So I am new to wood working and I am attempting to make a few pieces of furniture for myself. My wife found an example of some furniture she thought would look nice but I can’t figure out what type of wood is used for the furniture. I am attaching the picture she sent me. Would love to hear from you guys if you know what type it might be or of another type that would achieve the same look/grain pattern. Thanks in advance!
Replies
That bed looks like it was made of walnut veneer, or is printed to look like a veneer cut from the heartwood / sapwood boundary. Notice how the footboard's color does not wrap around the edge. Very unlikely that this is solid wood.
I didn't notice that before. Thanks! Do you think there is something that would be able to get me a similar look but solid?
I doubt you'll be able to find that much of that kind of lumber unless you know of a local sawyer. The heartwood (dark part) is considered the premium stock and when logs are cut they try to max out the yield for it. The sapwood border material is considered defect wood by many and generally never makes it into the drying stack, and so never hits the lumberyard. If you find a sawyer that happens to have some on hand you'll probably have to dry it yourself, maybe for years.
Since you say you are new to the craft I suggest you find material that is more easily accessed and can get you rolling right away. If you post your location here you'll probably get suggestions for good hardwood dealers in your area.
It looks like walnut, and includes both the dark heartwood and light sapwood. I disagree that it is veneer. It's solid stock, and rather narrow pieces-- you can see the sharp lines that delineate individual boards. I'm sure it's factory made. The footboard, for example, is made up of three, maybe four strips. I would have used a single board for a piece that wide.
I have a different take on this wood, I suggest you google maple heartwood, its not that common in cabinetmaking since mostly high grade maple is used and is all sapwood but it is used as flooring material and for making wood pallets.
John, I was right there with you until I zoomed in on the top edge of the footboard and saw that the sapwood color just ends there. I don't think a maker in solid wood would bother to stain that edge dark. Same kind of thing on the nightstand.
The more I look at it the more I think it's a print or non-wood laminate.
Mitchell, can you post a link to the bed? Inquiring minds and all...
Why not start with pine.
Pine is awesome.
Pine is cheap, easy to find in lots of larger sizes, can be bought ready-milled, it is forgiving and if flat-sawn has a great grain which will provide a more natural appearing look.
The softer spring growth will take up stain differently from the harder rings and so you might be able to get a very similar level of texture albeit without the waves of lighter wood.
The only signficant downsides of using pine are that it dents easily and sanding tends to wear down the softer wood and raise the harder pattern some.
Look at it this way:
You could have the project made in pine in a few days, it's cheap enough that you can experiment on spare stock with the finish and it will last until you are both sick of it.
OR
You could find some random lengths and widths of Walnut. You'll need to be careful as most wood in lumber yards has been steamed to darken the sapwood and you don't want that.
Identify the sapwood sections and cut strips with about the same amount of sapwood as heartwood.
Glue these up into panels and there you go - your amazing bed is done.
In terms of being a beginner, making a bed from pine is on the upper end of easy (just the size makes it a bit more challenging). Making it from glued up panels is on the higher end of moderate given that you will need to flatten some pretty large bits of the project.
I would use hickory to get that look. It has the warm color tones pictured. Walnut heartwood is usually greener and darker than the (likely non-wood) veneer used in the picture. A good hardwood dealer will get it for you if it is not a stock species. The Wood Finder section of wood-database.com has pictures and properties of most species.
New to woodworking implies you may not have the tools to use rough lumber. Buy time at a community shop to mill the rough lumber flat and square.
The nightstand looks like a mitered plywood case design I've seen in one of the magazine issues. You might want to saw your own veneers from solid stock for this design. The dimensional stability simplifies the design considerations. Use Baltic birch plywood, not MDF, as the substrate if you make these pieces using veneer. Sawing your own veneer and using it is not difficult with the right tools and techniques. It is a reasonable option if you have access to a community shop.
You can also buy 1' by 8' veneer in a wide variety of species. If you have a router, track or suitable circular saw, and a few not so expensive veneering tools these contemporary designs are not too difficult for a newbie.
Good luck and post a picture in the comments once you build it.
Another wood that has contrast between sapwood and heartwood is sweet gum. It looks a lot like walnut and can even be finished I have read into a faux cherry. It is relatively inexpensive. It is irregularly grained but can be worked. On a four inch wide board the grain may change direction two or three times. You have to plane at 45 or 60 degree angles and use card scrappers to work it smooth. It is beautiful when finished. Some of the attached tool chest is spalted. It is all unfinished sweet gum.
Cherry that has a lot of sapwood will give the same effect as well. The contrast will intensify over time, as the heartwood continues to darken.
Finding walnut with light sapwood is rare, and right now walnut is pricey. Cherry is fairly cheap, and finding cherry with a lot of sapwood is pretty easy.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled