Gg

"G.E.R.R.Y."

05/06/2004 11:02 AM

What is the cheapest wood that can be finished dark?

Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
cost?

Gerry < brokeskate, not cheapskate >


This topic has 11 replies

JJ

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

05/06/2004 2:19 PM

Sat, Jun 5, 2004, 11:02am [email protected] (G.E.R.R.Y.) gurgled:
<snip> what is the cheapest wood that can be finished dark like
mahogany or walnut without their cost?

Free.

JOAT
If you're offered free wood, take it, period; figure out what to use it
for later.
- JOAT

nn

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

05/06/2004 11:41 AM

Dyes can be mixed in finishes making a toner tha is then sprayed on
any wood ending up with whatever color desired. Brushing causes
stripes instead of the even distribution of color that spraying can
achieve.

On Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:02:36 -0400, "G.E.R.R.Y."
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
>finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
>wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
>cost?
>
>Gerry < brokeskate, not cheapskate >

LJ

Larry Jaques

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

06/06/2004 12:53 PM

On 6 Jun 2004 08:09:45 -0700, [email protected] (Nate Perkins)
stated, with eyes & arms akimbo:

>"G.E.R.R.Y." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<050620041102367613%[email protected]>...
>> Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
>> finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
>> wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
>> cost?
>
>I think you could stain almost any wood (including pine) to look dark,
>but I think that duplicating the distinctive grain of either mahogany
>or walnut would be a trick.

Wrong. It's walnut. By the time you've spent $15 on the pine, $8 on
the sandable sealer, $9 on the can of stain, $12 on the can of
varnish, 2 hours cutting it, an hour prepping it, and an hour staining
it (only to find out that it looks like SHIT), you'll be tearing your
hair out when you discover that the walnut would have been ten bucks
cheaper all along, sans the headaches and extra chemical exposure.
(Even cheaper when you tried it again with stain and got the same
crappy result.)

But that's just my opinion.


------------------------------------------------------------------
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GE

"George E. Cawthon"

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

07/06/2004 2:05 AM



Larry Jaques wrote:
>
> On 6 Jun 2004 08:09:45 -0700, [email protected] (Nate Perkins)
> stated, with eyes & arms akimbo:
>
> >"G.E.R.R.Y." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<050620041102367613%[email protected]>...
> >> Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
> >> finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
> >> wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
> >> cost?
> >
> >I think you could stain almost any wood (including pine) to look dark,
> >but I think that duplicating the distinctive grain of either mahogany
> >or walnut would be a trick.
>
> Wrong. It's walnut. By the time you've spent $15 on the pine, $8 on
> the sandable sealer, $9 on the can of stain, $12 on the can of
> varnish, 2 hours cutting it, an hour prepping it, and an hour staining
> it (only to find out that it looks like SHIT), you'll be tearing your
> hair out when you discover that the walnut would have been ten bucks
> cheaper all along, sans the headaches and extra chemical exposure.
> (Even cheaper when you tried it again with stain and got the same
> crappy result.)
>
> But that's just my opinion.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> Vote early, Vote often, Vote for Chad!
> http://diversify.com Comprehensive Website & Database Development

Well not necessarily. I used ponderosa pine to trim a wood stove pad
and then decided to stain in dark with a wood stain. I thought it
looked kind of crappy and too red, but laid the pieces on top of a
walnut coffee table. Could hardly tell the stained pine from the
walnut. I don't usually work with walnut but so much for remembering
the color accurately.

Gg

"George"

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

05/06/2004 11:19 AM

Basswood is generic white, also tulip-poplar will take whatever you give it.
True poplars are plain white, but take stains differently because the
grain's normally full of reversals.

"G.E.R.R.Y." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:050620041102367613%[email protected]...
> Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
> finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
> wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
> cost?
>
> Gerry < brokeskate, not cheapskate >

jJ

[email protected] (JLucas ILS)

in reply to "George" on 05/06/2004 11:19 AM

05/06/2004 4:36 PM

I have used pine for years aand have finished in dark colors. Two tricks: 1)
one use a sanding sealer or washcoat of shellac before staining, or 2) use a
gel stain and wipe it off selectively to minimize blotching...or better yet, do
both

MG

"Mike G"

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

05/06/2004 12:36 PM

The same wood you are already using, pine or are you indicating you would
like some type of cheap wood that is already dark rather then one that is
stained.

If the latter, I can't think of one.

--
Mike G.
[email protected]
Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"G.E.R.R.Y." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:050620041102367613%[email protected]...
> Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
> finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
> wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
> cost?
>
> Gerry < brokeskate, not cheapskate >

nN

[email protected] (Nate Perkins)

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

06/06/2004 8:09 AM

"G.E.R.R.Y." <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<050620041102367613%[email protected]>...
> Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
> finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
> wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
> cost?

I think you could stain almost any wood (including pine) to look dark,
but I think that duplicating the distinctive grain of either mahogany
or walnut would be a trick.

Ba

B a r r y

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

06/06/2004 10:50 AM

On Sat, 05 Jun 2004 11:02:36 -0400, "G.E.R.R.Y."
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
>finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
>wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
>cost?
>
>Gerry < brokeskate, not cheapskate >

Birch or maple can be stained to resemble more expensive woods.

You'll need to control the blotching, but with practice, it's easy. I
find a washcoat of shellac, followed by GOOD pigment stains, like
Behlen's work well. Depending on the look you're after, an
application of Trans-Tint or Solar Lux dye before the first washcoat,
can add some terriffic depth.

Barry

Cc

"CW"

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

05/06/2004 4:20 PM

You can do it with pine. Key Word: Stain.

"G.E.R.R.Y." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:050620041102367613%[email protected]...
> Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
> finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
> wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
> cost?
>
> Gerry < brokeskate, not cheapskate >

bb

"bob"

in reply to "G.E.R.R.Y." on 05/06/2004 11:02 AM

06/06/2004 9:32 PM

white mahogany. $2.10/BF. Stain it any color you want.


"G.E.R.R.Y." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:050620041102367613%[email protected]...
> Up till now, I've been working with (affordable) woods like pine which
> finish more or less blond. What I'm wondering is what is the cheapest
> wood that can be finished dark like mahogany or walnut without their
> cost?
>
> Gerry < brokeskate, not cheapskate >
>


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