is top notch. Different specieis are all VERY neatly organized in individual bins. ;)I don't know if I have ever found a twisted board there. LOL!