Table top material?

[Jim Mackell]

My son is building new home and he's just asked me for a kitchen table. Simple farmers table design using 6/4 or 8/4 for the top. What material would you recommend that will look good, wear well, etc.?

Thanks for any ideas.

[Matt Day]

Any domestic hardwood.

[Jim Becker]

Any domestic hardwood.


Agree...whatever species is appealing to your "customer"...

[Prashun Patel]

Anything will work, but you still have to pick one.

Here are the characteristics of many of the common woods:

Pine: probably what many people think of when they think 'farmer's table'. You can get this in knotty or clear. Easy to get a rustic look. It's soft, and will dent relatively easily to the other woods. It'll look amber/yellow without a stain.

Ash, red Oak, white oak: Harder, more prominent grain. They all finish whiter and paler than pine without a stain. The prominent grain will also provide some surface texture (like it or not) on the table unless you fill the grain.

Maple: finishes smoother and paler than the oaks/ash. Very faint visible grain.

Cherry: Starts out a golden rust color and will darken to deep red rust over time.

Walnut: Starts out chocolate brown without a stain, and will lighten to pale brown over time if in the presence of heavy light.

For me, Ash is a good general choice because it is hard and wears well; the grain hides certain imperfections. It also takes stain fairly well, so if he wants some color, it's not a big complicated process. Ash is also economical at least in the lower New England, Mid Atlantic (for now).

[Robert Engel]

Hard maple would be my first choice.

[Mike Ontko]

...Ash is a good general choice because it is hard and wears well; the grain hides certain imperfections. It also takes stain fairly well, so if he wants some color, it's not a big complicated process. Ash is also economical at least in the lower New England, Mid Atlantic (for now).

I'll double down on the values of ash as a possible choice. I've used it for two bed projects (bunk bed (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/album.php?albumid=872) and platform bed (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/album.php?albumid=864)) over the last two years and have found a real liking for it. Sadly, I've read recently that American ash has come under attack from the emerald ash borer/beetle, and may not be as readily available or economical in the future as it is now.

[Jim Mackell]

Thanks for the suggestions.