Matching Molding to Stained Birch

[Jeff Stubbert]

I am wrapping up building a set of tall cabinets to go next to a Murphy bed. I made them from Birch ply and stained them dark with American Finishes Water based Espresso stain. I plan on adding crown molding to the top.

I just came back from Austin Hardwoods which seems to carry the biggest selection of moldings in my area and found out they don't carry any made from Birch. They have Maple, Alder, Poplar, Cherry, Mahogany, and Walnut.


Does anyone have a suggestion as to which one would most closely resemble the stained Birch? I assume it would have to do with hardness and porousness of the wood.

[Paul Girouard]

Alder , test a piece first a wash coat of sanding sealer or shellac may help if it wants to go to dark , a wash coat of Amber shellac may help if it wants to be to light. Use the same stain on the Alder of course.

Maple , I think , would be hard to get dark enought although the grain would match a bit closer , assuming both woods are flat sawn.

Good luck.

[Todd Burch]

Birch is often substituted for Maple and vice versa. Alder is the cheapo look-alike cousin of Cherry.

Walnut and Mahogany - no way. Well, not easy. The grain is all different for Mahogany. Unless your stained Birch is very dark, Walnut is out.

Poplar - depends. Poplar can be any color from a creamy white, to yellow, to green to grey to purple to black. The grain is more open in poplar than Maple or Birch.

I would get the Maple. If they had a piece of curly Maple, I would grab it and use it in a heartbeat.

Maple can easily be made to take a stain just like Birch.

Todd

[Derek Tuchscherer]

I am in the middle of a Murphy Bed myself using birch ply and maple solid with Flecto "Early American" stain, and was able to get the colors fairly close, needed two to three coats on the maple vs. one coat on the birch ply.

Derek