Wood recomendations for Rocking Horse

[Lou Ferrarini]

I want to build a Rocking Horse for someone special for Christmas and was planning to use some Walnut pieces I have for the trim and Maple for the body. Question is, is hard or soft Maple preferable. They are about the same price here so cost is not a factor.

Thanks

[Peter Quinn]

Take your choice, either will work. Soft maple is still pretty strong stuff. Unless the color is select in the soft maple, soft tends to be MC (mixed color) so look out for mineral streaks, grey patches and such, especially the ones just below the surface of the wood which you can't see but are bound to mill into!:D

I find soft maple has an annoying tendency to take stain, dye and oil finishes differently from board to board, so be prepared for that if the finish is clear grade. A stain conditioner or a 1# cut of shellac can help even things out.

Ash is a nice choice for a rocking horse too, and looks good with walnut. Good luck.

[mark page]

Ash came to my mind also.

[scott spencer]

Ash came to my mind also.

Ash is nice looking (IMHO) and really nice to work with. The fact that it's currently endangered and could disappear from commercial furniture in the not-so-distant future makes it an especially attractive choice for heirloom pieces. It'd still contrast nicely with your walnut trim.

[Lou Ferrarini]

Ash is nice looking (IMHO) and really nice to work with. The fact that it's currently endangered and could disappear from commercial furniture in the not-so-distant future makes it an especially attractive choice for heirloom pieces. It'd still contrast nicely with your walnut trim.

Sad to hear that about ash. I built a kitchen out of it about 20 years ago and it was beautiful wood. I will check to see if my supplier stocks it. Thanks for the info.

[Lee Schierer]

I would also recommend the soft maple and it will contrast nicely with the walnut. It works well and holds up well with use. The hard maple will be a bit heavier and at some point the horse is likely to fall on the rider so weight will become important.

[Mike Hedges]

I have built two . I used red oak and they finished out great .