Coffee Table - Walnut?

[Keith Benningfield]

I would like to build a coffee table but I'm not sure which wood to use. I am finishing up another table/stand in walnut and really like how it's turning out. However, I read somewhere on this forum that walnut is soft (compared to cherry) and is more likely to dent/ding. Any thoughts on this? Is walnut considered a furniture grade wood? Other than cherry and walnut what else should I consider. I'm looking for a color that falls somewhere between cherry and walnut.

Thanks,

Keith

[Ben Rafael]

There is a ton of furniture made of walnut. I am working on a walnut rocker currently. Go for it if you like walnut.

[Frank Fusco]

Many, if not most gunstocks are made of walnut, it is tough. A master woodworker once told me that if it's worth making it's worth making out of walnut. IMHO, walnut is the king of woods and maple is the queen.

[Keith Benningfield]

Guys,

Thanks for the reassurance that walnut is good for furniture. I've got two weeks until I have to make a decision but right now I think it'll be walnut.

[Ben Rafael]

If money is no object go for Claro Walnut, you wont be disappointed.

[Guy Germaine]

Just to give you some idea as to what it may look like, I built this several months ago for my BIL. He wanted a place to display his police memorabelia.

[Steve Schoene]

Traditionally walnut was second only to mahogany as the premium wood for furniture, ahead of cherry and maple, which were used in more rural areas--though often with good success as in the Connecticut River valley.

[Tom Jones III]

Traditionally walnut was second only to mahogany as the premium wood for furniture, ahead of cherry and maple, which were used in more rural areas--though often with good success as in the Connecticut River valley.

Why would you ever choose cherry over walnut? I almost always use walnut if I am making something for myself. Just about the only time I use something else is to make a federal style piece in mahogany.

[Keith Benningfield]

Thansk again for all of you input. If my wife likes the outcome of the table I'm currently working on then I'll use the walnut. Will walnut get lighter over time?

Guy - Nice table, I just emailed a picture of it to my wife. She commented the other day that she might want a table she can display items in.

Thanks,

Keith

[Russ Filtz]

I built flag cases of walnut and cherry at the same time. The cherry was significantly softer. I had to be careful not to dent and ding it. The walnut seemed way harder and could put up with more abuse

[Frank Fusco]

Why would you ever choose cherry over walnut? I almost always use walnut if I am making something for myself. Just about the only time I use something else is to make a federal style piece in mahogany.

That would depend on how far back you are going in time to reference "tradition". Early American furniture was often made of what was available. The end product was more important than the wood used. There was often a mix of woods in one item. I dunno, but it seems that could present problems with expansion, contraction, glueing, etc. But that 's the way it was done.

[Charlie Plesums]

... Will walnut get lighter over time?...

Keith

Walnut gets a tiny bit lighter over time, but not something I worry about at all. Cherry gets a LOT darker over time, and has to be part of your plan for the color of the wood.

IMHO both Walnut and Cherry are fine, premium furniture woods. Walnut happens to be my favorite. If you are interested, there is a long page on my web site about choosing woods.

[Keith Beck]

Keith,

Here's a coffee table I recently finished in Walnut. This was actually my first piece of furniture, so I learned quite a bit while building it. I really enjoyed working with the Walnut and so far, I haven't seen any problems with durability. FWIW, I wet sanded with Danish Oil then finished with Wipe-On Poly.

Keith

[Steve Schoene]

That would depend on how far back you are going in time to reference "tradition". Early American furniture was often made of what was available. The end product was more important than the wood used. There was often a mix of woods in one item. I dunno, but it seems that could present problems with expansion, contraction, glueing, etc. But that 's the way it was done.

I agree if you go want to go back to the Pilgrim Century, but as the 18th century rolled along, the use of "what ever was available" became limited to rural cabinet makers. In the urban centers walnut was king, until it was shouldered aside for pride of place by mahogany. But outside the cities, where cherry and maple were clearly lower status woods, cherry and maple were used in high style furniture.

It never did become the case that furniture was made with only one kind of wood. Secondary woods for drawers, backs and bottoms were used throughout the American colonial period, as is still done today.

[Jesse Cloud]

A took a class from a woodworker a while back who started the class by saying "There are two kinds of wood: Walnut and firewood."

Don't hesitate to use walnut for fine furniture. The dust can aggravate some folks, so a mask might be a good idea - but since you already used walnut, you probably know by now whether you will get a reaction or not.

If you want a color between cherry and walnut, I would suggest to start with a lighter color wood and try stains until you get just the color you want.