Choice of wood to match this.

[mr]

Difficult question praps given the "what"...
I'm planning a cabinet which will have legs, top and base in black walnut with spalted beech as the panel in a frame / panel door. Any suggestions as to what might work for the door frames & the rest of the cabinet (sides / back). I was thinking in terms of Ash for its lightness, perhaps sycamore, though these may not work with the beech, possibly something darker - more beech? Preferably something not imported. (Ie something I can buy on a raid to Yandles in the morning).
Cheers Mike
PS the beech for the door panels...

 

[WellsWood]

I'm assuming the pic is of the spalted beech? It's quite something. I'd personally not want to dilute the impact of anything that dramatic in a door panel by adding in a third timber. Why not just make everything else (except the back unless it's going to be visible) in the black walnut? Could end up being very fussy if there's too much going on.
Tough call though, are you making it for yourself? If so you should do what you want.

Good luck

 

[mr]

Thanks Mark, Yes that's the spalted beech.
Definitly want to avoid fussy, given the appearance of the beech that may sound odd but Im looking for understated if you see what I mean. I hadn't thought of walnut throughout though I had thought that any more than two timber types might be asking for trouble. I was considering a beech cabinet but the spalted beech is so dramatic that I think that might clash as well.
The back will be visible at least when the doors are opened. Plus it's a weddign present so I don't really know where the recipient will put it, the back may be visible from the back as well. Im thinking the back should be solid wood of some sort for both of these reasons. The back isn't load bearign so a rebated frame / panel arrangement should work.
Cheers Mike.

 

[WellsWood]

Mike, have you got enough of the spalted beech for the side panels as well? If so how about that with the walnut just used to frame everything so to speak. I wouldn't worry unduly about what material to use for the back, especially if you're going to drop a solid panel into rebates in the back of the frame. I think it's highly unlikely anyone would put a cabinet where the back could be viewed, especially one that is as nice at the front as this is obviously going to be. As far as the inside view is concerned, remember 2 things:
1. The eye tends to expect the inside of a box to dark, and.....
2. People put stuff inside (which tends to obscure the view anyway)

My vote? - unless this is going to be a show peice, at eye level, with a well lit interior, put a plywood panel in for the back and stain it dark to match the walnut.

 

[mr]

Unfortunately what you see in the pic is all I have of the beech. Its resawn to bookmatch it for a pair of doors as it is shame cos it would look nice all round. Obviously Im going to lose some of the perimeter into the door frame as well which is a shame but cant be helped. Im tempted to cancel the project for now until something appropriate comes along but Id rather not. Im seriously thinking abut your suggestion of going with the walnut all round but had previously had a vision of a light coloured cabinet. Praps I should go with the light coloured cabinet and save the beech for another day.
Cheers Mike

 

[paulm]

Stunning pieces of beech Mike :mrgreen:

 

[jasonB]

Do you have enough thickness in the panels to saw them into veneers and laminate onto MDF with possibly a white beech balancing veneer on the inside.

If going for another wood for the sides and back then as the main part of your spalted boards are quite light I would go for white beech (unsteamed). May be worth googling for some images of Krenovfurniture as he often uses spalted door panels.

Jason

 

[Philly]

Mike
Some lovely beech!
I'd go for walnut, too. When you go to Yandles they always have some spalted beech about so you should be able to get more to go with the stuff you have. Cheap, too!
I made a similar style cabinet here. Two timbers are probably enough, especially if you have some pretty stuff.
Hope this helps
Philly

 

[mr]

Thanks all for your suggestions.
At the moment Im looking at walnut through out with the beech from the pic for door frames or alternately spalted beech (if I can get some more from Yandles ) for the cabinet with Walnut for the legs. Ahh Krenov you spotted me Yes Philly Ive seen your cabinet Having just read one of Krenovs books I thought I'd have a go at something like that, then I ran accross the spalted beech and grabbed thinking it would work for the doors. Its only 12mm thick, cutting veneer from that I guess would be possible but I am without bandsaw so possibly not - Id rather keep it solid if I can anyway. As it happens Im not going to get to Yandles today - already running late praps Sunday morning though thats unlikely :/
Cheers Mike

 

[SimonA]

Nice bit of timber fella....I was thinking it might be nice to have all the frame work out of Walnut, the doors out of that spalted Beech, the sides out of white Beech (like Jason suggested) and the back panel out of Walnut..........That way all the exterior matches and the Walnut frames the Beech, but when you open the doors up the Beech will be framing the dark Walnut of the back panel.......I hope that makes sense?

SimonA

 

[mr]

Looking at all the dimensions again and my sketches I think I might have to shelve plans to use this beech. Strikes me that it's too tall and thin to get pair of doors of sufficient width out of. At about 750mm x 130 mm before it goes into a frame the cabinet part of the thing would end up being horribly tall and thin. Of course the other option is to cut to length in order to make height appropriate to width, but that seems a shame although that does allow me to use some of it for the cabinet sides - though in that case I suspect the thing is become rather "petite".
Mike
ps Simon A that was pretty much what I had in mind

 

[SimonA]

Hehe....All great minds think alike fella! :wink:

SimonA