Durable Wood for (Possibly) Painted Project?

[Erich Weidner]

I am looking to build a few large tables for use in a commercial application. Basically bar height tables which will see daily use (Table top miniature games being played on it). The thing about the top is that it will not typically see much wear as it'll always be covered by something. The edges of the table will subjected to scuffing and a lot of touching.

I am thinking that paint is a quick and easy repair for semi-annual touching up, vs a film finish. Also not looking to spend a lot of money on the raw materials. So "paint grade" wood sounds like a winner.
Catch being that I want it to be durable from dinging. So pine is pretty much right out. (At least for the high wear areas).

Any thoughts?

Here is an example of this type of table I snapped a pic of (out in the Seattle area.)
438125

[Scott Winners]

Round or square top? You could use, it sounds like, pine for the field and then a tough wood for the edges.

I am building a wood shed array for a guy from my church now and using quarter sawn Doug Fir heartwood to protect the plywood floor from work boots.

For round table tops, I would look for air dried hickory and a steam box. You could also use ash.

If the top is square, sky is the limit. You could box in the top with all manner of tough kild dried stuff, white oak, hickory, red oak even.

[Erich Weidner]

It'll be rectangular.

[Mel Fulks]

The canvas glued to good one side plywood treatment ,then painted would be ideal. You can glue two sheets of plywood
at one time by putting them face to face with a plastic tarp between them . Spring clamps around perimeter and something heavy in the middle is all the clamping needed. Then you paint it. Yes, I think I've mentioned it before.
There is a guy on you tube who has several pieces on tecnique and uses.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I'd look at poplar which paints really well. Also, to prevent edge damage rout a quarter round both top and bottom.

[Jamie Buxton]

Plywood for the big horizontal surface. Plywood with a hardwood face. In my area, maple is the least expensive, and it takes paint nicely -- no grain pattern telegraphing through the paint. For the edges, again maple, but lumber. Either soft or hard maple, whichever is less expensive in your area.

[Mike Allen1010]

I'd look at poplar which paints really well. Also, to prevent edge damage rout a quarter round both top and bottom.

+1 to Dave's suggestion. Cheap, durable and tough.

[steven c newman]

There are some tables out there, that have a metal "L" shaped edge all around the table....

Maybe inlet into the top surface until flush...Counter sunk "trim" screws to attach to the edge....miter the corners, either as 4 pieces, or a wrap around single piece. Edge of the metal can stick slightly below the edge of the wood top.

[Mel Fulks]

The green heart poplar is ok. The white sap stuff is not ok without canvas or copper naphthalate.

[Erich Weidner]

The green heart poplar is ok. The white sap stuff is not ok without canvas or copper naphthalate.


I've never used poplar. I assume the green heart is more durable? How does one select it? (I mean, is it as simple as finding boards with a bit of green on them?)

[mike stenson]

Alder also paints well. Hard enough for Fender to make guitar bodies out of.

[Mel Fulks]

I've never used poplar. I assume the green heart is more durable? How does one select it? (I mean, is it as simple as finding boards with a bit of green on them?)

It's pretty easy to get the green poplar ,since many poplar buyers want the white sapwood to stain into walnut ,or cherry !
The dark green poplar is best ,but any amount of green for exterior use is much better than the white.

[Erich Weidner]

As I'm thinking about it... when we are saying paints well, what do we mean? No grain showing? Paint sticks better?

[Andrew Seemann]

Baltic birch plywood for the top, and for the edging, whatever clear, close grained hardwood is cheap in your area. Poplar, maple (hard or soft) birch, cherry, alder, or similar should be fine.

[Andrew Seemann]

As I'm thinking about it... when we are saying paints well, what do we mean? No grain showing? Paint sticks better?

Yes. Grain isn't pronounced, and the paint sticks good. No oils, excessive tannins, or other things that make you say 4 letter words while painting. Red cedar, doug fir, softwoods with hard latewood and soft earlywood, oaks, ash, walnut, are all woods that I don't like painting. Very hard woods can sometimes be difficult, especially if the surface glazes or work hardens while machining or smoothing. I'm thinking of hard maple and beech here, a good primer (oil or shellac based) is important on these woods. Actually a good primer is important for all woods, but especially those.

[andy bessette]

MDO for the top. And cheap, local hardwood for the edge.

[Gary Focht]

I’ve built a good bit of stuff out of poplar. Painted bookcases, indoor house trim, a bathroom vanity, etc. because I’m cheap and my wife wanted it all painted anyway. However, I’m not sure I would call it durable. It dings easily in my shop when building and have to break out the iron. It has done ok on my door trim though, but we aren’t banging stuff into that, although there is the occasional dent.

I just built a desk for my son out of poplar and managed to do a good job staining it and it looks nice. However, while finishing it the little plastic stand-offs dented the top - to late in the process to iron out. Will live with those.

[Mel Fulks]

Gary, in every use of the word that I've seen pertaining to wood "durable" means it lasts OK outdoors. It's a trade thing.

[Gary Focht]

Mel,

The original question was this: “Catch being that I want it to be durable from dinging. So pine is pretty much right out. (At least for the high wear areas).“

So that is what I was trying to answer and I don’t think poplar fits the bill based on my experience.