I am considering building a classic highboy for my wife and am wondering if anyone can suggest what types of hardwood that I could use. My budget is quite limited, but I want to build it out of something other than red oak. Mohagany is limited in my area, so should I consider cherry, maple or walnut? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I was also wondering what impact would it have on the piece if I bought the wood at various times throughout the project. I realize that I have be careful of grain and color, but is there anything else that I should be aware of or this a mortal sin in the woodworking world too?
Replies
If budget is an issue I personally would use Birch and stain it whatever color you wanted when it was done...
Just my two cents..
Chris
It seems that tiger maple and cherry are the two woods of choice, with walnut being third. If you consider that the labor will be the same and that you are going to look at that piece every day for the rest of your life you will kick yourself everytime you see it if you make it of a lesser wood.
John
i could not agree with you more. well said.
Unless you're making a period reproduction, which it sounds like you are not, then it's really up to you. You must decide what species you like, and how well it will go with other furniture in the room. Personally, I love cherry, followed closely by Mahogany and Walnut, with Maple being my last choice. But, I build furniture for customers out of all of these species. That's why there are 64 crayons in the box, because you get to pick your favorite color......
Jeff
You can't go wrong with cherry for this piece, white pine or poplar for a secondary wood. I'd buy it all at once if you can, and buy extra, you'll end up needing it.
gowithgod,
You willcertainly get evrybodies opinion regarding wood selection with such an open ended question..
Let me put my two cents in for black walnut..
Cherry is a tough wood and not always the easiest to work with.. getting a finish on it is definately in the art catagory rather than skill. It's like painting a moving bus.. cherry darkens with age and exposure to sunlite so the finish you put on it now might be wrong a decade from now..
Besides cherry is a nurse wood.. it starts fast and grows like crazy "till some of the slower woods take over and then it dies.. that quick growth comes at a cost, mainly with regard to stability. cherry is more prone to curl warp or bend than other woods..
Light woods like birch or maple were all the rage a few years ago and accordingly stands o mature woods has had a lot of pressure put on them.. thus their price is high, often too high to be worthwhile.. especially when you consider the blotching aspects of some of those woods..
White oak is a great wood however you need to remember that it has tannic acids which makes using regular fastners risky if you are thinking of making a piece to pass down to future generations.. If you can afford stainless steel or silicone bronze it's not an issue..
Some of the rare woods are wonderful but a little of them goes a long way..
I personally prefer to use black walnut.. It's moderate price and wonderful working traits makes it the ideal wood for someone who'd like a better result than they think they are capable of.
If you plane black walnut with a sharp edge you may not need to sand or do anything else. It leaves a natural smooth shiny finish with only a small amount of skill really needed.. It cuts sands and planes nicer than any other wood. Considering that you don't need to sytain it, you don't need to spend a fortune buying sand paper and your tools can be less than in perfect shape It's far and away the cabinet makers favorite..
Is good walnut available now? I haven't built anything for a few years and most of the stuff I saw available a few years ago was full of sapwood and knots...looked about like a dark version of red cedar...even if I was willing to pay a fortune...
Walnut is without a doubt my favourite wood...my favorite three pieces of furniture are made with walnut...
Just curious if you've found a good supplier.
Chris
Electroman,
You bet!
I get mine at Johnson Logging in Cannon Falls Minnesota.. I pay around a buck a bd.ft. green, roughsawn, and mill run.. I love Mill run!
At Johnson it's actually what comes off the log.. they don't select out the great pieces first it's just whatever is in the log.
I have several boards 22 inches wide with absolutely no sapwood. Knot free and so nice as to be boring.. I actually prefer wood that has a little more character.. I regularly get tiger striped black walnut from them and sometimes there is other nice character such as crotch wood and reaction wood..
If you're willing they will sell you FAS but that is about 65 to 85 cents a bd.ft. more..
Actually, I like buying wood just that way...from the mill...and I agree that a little bit of charactor helps wood out.I plan on going to Wisconsin next year so I may give them a try.Thanks!Chris
I am green with envy (pun intended) with your access to this kind of Walnut. Here in the San Francisco Bay area you pay around 7 or more for black walnut and 10 plus for Claro walnut and the sky is the limit if the claro is really nice.Troy
Here in Ohio maple, oak, cherry, etc. are all reasonable....Walnut is hard to get as is decent pine...
Kind of glad I don't live in the bay area for just that reason.
