Help with Wood Choice

[Matt Moore]

I am about to embark on a project to build some bunkbeds. Most of my projects have been out of cherry but I am looking to not spend quite so much.

My wife would like to stain to a dark mahagany or dark cherry color. She does not like the grain of oak so that is out.

What hardwooods should I consider that would be less expensive then Cherry/Mahagany, but would stain well to a darker color.
Thanks

[Todd Crawford]

I know that it is more popular for painted pieces, but I have actually had good results with poplar staining to a dark mahogany. You have to be real selective and stay awy from the green tinted pieces, but I've have done it several times and had good results. Be sure to use a sealer or wood conditioner.

[Montgomery Scott]

African mahogany or Brazilian cherry. Both are about 40% less in cost.

[Mike Schueler]

The guy at my local lumber yard recommended maple, which kinda makes sense since it's closed-grain already. Of course, maple doesn't like stains, so using a darker dye would be necessary.

[john bateman]

I've use Lyptus, which resembles mahogany but costs about a third less. It usually comes in large, straight boards, so there's not much waste.

I applied Bartley gel varnish, layering their brown mahogany and Pennsylvania cherry colors to get a color similar to what you might see on commercially made furniture.
http://www.lyptus.com/default.aspx

[Matt Moore]

Would douglas fir be an option to consider? Not hardwood but it would cost alot less and easy to work??

Here is the picture of what I am patterning after. This is going to be the biggest project to date. I wish she just wanted it painted, that would be easier.....

[glenn bradley]

Would douglas fir be an option to consider? Not hardwood but it would cost alot less and easy to work??

Here is the picture of what I am patterning after. This is going to be the biggest project to date. I wish she just wanted it painted, that would be easier.....

Doug Fir is quite soft and unless you can find a quality yard with some good dry stuff it can be a bit unstable. I bought some KD stuff and then stickered it for a couple months in my shop. After I built the piece it continued to shrink to the point where I am going to have to rebuild. Just my experience, YMMV.

Lyptus, alder or a careful selection of poplar (avoiding the green and gray streaks) would be my choice for cheap.

[Matt Moore]

Thanks for the comments on douglas fir.

Part of the trouble is availability of wood. Here in FL, I don't think we get alot of options because there aren't many hardwoods that grow anywhere nearby and therefore, the few yards that I have only carry the common stuff and some exotics.

Here is a list of what is available. Maybe I should have started with that.
http://www.intercitylumber.com/Lumber.html


Species

4/4 (1" Thick)
8/4 (2" Thick)
16/4 (4" Thick)

http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/ash11.bmp
Ash
$2.80
$4.00


http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/basswood_vtb5.jpg
Basswood



$6.80
http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/cherry.jpg
Cherry
$7.50
$9.50


http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/hardmaple.jpg
Hard Maple
$6.25
$7.25


http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/mahogany.jpg
Mahogany
$10.50
$10.50


http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/poplar.jpg
Poplar
$2.50
$2.50


http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/roak_7j03.jpg
Red Oak
$4.25
$6.00


http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/softmaple.jpg
Soft Maple
$4.25
$5.25



Teak
$24.00
$24.00


http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/walnut.jpg
Walnut
$6.50
$8.50


http://www.intercitylumber.com/images/whiteoak.jpg
White Oak
$4.25
$7.00

[Chris Padilla]

Well, if oak is out then likely ash is out, too, since they are similar looking. Ash isn't as open-pored as oak but it isn't closed like maple.

Looks like poplar or soft maple are your choices. Can you spring for the soft maple? Don't let the name fool you: soft maple ain't so soft!!

I was going to suggest birch but that isn't on your list.

Scour your local craigslist and you might get lucky.

[Matt Moore]

Good idea on Craigs List. Thanks. I have seen hardwood available there as well but never at the right time.

[john bateman]

I put in zipcode 33619 in the woodfinder.com search engine. The closest it found was 114 miles away, but they have a couple types of mahogany for reasonable price. And a wider selection of lumber, in general.
http://www.chipmunkhardwoods.com/

[Frank Drew]

Matt,

That's a pretty ambitious project that, IMO, deserves as good a wood as you can afford.

[Matt Moore]

I will check into the chipmunkhardwoods. That is quite a drive and may or may not be worth it.


Someone else mentioned lyptus. I found this post on craigslist.

lyptus hardwood for 2 dollars a board foot. lumber widths vary from 2 to 6 inches and are 16 ft long. this hardwood is used extensively for flooring, cabinets, etc. if you are not familiar with this hardwood you can go to lyptus.com for information on this lumber. call 727-434-3658 for more info.

I also found another post on craigslist that is not too far and their prices are at least a $1 less per board foot than the other source I normally use.

[Matt Moore]

Matt,

That's a pretty ambitious project that, IMO, deserves as good a wood as you can afford.

