Hard wood

filsgreen · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:40 pm Post subject: Hard wood

Hi everyone

What are your thoughts on using hard wood? Do you think it is too expensive or are you just resigned to paying the price? I'm a little apprehensive of using it as mistakes can be costly. Reading through the posts member mention Ash and Oak, bearing in mind the cheapest hardwood I can find in Liverpool is 72p a foot of 3x1, what is the cost of Ash and Oak? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Phil

Gill · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:55 pm Post subject:

My thoughts are that you tend to get what you pay for. The price of any wood will vary according to its quality. You might like to browse the links in the list of timber merchants that Chas has compiled in order to get an idea of costs.

Of course, there are many woodworkers who never touch hardwoods and produce items that are very high quality. To my mind, though, it's a bit like being in a sweet shop and only buying sherbert dips when there are all sorts of other goodies waiting to be tasted.

Scrit · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 4:55 pm Post subject: Re: Hard wood

Colin C · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 4:59 pm Post subject:

If you go dor Oak, go for American as it is much cheaper but it looks just the same

LyNx · Master Furnituremaker Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 1158

American is cheaper but for white, red is slightly more. Nearly double for european but i won't say it looks the same.

Andy

Adam · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:47 pm Post subject:

Certainly it is expensive, but then so is your own time. If you are worried about mistakes, perhaps a few more projects on softwoods, before switching over? There are ways to pick up cheaper hardwood, some places do pallets of offcuts, you could try a local sawmill - certainly WL Wests (hardwood timber merchants) do a 'firewood' "fill a car boot for a tenner deal" and you often find odd pieces of hardwood that are pretty good. How about talking to a local cabinetmaker - see if he has a few offcuts?

Adam

Colin C · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:52 pm Post subject:

If you want something to start with, try tulip for most builders yards.
Its cheap and has been used in lots of furniture, also it can be stained or painted.
It will give you something to get started on that is not pine, has been stained to look like mahog or walnut for years ( lots victorian furniture was made from it ) Smile

Guest · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 5:56 pm Post subject:

I cannot add much to what has already been said other than to say that different hardwoods feel very different to work and I suggest a 'friendly' wood to start.

Ash is much easier to work that Oak for instance and Sycamore or Poplar are a sort of half-way house between these and pine as they are softer and plane/cut more easily.

I would buy a little Ash if you are confident that your skills are ready.

Scrit · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:12 pm Post subject:

filsgreen · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:28 pm Post subject:

Thanks everyone, at least I know where to go and what to look for Very Happy

Phil

tombo · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:46 pm Post subject:

Phil,

i got lucky at ambrose the other week i phoned for a price on some Oak and was quoted around £50. But when i got there i asked to pick through their off-cut rack and got a nice chunk for £15 Smile

its go a bit of a twist in it and i would have rejected it had i been paying full price. But i was very happy as i can straighten it out on the planer and get more than what i need.

Tom
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Midnight · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 11:52 pm Post subject:

Scrit · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 12:36 am Post subject:

Colin C · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:17 am Post subject:

FYI "tulip" is the generic trade name for American poplar. It sands slightly woolly and in my experience it stains rather inconsistently and is best dealt with by sealing then staining or finishing with a coloured lacquer/varnish. But it is strong, cheap and generally available. McGraths are a stockist

Scrit[/quote]

Hi Scrit, what type of stain have you used because they are light fast spirit stains that would do the job very well.
It all so has to be sanded properly ( not saying you have not Shocked

), but its not then it will be patchy

Scrit · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:28 am Post subject:

On commercial stuff I generally spray with Morrells light fast high pigmented stains as they can be mixed with other clear finishes I use. Problem is that in a commercial environment American yellow poplar is not always a happy wood as it does indeed finish a bit woolly looking when sanded and stains can sometimes end up not taking consistently - this isn't quality of sanding it's down to variable porousity between heartwood and sapwood I feel. There is a limit of about 180 grit that we can go to on a cheap wood like poplar - customers won't pay you to sand up to 320 grit y'know Wink

This difference is even more noticeable with English poplar where you may have to contend with green sapwood (which turns brown or even blackish in time - American contains a lot less sapwood and is more consistent in colour) The general trade solution is to seal the grain then apply a pigmented lacquer coating which saves having to worry about it all. Scratch commercially furniture and this is what you'll frequently find as we are trying to get poplar to look like mahogany a lot of the time!

Let's face it - poplar is really a joinery timber and doesn't compare to timbers like sycamore, maple or cherry. But then neither does the price! Oh yes, and the other plus is that the planks are up to 24in wide (sometimes wider). Makes it good for stacked bandsawing of chair components, etc.

BTW Morrells are a well known industrial finish suppliers

Scrit
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