Replies

1. 
   GaryW | Jun 22, 2006 07:50am | #1

   It's soft; kids are hard.

   It takes stain better than maple, but maple's hard.

   Otherwise, it's more popular than it used to be.

   Gary W

   gwwoodworking.com

2. 
   forestgirl | Jun 22, 2006 06:15pm | #2

   Gary has highlighted the biggest disadvantage to alder for furniture -- it is soft!  I live in Alder country, and I love it for displays (big shadowboxes, for instance) but would not use it for furniture unless it was in a gentle, childless couple's home, LOL!  Its advantages are that it's very easy to work, it's relatively inexpensive, and it takes a wide variety of stains exceptionally well. 

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   

3. 
   DougU | Jun 22, 2006 11:51pm | #3

   What are your teanage kids like? If the answer is "normal" then you wont want to use alder for furniture!

   Doug

4. 
   notDusty | Jun 23, 2006 06:13pm | #4

   sneezy ,               Alder with a clear finish is truly beautiful , but ,,,,,,,,,,  for your application a harder wood will look good longer the finish seems to be stronger on harder woods . Try Beech it is available and lower priced but hard .

            As the logging in the PNW has dwindled the supply of Alder as well as Cedar, Fir  and Pine have been effected and for years the best Export quality Alder logs have gone to Japan to make fax paper , go figure .

        Don't confuse softer with easier to work the wood . In reality it takes me longer to sand out Alder then Red Oak . Alder is a bit fuzzy on cut and machined edges and has a lot of grain switches which create a blotchy appearance when stained .

   With Red Birch veneer and Alder I have built many kitchens and always clear on the finish to really see the beauty of the Alder .

                  good   luck             dusty