Help with wood selection for Blanket Chest

[Rob Holcomb]

I have been asked by a family member to make a solid wood (no plywood) toy box/Blanket Chest keepsake for her Grandson. She gave me four choices of stain colors that she would like but she has no preference on the wood other than she said she is not a fan of Oak. I will be limited to the normal domestic hardwoods found in the Northeast (Hard Maple, Ash, Cherry etc.) but I need your thoughts on which wood you think would be easiest to stain and give me the desired finished color based on the stain choices I have been given. I would consider myself a novice when it comes to finishing and I know Maple can be very difficult to stain as it tends to come out blotchy and I would hate to make this chest with through dovetails, safety hinges and routed initials and then have the finish be a disappointment. I've included a picture of the stain colors she has chosen. What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance! Rob

http://www.robholcomb.com/stain.jpg

[Louie Ballis]

If cherry is avalible I would not hestiate to use it. I find it to be a nice wood to work with from the aspect of minimal tear out (you stated that you were going to use thru dove tails) and IMO I think that it you used a cherry stain to even out the color of the wood then sanding sealer followed by several (3 of so) coats of laquer, she would have an heirloon that would be passed down for generations (therefore make sure to burn your name and date into the bottom {or elsewhere}).

[Frank Drew]

Rob,

If your relative doesn't like oak, there's a good chance she won't like ash, which has a similar ring porous grain appearance (oak, ash, chestnut, elm, hickory, even sassafras all look more alike than unalike.)

I'm not a fan of staining cherry; it tends towards blotchiness -- although that can be controlled -- but mainly I think when it's stained it never looks anywhere as good as when it's allowed to develop a natural patina with age.

[Van Huskey]

Rob,

If your relative doesn't like oak, there's a good chance she won't like ash, which has a similar ring porous grain appearance (oak, ash, chestnut, elm, hickory, even sassafras all look more alike than unalike.)

I'm not a fan of staining cherry; it tends towards blotchiness -- although that can be controlled -- but mainly I think when it's stained it never looks anywhere as good as when it's allowed to develop a natural patina with age.

+1 on the Ash and Cherry points

Given she picked a walnut stain, why not use walnut and a clear finish, would be hard to screw up the stain that way... :D

[Cody Colston]

It's not an answer to your question but what I would do is show her some samples of Walnut and Cherry wood and see if she would prefer that to a stained wood. Both are naturally beautiful with a clear finish.

Other than color matching existing furniture, I don't really understand why someone would want to make a wood look like something it isn't.

Just my $.02

[Gary Breckenridge]

I always thought the artist gets to pick the paint colors. Me ? I'd go with cherry with a finish that will darken with age.:D

[Rob Holcomb]

Thanks for your thoughts! I had similar thoughts based on the stain choices she gave me and asked her what she thought about using Cherry. She said "Oh I love Cherry wood!" I didn't give her a chance to waffle any further and said..Cherry it is! I agree with the idea of-why change the color of a beautiful wood to look like something else. One of the reasons we choose one wood over another is for its beauty in a particular project. Although stains many times can enhance a wood's appearance, many times it can take away from it too! I'm hoping now that I can talk her into a clear finish.

[John Pratt]

I did a blanket chest for a relative out of cherry and I think it came out great. after several years the cherry ages beautifully and just screams family heirloom. A small problem did arise that may affect their choice. My relative requested cherry, but when the project was done they didn't understand what happened to the color. Problem - they assumed that cherry meant the cherry color they see in the furniture store, not real cherry.

[D.McDonnel "Mac"]

Rob,

Be sure to show her aged cherry and new cherry both finished to demonstrate the change time will bring to the color. No body other than woodworkers really understand that change and that it takes 2-3 years to play out. Cherry is just about my favorite wood and I enjoy watching the the piece age over the years.

Good luck "selling" the clear finish! It is really the best way to go for Cherry.

[Brian Tymchak]

Rob,

Plane 3 small pieces of cherry (they don't have to be all that large, just maybe 3"x6" pieces) and stick 2 out in the sunlight (if you can find any these days..) Leave one out for 2-3 hours, the other out for 5-6. Sunlight will put a little "age" into the cherry quickly. Then put a clear coat finish on all 3 of them and show them to your family member. Better to experiment with the finish before hand and get sign off.

Have fun with that project! It's on my list of To Dos as well.

Oops. Didn't see Mac's post there. Saying the same thing..

Brian