Favorite wood when you KNOW you're going to STAIN?

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Hi All, I'm making some furniture for a extra bedroom in my house that we use for visitors. I'm looking for woods that are less expensive than the usual cherry, walnut, etc. It will be used for night stands, headboard, etc.

What kind of wood do you use when you KNOW you're going to stain it? I was thinking maple but sometimes it doesn't take stain well. Any ideas much appreciated.

[Ken Salisbury]

Hi All, I'm making some furniture for a extra bedroom in my house that we use for visitors. I'm looking for woods that are less expensive than the usual cherry, walnut, etc. It will be used for night stands, headboard, etc.
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POPLAR OR BIRCH

[Roy Wall]

ditto again on the BIRCH!!

cherry stain and it's good to go............

[Jamie Buxton]

Hi All, I'm making some furniture for a extra bedroom in my house that we use for visitors. I'm looking for woods that are less expensive than the usual cherry, walnut, etc. It will be used for night stands, headboard, etc.

What kind of wood do you use when you KNOW you're going to stain it? I was thinking maple but sometimes it doesn't take stain well. Any ideas much appreciated.

Right now, ash is inexpensive -- less than poplar here -- because some bug is killing all the ash in Michigan. Also, one dealer here is selling what he calls "South America Alder" (pumaquiro) for cheap. Both ash and pumaquiro are good hardwoods. They're just undervalued.

[Jim W. White]

Ash is great and very inexpensive considering how well it machines and how stable and hard it is.

Western Alder takes stain very well but is not quite as hard as the others mentioned thus far. It has become so popular in this region; however, that I find the FAS stuff cost prohibitive as it's higher in price than oak or soft maple.

[Cecil Arnold]

Ash may be the best buy, but if you don't want the heavy grain showing up then I would vote for birch.

[Scott Parks]

I vote AGAINST maple. With my experience, it stains terrible (blotchy), and in my area it is $2 /bf MORE than oak and alder. Locally I pay 3.29 for red oak, 3.59 alder, 4.25 birch, & 5.29 for maple.

To me, alder stains evenly, and doesn't have that "green" undertone that birch sometimes has. To me, alder has more of a warm undertone to it.

Our local "unfinished" furniture store sells almost exclusively Alder furniture. They only use General stain and finish with excellent results.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

How would you rate soft maple as far as stainability? Would it be about the same as birch or poplar? Thanks!

[Jim Becker]

I work a lot in poplar...and use water soluable dyes for coloration.

[lou sansone]

How would you rate soft maple as far as stainability? Would it be about the same as birch or poplar? Thanks!

I almost never use "stains" but use Water base dye on a number of woods. Have not had any problem with them on maple. Cherry can be a little tricky. Poplar is somewhat hit or miss. I have had it end up blotchey. Aspen is decent to dye or stain, but not as strong as poplar

lou

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Thanks again for info. I appreciate it.