Hello,
I have a customer who has asked me to build him a cabinet/bookcase combination
to match a 25 year old existing piece that we both believe to be Walnut.
My question – The wood has the look and grain of Walnut, but it is very light
in color, similar to a golden brown rather than a dark brown typical of walnut.
It almost appears as sap wood [light brown] rather than heartwood. Any suggestions of
what direction to take or woods that may fit the description. He’s not interested in woods
such as oaks or ash.
I know this is difficult without seeing it!
Thanks in advance,
BillBoy
Replies
Hi BillBoy,
How about butternut? Here's how Garrett Hack described it in a recent article: "For many years I’ve valued butternut for its wide boards, handsome, even grain, and golden tan color with a background of fine darker flecks. Butternut is similar to black walnut and is sometimes even called white walnut. Just as black walnut has a distinct dark heart and light sapwood an inch or more in width (unless it is steamed to even out the color while being kiln-dried), butternut has a heart/sap contrast. This wood is considerably lighter in weight and softer than black walnut, but with the same modestly pronounced grain that hides gluelines so easily."
-Gina
FineWoodworking.com
Gina,Thank you for your response and I will look into butternut and see what my
customer thinks.All the Best,Billboy
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