veneering with koa

wouzel | Posted in Wood and Materials on December 30, 2007 07:39am

I have some excellent old koa I want to use in an entertainment center project. I don’t have enough to build the structure with, but plan to use it to veneer the panels and drawer fronts, leaving the frames and structural members showing the other species. I can resaw the koa to about 1/8″ net and have some left over. My original choice was black walnut as the secondary species as the wood properties are similar and would minimize conflicts in reactions to humidity changes. I made a small sample frame and panel for my wife, and she thinks she doesn’t like the walnut. My question is what other woods would be suitable to mate with koa? I think she is looking for something with a little less contrast. I have just spent a couple hours on the web looking for suitable data to compare woods with, but have not come up with anything that matches black walnut. Any suggestions? thanks. Roger. [email protected]

Replies

TonyCz | Dec 30, 2007 09:43am | #1
Think about using curly maple??

wouzel | Dec 31, 2007 02:16am | #3
I'm not sure, but I don't think maple has similar expansion/contraction properties as koa, and I don't want to lay the koa veneer onto a panel that will move differently than the koa will. I am afraid it would just split the veneer. I have read that black walnut has nearly identical properties to koa. I have been looking at expansion charts online for different species that would match black walnut, but so far have not found anything that is a close match, so am asking for advice from anyone with experience veneering with koa, or who knows of other woods that would match up on the expansion/contraction scale. Thanks.

KeithNewton | Dec 30, 2007 06:22pm | #2
Have you thought about buying some koa veneer, and using the solid which you already have , and keeping it all the same?

I am also using some curly koa veneer at the present. I will be using some mahogany for the crown. When choosing and mixing woods like this, I don't like to use much contrast, either lighter or darker. I like to choose one of the shades that already exist in the primary wood. My koa ranges from yellow > pinkish light brown > dark brown > purplish brown.

I like the curly maple, only dye stained a bit closer in color.
Telemike | Dec 31, 2007 05:41am | #4
I've liked the effect of light panels inside of a dark frame better than vice-versa. You could use some workaday walnut for the frame and ebonize it with steel wool-vinegar. The black frame would offset the koa dramatically.
Prof | Dec 31, 2007 07:30am | #5
Another wood that matches koa both in color and grain is CA eucalyptus. It is relatively cheaper than buying koa but may be just as difficult to track down.