Chris
I understand, the bay area is a great place to live but expensive. Troy
Troy
Oh, If I go to the lumberyards and big box stores I pay even more. About $9.90 a bd.ft. but it's all surfaced and nice and all FAS and about as boring as watching grass grow..
avoid the lumberyards, go to a sawmill.. it takes a little work and at first you might not get a friendly reception but I'm certain that somebody saws wood in Calfornia, avoid the middle men!
Do you have access to exotics? Salepe is a great and cheaper alternative to mahogany. I am building a china hutch (greene & green style) out of salepe with canary wood panels. I have access to a wholesaler and got it $4/bd ft
I am sure your right I just need to do more reserch and some field trips.Troy
Wow, did you stooges ever get off the subject! This guy needs a little advice.
You might want to look into using Alder or Eastern soft maple. Either of these woods will stain well, and are easy to work with. The Alder will look the most like Cherry but it is quite soft. The maple is harder, but not as hard to work with as Cherry or hard maple.
As you have heard before though, use the wood you will want to look at for years. Every one has drawbacks, and of course, good qualities.
Hal
http://www.rivercitywoodworks.com
I've gotten great walnut from Good Hope Hardwoods, and from Groff & Groff, both in Pennsylvania.
The most recent purchase was 10 ft.long 5/4 flitches with 15"--18" wide heartwood and only a little sapwood. Most planks were nearly clear, though there might one or two tight knots in a board. It was not steamed in the kiln.
What part of Pa? How much per Bd. Ft/?
Groff & Groff is in Lancaster county, and I think Good Hope is too, though it is further south, almost to Delaware. They both have web sites. Frankly I don't remember the board foot price. Probably not the cheapest, but not outrageous. There are several other lumber yards of good repute in that general area. Hearne Hardwoods and Sandy Pond come to mind.
Dear GWG,
I agree with the person who said that given the amount of time you will spend on this project, it is worth it to spend the money for good wood.
But then again you didn't pay anything for this advice, nor for mine. I don't know your monetary situation, but if you are going to make a highboy for your wife, you are probably not living in an old trailer and eating peanut butter sandwiches. (I lived in an old trailer for years, so I can talk like this. :-))
If I were going to do it, I would try for curley maple, but that can get expensive.
I was trying to think of a creative solution to your question. I thought of George Washington's old house, which I visited a number of times. The fake grain painting on the furniture and on the wood trim in the rooms is pheonomenal. You could buy a book on how to do fake graining and do some real practicing. I believe that it does not come easily, but the supplies are cheap.
You could make the piece out of any wood you want and then fake the grain to any other. I would suggest using poplar. It is much harder than pine and will be stronger. Yet it is fairly cheap. Since you will do fake graining, you don't have to worry about problems with staining. You will essentially paint it, and then do the fake graining on the paint.
Even if this doesn't solve your problem, I hope you consider it an interesting thought. You did pose a very difficult question.
Enjoy,
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
If I were going to do it, I would try for curley maple, but that can get expensive.
Well what about Larry and Moe?
Charles,
I never liked Larry and Moe, just Curley and their cousin, Birdseye.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
not to mention larry and the darrells...
Around here, ya can't get Larry and the Darells quartersawn.
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Anybody know of a good sawmill option in the Southeast? I'm in upstate South Carolina, so SC, Eastern GA, Eastern TN,or western NC would be options.
I assume you have to dry the stuff yourself?
SCMedLion,
I hope someone else can help you out on this one. I live near Washington, DC. I don't know of any sawmills around here.
Good luck. If you do hear of one, please post the info. I'd like to know the answer.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
SCMedlion,
Ahhh! the hunt for a good sawmill.
Start out with a little knowledge. There's a company that sells portable sawmills to guys who want to make their own wood from trees. It's name is wood mizer.. get ahold of them.. they keep a listing of everybody that uses their machines.. (part of their service) call them and ask in your area..
That's step one..
Step two...
Start visiting them or contacting them and ask about stuff. prices availabity etc..
Step three
Pick up your yellow pages and look for pallet makers.. every major city has them.. They know where to buy cheap wood or should I say wood cheaply. I found less success when I called and more when I visited them in person.. I just was open and honest saying that I was looking for a source for wood that was reasonably priced.
I'd go visit whoever they recommended and was polite and greatful for their help. Please and thank you seems to go a long way..
Now select the mill you want to do business with.. Chances are the absolute cheapest is also the worst as far as honesty goes or good deals,... whatever.. However don't make the mistake of believing that the most expensive has the best wood.
