wood for rocking chair

[Kenny Andersen]

So I'm going to make my wife a rocking chair. Sure, I like walnut, but I got a lot of walnut stuff. I usually use natural finishes -- I got a thing for letting the natural wood come out. The wife wants something dark. I'm looking for suggestions. I think it takes about 40 bf of 8/4 lumber, so availability of 8/4 is an issue. Budget? I'd like to spend less than $800 bucks on wood (so ebony is out!). I will have a jointer and planer as well as a bandsaw (posts for another area!) TBD, I currently have a Delta Unisaw and a drill press, so I guess what I'm saying is if it's rough-sawn that's OK. Any suggestions?

[Gary Breckenridge]

Yep....I'd go with walnut again. With all the other walnut pieces think of it as a matched set. 8/4 in exotic woods may be a bit hard to find at an affordable price.

[Rick Gooden]

Kenny,

Where are you located? Someone here might know of a supplier in your area.

[Kenny Andersen]

Well, I usually live in TX, but right this moment I'm working in Korea and listening to the steady staccato of rain outside due to our proximity to the typhoon that's wandering between Korea and China right now!

I probably won't buy the wood for several months. I'm trying to get some ideas and if I can settle on something then I can start watching to see if a deal comes up. One option down my way might be Mesquite, though from the pictures (not always accurate) my wife thinks there is a bit too much red in it. Gary's suggestion might not be too bad. I suppose I could jazz it up a bit my using some figured walnut, but I was thinking I might like to try something new, despite the fact I always tell folks if God made a better wood [than walnut] he kept it to himself! I guess I like a bit of variety as well!

[David Hawxhurst]

paduk after it ages looks pretty cool, jatoba (Brazilian cherry), honduran mahogany, purple heart would be different, you could probably get more than 40 bf of wenge for less than $800.
edit
forgot bubinga would be pretty cool to.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

I just refinished an antique mahogany rocker--makes a nice looking chair!

[Tom Winship]

Kenny, I live in central Texas and am building my fifth Maloof inspired rocker. Have built two from cherry, two from mesquite, and am building my first from walnut. I am partial to mesquite for some reason or another.
Not knowing what part of Texas you live in, I will throw a couple of suppliers out there. For mesquite, I have bought my 8/4 from Texas Kiln Products in Bastrop. The walnut I just bought from M&G Sawmill near Huntsville. I have bought cherry from Fine Lumber & Plywood in Austin.
Good Luck and you won't make a wrong choice. All are good.

[Prashun Patel]

Mahogany and cherry will darken with time, if you want to be different.

Personally, I'd do mesquite. This non-Texan is jealous of your access to that.

In the end, if yr wife doesn't want to wait for a dark finish, then walnut's probably the safest choice.

[Paul Symchych]

If you can find mesquite in 8/4; free of it's frequent defects; at a decent price it would be fabulous. Three big 'if's.
Jatoba I've worked with is decidedly reddish, harder than teak it eats sharp tools, but finishes well. It used to be really cheap until the flooring guys discovered it. It must still be cheap in Brazil because they use it for railroad ties. Even termites can't eat it. 8/4 isn't common here.
Hickory would be worth looking at. Sapwood is pallid and uniformly boring. Heartwood is not as dark or as uniformly colored as walnut but has grain patterns that appeal to me. If you can pick through stacks for the dark heartwood it is very, very hard and strong, not bad to work with and finishes well. Also cheap. I gather pecan is similar and often intermixed under one name or the other.

[Kenny Andersen]

Thanks guys for the input. I suppose the Mesquite is pretty tempting and it's reasonably dark, so I may try looking into that first. The Jatoba sounds interesting as well -- I like red particularly, but the wife don't. Since I mostly railroad her on all things wood, AND this is her chair, I suppose I ought to respect he color preference! My biggest problem beside working out of the country, is that I already have a ton of hobbies an just recently took up Korean water colors! I really can't wait to retire from real work!

[lowell holmes]

I built a chair with mesquite, using cherry on the rockers. After 7 years, the cherry and mesquite look the same. I've had two mesquite back splats break.

I just finished another chair using cherry and it really looks good. It will darken with age.

[Richard Wolf]

I have used Paduk for a lot of pieces in my home. I think it is a wood that is often overlooked. When finished with a clear finish is looks beautiful. A dark reddish brown with much more character then mahogany. Very easy to work with and I think priced within reason. The only down side is the orange saw dust which tends to stain your clothes for a washing or two, but I think the beauty of the finished piece is well worth it. I also think it will compliment your walnut very well.

[Kenny Andersen]

I built a chair with mesquite, using cherry on the rockers. After 7 years, the cherry and mesquite look the same. I've had two mesquite back splats break.

I just finished another chair using cherry and it really looks good. It will darken with age.

was it a defect in the Mesquite do you think? back splat kind of thin? Did you make a particular rocker (say from plans that are out there?)

[Kenny Andersen]

I have used Paduk for a lot of pieces in my home. I think it is a wood that is often overlooked. When finished with a clear finish is looks beautiful. A dark reddish brown with much more character then mahogany. Very easy to work with and I think priced within reason. The only down side is the orange saw dust which tends to stain your clothes for a washing or two, but I think the beauty of the finished piece is well worth it. I also think it will compliment your walnut very well.

how long does it take to turn dark?

[Richard Wolf]

It goes dark when sprayed with clear lac. Over time it may lose some of the red color, but I am real happy with the way it looks.