Selecting Hardwood for my project

[furyjohn]

Evening all from a newbie - new to the forum and new to woodworking !

I've been watching this forum for a while and some of the stuff that you guys have produced is jaw-dropping.

I have a little experience of woodworking and my first project was changing tray that sits across the cot (ended-up using spruce because i thought it was pine!). Still, it produced a nice result, and it gave me practice with the plane, square etc and i used a router table to cut the tenons and the router on a home-made jig for the mortises.

My second project is going to be a baby high-chair (http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/plan ... ls=15-1128) and am wondering what Hardwood to use. The author used Cherry - since seeing the price i've decided to skip the Cherry until i've got a little more experience ! I've had a look at Tulipwood/Poplar and it looks a little bland. We quite like the look of the Pitch Pine but i'm unsure of how easy it is to work with - will the tools get all gummed-up because of the 'pitch' in the wood ! ? Is there much wastage from this wood ? We're tending towards the Pine look as it will match our kitchen table/chairs. I've got a million more questions to ask but i think i'll stop there for now. Any and all advice will be very much appreciated.

incidentally, i'm using the 'Loose Boards' page on the SL Hardwoods website to get an idea of what all the different species look like - any of you know if this is representative ! ?

furyjohn

 

[bobscarle]

Hello FuryJohn, and welcome.

In my opinion the "best" hardwood for you to use would be ash. Its relatively cheap, works well and looks lovely. It is amongst my favourite woods.

Take a look at the John Boddy web site. It has a lot of pictures of timber.

HTH

Bob

 

[DaveL]

Hi Furyjohn,

Welcome to the forum.

The link to the plan get caught by our spam trap, this will stop when you have a few more posts to your name, here it is:

http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/plan ... ls=15-1128

 

[furyjohn]

thanks DaveL - i was wondering why the alarm bells.

Thanks bobscarle. I do like the look of ash but i've read that Ash is by far the most difficult wood to work. If this is the case then i'd rather postpone using Ash until i've had plenty more practice ! Is it hard to work !? That website looks good too, plenty of examples of the different species.

furyjohn

 

[bjm]

Hi furyjohn

Welcome.

A comparable priced hardwood to pitch pine is beech and I would recommend this as a starting point. Unlike ash, it is fine-grained and although it can be a bit bland it is very nice to work with power and hand tools. Being relatively cheap also reduces the impact of any 'mistakes' that crop up on a project. Ultimately it comes down to your personal choice but I would choose it over pine (which can be difficult to finish if it is very resinous).

I agree with Bob - Ash is a lovely, relatively inexpensive wood that has a lot more character than beech but for your intended use I would prefer a finer-grained wood which will be easier to finish and maintain afterwards.


Brian

 

[BradNaylor]

Welcome FJ,

Another vote here for beech. Not only is it nice to work but being a very close grained timber it will be a good choice for the tray on the high chair; easy to keep clean!

The only thing to be careful of is if you want to stain it - it can go very blotchy. But it sounds as if you will be leaving it a natural colour.

Go for white beech The more common steamed beech has a pinkish hue to it from the steaming process.

I see you're from Eccles. Irmass in Traford Park is the best bet for hardwoods locally. Like all timber yards though, they are a bit strange to deal with until you get to know the system. PM me if you need any help.

Cheers
Dan

 

[PowerTool]

Not only is it nice to work but being a very close grained timber it will be a good choice for the tray on the high chair; easy to keep clean!

..and has natural anti-bactericidal properties,which is why it is used for rolling pins,wooden spoons,lolly sticks etc. - so an excellent choice.

P.S. - welcome to the forum

Andrew

 

[MikeG.]

but i've read that Ash is by far the most difficult wood to work.
furyjohn

John,

welcome!

I can't imagine where you read that about ash, because it just isn't so! Ash is easy to work with, as is beech. Personally I would suggest ash because beech is rather boring in my view. Both of these timbers are easier than pine.

Having said all that, I stuck with pine for about the first ten years of my woodworking, learning all my skills on a cheap and not completely "easy" timber. That would be my real advice....make this in pine.

Mike

 

[Benchwayze]

Welcome to the Forum FJ,

You came to a good place.

If you bought a mass-produced High Chair, it would probably be made of beech and might even be painted.

So my advice is either beech or ash, which as Mike G said, is a lovely timber to us, and has a distinctive grain pattern.

Yep I think Ash is the way I'd go!

Alla best

 

[furyjohn]

thank you all very much for the advice guys. I think i'll go with beech as Dan Tovey and PowerTool point out it's easy to keep clean and it has natural anti-bacterial properties.

Dan Tovey: I might just take you up on the PM offer soon ! I was in Irmass last week to buy the timbers for my shed base - the setup was a little strange but the guy i was ordering with was extremely helpful once i'd pointed out i was a DIY'er and had no idea what he was talking about eg PAR, PSE, C16, C24 etc etc....i know now ! He even explained how the trees are cut which leads to the wasteage on Cherry planks due to the seepage between the sap wood and the heart wood - very helpful indeed.

The next question is what to look for, specifically for beech, when buying. Obviously i'll stay away from badly bowed or cuped boards but apart from that what else do i need to be aware of ?

fureyJohn

 

[joiner_sim]

Welcome to the forum! :wink:

 

[curlywol]

Another endorsement for beech. My early projects were all done in beech and its easy to get a good finish using danish oil
Having said that I have never used used ash (yet).
Dan,
I buy most of my timber from Arnold Laver at Irlam. They are ok but a bit expansive. I haven't used Irmass, are they a better option?

John

 

[furyjohn]

Hi curlywol, i'm afraid that when it comes to recommending timber suppliers i can't really help as i've only been to one...once, and that was Irmass - although i must say the guy that served me was extremely helpful and pleasant.

curlywol, you have any ideas on what to look for when selecting/buying beech ?

FJ

 

[curlywol]

I try and get it as white as possible although the colour can vary quite a bit as in most hardwoods. The oil yellows it a bit but as I said a decent finish is possible with little effort and skill

 

[Sawdust]

Welcome to the forum and another vote for ash. Whoever told you it is hard to work was wrong. I've used loads of it and rarely had any problems.

Beech is nice too although personally I prefer ash.

Cheers
Mike

 

[BradNaylor]

Dan,
I buy most of my timber from Arnold Laver at Irlam. They are ok but a bit expansive. I haven't used Irmass, are they a better option?

John

I would say so.

Irmass have good stocks of pretty well everything you're likely to need. And their prices are better than any I've found.

I'm in the middle of a project that called for 10 cube of 1 1/4" oak. I got a price from John Boddys of £38.50 a cube.

Irmass was £25.00!!! And they're happy enough for you to go and pick your own. Its nice stuff, too.

Its a bit intimidating first time you go, though. Ask for Lee the scouser or Dave in the hardwoods office and they will see you right.

Once you've been there a few times you get the hang of it. I now just go straight to the shed I want, ask Brian to get me the pack I need down on his side-loader, and pick what I want. It helps no end when they know you.

Cheers
Dan

 

[curlywol]

Thanks for that Dan.
I will give them try.

John