Nor is the biggest going to be better than some farmer who does it part time..
IN fact the more organized the sawmill the worse the deal as far as I'm concerned..
Think of this as a hunt..Part of the fun has to be the journey.. Great wood at cheap prices is just a bonus..
SCMedlion,
As far as drying goes, you can have it dried or dry it yourself.. that's one more step. It does add to the cost. especially if you only dry a little at a time..
Frankly I love air drying.. Some woods are much better air dried than Kiln dried and none are worse for it.. Don't believe the hype that good wood must be kiln dried.. it isn't so.. Look at all the wonderful antique furniture that commands real premiums. It was all air dried!
Dear All,
Thanks for the advice.
Matthew
Charles,
WOOOBWOOOBWOOOB!!! Nyuk, Nyuk, nyuk,
Soit'nly,
Ray
Ray,
<<Soit'nly, >>
Always wundered hows ya spellt dat; now I knows.... ;-)
Thanks!Tschüß!
Mit freundlichen holzbearbeitungischen Grüßen aus dem Land der Rio Grande!!
James
pz,
What are you, some kinda wizenheimer?
Cheers,
Ray
Ray, Weizenheimer?!?!? What is dat, some kinda long skinny dog or what??? :-)JamesTschüß!
Mit freundlichen holzbearbeitungischen Grüßen aus dem Land der Rio Grande!!
James
pz,
Oh, a smart guy hey? RECEDE! (Eye poke forthcoming, followed by a slap upside the head.)
Ray
Ray,
[Slappp!!] Ouch!! Ummphhh! Arrrgghhhh!!! [Eye poke] Aiyyyy!!
I hate it when he does that!!! Maybe I'll be a smart guy tomorrow....
JamesTschüß!
Mit freundlichen holzbearbeitungischen Grüßen aus dem Land der Rio Grande!!
James
Did anyone answer your question about buying all at once or in phases? Buy all at once and make certain that the wood looks alike. I recently finished my first maple piece. I had some difficulties with it. If you like mahogany, see if you can find some African mahogany (Khaya spp.). It seems a bit more difficult to work than Honduras, but I believe that you will find it equally attractive if not preferable and at a lower cost. LOL!
Cadiddlehopper
My dad and I built three Highboy dressers for each of this three kids. We built them out of Cherry, Walnut & Curly Maple. Each of the woods have their own special characteristics. I had all three in the house finished and each will stop traffic when people come over to the house for a visit.
The real cost in the project is not the material it is in all the time spent on the project and the hand work on carvings and bonnet top. The hardware was a little costly also.
They are worth everything we spent on the project. There is not a day goes by that I don't use / see my Curly Maple Highboy dresser and think this is cool and a great project.
It will take as much time to make them out of any wood, you might as well use good wood that you are proud of.
My dad always said "it cost as much to feed a dumb dog as it cost to feed a smart dog". So the upfront cost of the dog is very important.
We did purchase all of our wood up front. You will need to do this to lay out each board and decide where it goes on the project. We had every board in the pile identified with chalk before we cut the first board from the pile. The drawer fronts selections are an important feature.
We did use Popular as a secondary wood for all projects. Also made a few prototypes of the cuts from popular.
Dad and I spent Three years working on the projects and no doubt they will be passed down several generations.
So, my advise is spend the extra money now and you will never regret it. If you need to put a pencil to exactly how much more money it will cost for the great wood vs the ok wood. It will not be as much as expected.
If you need wood, go to WoodWeb.com and click on their Find-a-Sawyer link. These folks operate portable band sawmills and many of them have lumber available for sale (especially if you are willing to air dry the wood and then bring it inside to acclimate to the environment for a while).
I have a portable sawmill, and while I am sawing for my own use, I would sell smaller quantities of lumber to part-time woodworkers to help them out at a very reasonable cost. I have sawn walnut, cherry, oak, poplar, pecan, hickory, hackberry, chinaberry, and sycamore.
If you contact the portable sawmillers and tell them what you are looking for, they can contact you when they are sawing and you can come get what you need if you are patient enough to dry the wood yourself. However, some of these guys actually have kilns, and sell kiln dried hardwood. Good luck.
One thing to keep in mind is that wood availability and price can be very regional. I can't get decent cherry, it seems, no matter what the price; folk in western Pennsylania don't have that problem. Maple and walnut's alot easier to get around here (Pac. NW).
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