That is an excellent point. I would do cherry but she does not want to wait for it to be darker and I think she wants it darker more like the picture below anyway.

[John Thompson]

Whoa.. I will let the guys help you as they are doing an admirable job of doing so far... just wanted to comment that the prices they are charging would send many into shock in the Atlanta area. I pay around $1.90 for red oak and $2.30 for white with QSWO around $3.90. The other prices are extremely more also and the ones above are just an example.

I would suggest you have a look at Steve Wall's web-site in N. Carolina as the prices with shipping would be cheaper than what you are paying local IMO.... I could be wrong without researching but I don't think so.

Good luck...

Sarge..

[Brodie Brickey]

I've used lyptus before. Its pretty easy to work. Very straight grained. Most people who see it won't guess its lyptus either.

[Matt Moore]

Matt,

That's a pretty ambitious project that, IMO, deserves as good a wood as you can afford.


I've used lyptus before. Its pretty easy to work. Very straight grained. Most people who see it won't guess its lyptus either.

I did some searching on lyptus and it definately looks like a good option especially at $2 bf. I am awaiting a return call from the CL poster. It does not say if it is rough or not. I want to work with the rough.

[Matt Moore]

After all of this...... I think we are going to choose poplar. I want to make the beds and with the color that my wife wants I don't think it is wise to pay alot for another hardwood and then stain it dark.

Now, I hope our local supply has enough in stock. I did not see much over there today.

[Chris Padilla]

If you can't find enough clear poplar for staining, be sure to sample stain some of the greener poplar to ensure it looks all right after staining. This will tell you if you need to pick clear poplar...which could be quite trying.

[Cary Swoveland]

Well, if oak is out then likely ash is out, too, since they are similar looking. Ash isn't as open-pored as oak but it isn't closed like maple....

I wouldn't be so fast to rule out ash. It's a beautiful wood to work with, stains well and is reasonably inexpensive. If you don't like the look of its grain, quartersawn ash might provide the appearance you are looking for. (I sometimes use quartersawn ash veneer for the interior of boxes--it has a very uniform appearance.) You should use a filler, and applying a conditioner would give the stain (or dye) a more uniform appearance.

Cary

[Joe Chritz]

I am a big fan of maple and don't use much cherry so that would be my first pick for a bed like that.

The difference is likely not that much when you figure how much a similar piece would sell for retail with much less quality.

Some advice I got a long time ago is "it only hurts once" meaning once it is purchased you can enjoy it for a long time after.

Joe

[Shawn Christ]

Why not consider a nice clear/select pine? It's more affordable than most hardwoods yet not as soft as standard pine, and there are no knots. I think it's an attractive wood and you could stain it to any color you want.

[Brian Brown]

Matt,

I would strongly consider alder. It is a reasonable replacement for cherry in the looks department, although it is a lot softer. I don't know where you live, but if you live near the northeast corner of the US, it is often cheaper than pine, and doesn't gunk up your tools with pitch. I made a china hutch for my wife a couple of years ago and wanted to use cherry, but it was ecconomically unfeasable. The alder worked well as a substitute. www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=54897 It mills well and takes stain well if you use a pre conditioner. Good luck, and we want to see the results.

[Prashun Patel]

Lyptus or eucalyptus grandis are decent choices. They look like African mahogany without the ribboning. Eucalyptus takes stain and dye very well. People warn that it can get stringy, but I found it to machine very well. I used it on a sofa table with af mahogany and after dyeing, you can't tell the difference.

If your head and footboards are going to have wide, flat surfaces (vs spindles) you should consider using birch. Baltic birch ply could then be used for the panels. (In fact, even if yr using maple or pop, you could use BB for the panels).

A dark (like mahogany) gel stain will act much like a paint anyway, so I don't think you'll have much staining probs. You might practice with using a 'priming' coat of thinned, dewaxed shellac to even out the absorption.

But heck, if you've worked w/ cherry, then you probably know how to deal with stain probs on maple/birch/poplar already.

[Don Orr]

Nobody mentioned Birch. If available, it takes stain well and is strong and works well. Lots of cabinets use it for doors and drawer fronts to simulate Maple or Cherry. Just a thought.

[Matt Moore]

Nobody mentioned Birch. If available, it takes stain well and is strong and works well. Lots of cabinets use it for doors and drawer fronts to simulate Maple or Cherry. Just a thought.

Thanks. I would do birch but it is not available at any of my supplies in anything other than plywood.

[Jim Becker]

Liptus...which is a wonderful substitute for mahogany at a much lower cost would be a nice alternative.

[Chris Padilla]

Nobody mentioned Birch. If available, it takes stain well and is strong and works well. Lots of cabinets use it for doors and drawer fronts to simulate Maple or Cherry. Just a thought.

See post #9. :D