Dining table woods?

[Mike O'Keefe]

I made a kitchen table this winter out of quarter sawn white oak. It's my favorite wood. Second choice would have been walnut. I think these types of wood are very durable. Mike O'Keefe

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Has anybody ever used alder?

[Andrew Hughes]

Has anybody ever used alder?

I have Ken it’s nice to work but a little soft for a table top. If everyone checks their knives and pistols at the door you won’t see dents. That’s what I do with my outlaw friends
Out west we see Alder with lots of knots or superior with mostly clear.
I can post a pic of a table if your interested
Good Luck

[Ken Fitzgerald]

And the winner is? I just got back from my woodporn dealer in Walla Walla. I had trimmed the list to cherry or black walnut. I heard a month ago he'd just got a new shipment of walnut in stock. When I called yesterday asking if he had walnut he replied he had a lot of walnut. When I asked about cherry he said he wasn't sure he had enough left for a dining table, he'd have to check his inventory. I told to not waste his time. Today the wife and I drove over and bought 50+bf of nicely matched 4/4, nicely matched 6/4 and some matched 8/4 in black walnut. I will use the 8/4 to glue up 4 table legs. The legs will be octagonal with a small turned portion 5" from the bottom. The 6/4 will become the tabletop and the 4/4 will become the frame.

The only hardware left to buy are threaded inserts, screw-in leveling legs and the latches for the top.

Thanks for the input folks!

[Steve Jenkins]

Just a “for what it’s worth “. I drill the bottom of the legs with a forstner bit that allows me to recess the adjustable feet out of sight. The only time a foot is visible is when it’s needed.

[Jack Frederick]

Wow, Kent, that gives me all the flash-backs they promised me back in the 60’s