Using different timber so I don't have to stain

[AshleyM]

I have traditionally used pine and stained to get the colour I want then clear coating can begin. I have never been really happy with my staining results so I thought I would source out some timber that i didn't have to stain.

My question is this - what timber can I buy easily enough that would be available in a "rich golden/honey color" that I could get in a laminated ply and also original timber for edging etc.

I want to build furniture style projects like coffee table, side board, TV unit etc.

Thanks in advance

Ash

[Trav]

the simplest timber to get would probably be tassie oak or australian oak. It is available widely, you can get veneered boards easily, its reasonably cheap and it is pretty easy to work with.

Keep in mind that, as a hardwood, it is much harder than pine, but IMHO, comes out much better.

Trav

[Harry72]

Baltic pine or oregon are honey/gold colours, I dont think you could get them in ply tho

[Justin]

G'day Ash,

Check this page out, they sell veneered ply and HMR boards :

http://www.brims.com.au/current_species-1.htm

If you're after a gold or honey colour I'd recommend Tasmanian Blackwood. I've found that tas oak veneer tends to come up a bit pinky/red if it's given a clear finish.

On the topic of using plywood, I think you'll find that it's heaps more expensive and you'll limit your choices of veneer. If you go with an MDF or particleboard substrate you'll get a wider choice at a lower cost. I was speaking to Brims earlier today, and a 2400x1200 panel of Jarrah veneer on a ply substrate was over a hundred bucks more expensive than the same size on MDF.

I wouldn't discount using solid timber just yet. If you're unhappy with your staining thus far on pine, note that pine is a very open pored timber, and is notoriously hard to stain - typified by a blotchy finish owing to uneven stain absorbtion. I've had reasonable results with staining pine by spraying it on with a gun rather than rubbing it in. See the pair of tallboys I did in pine :

http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ighlight=4%2B2

Perhaps you could also try staining some different materials such as hardwoods, you might be surprised by the difference.

Best of luck,


Justin.

[Different]

Congratulations for reaching the end of staining timber I hope forever.
My Timber of choice for you would be NG Rosewood and as mentioned Brims will supply it in Plywood form however I suggest you move on from using ply and do your next project in solid timber.

Ross

[shakzool]

i made a guitar with spruce top very light in colour then but with sunlight the colour is so golden that it looks like deep honey.
just let the finnished job see some sunlight(but indoors of course) then use a slightly tinted lacqaure it wont be long before its a golden honey colour.
here are some pic,s of the guitar i made about 4to5yrs ago
the top sitka spruce natuaral the cupboards are tazy oak stained with golden oak stain and the back is tazy blackwood neck is brazilian mahogany.
the guitar is all natuaral finnish.

[Bob Willson]

Very nice shakzool, but why is everything in your house on its side?

[AshleyM]

Hi Justin
Very nice work. I guess I was wanting to use ply for strength. I have always been a bit suss about the strength of MDF if I had to screw/nail into the edge of it.

Did you make the tallboys out of solid pine? They look great and are of a similar color to what I want to achieve. I am actually trying to match the color to a picture frame we have.


Thanks to everyone else for their help.

Trav I might have a look at the oaks to see how they come up. I would much rather be working with solid timber than laminates.

Regards

Ash

[Trav]

Ash

Just a thought - could you choose a nice colour for your furniture and then make a new picture frame? If you have the glass and backing baord already, a new frame is not that hard to make. Then you could go for something like redgum or jarrah, depending on your budget.

Trav

[AshleyM]

That's probably a solution but we like the color of the picture frame so much that we wanted to match it if possible. The frame is a golden/honey type color that I would love to be able to match in a solid timber. My main problem is that I live quite a distance from any decent timber suppliers.

Maybe I should just perservere with the good old pinus radiata, but I am unterested in using some other timbers as well.

I could also perhaps concentrate on my staining techniques a bit better.

Regards

Ash

[Trav]

make one project in real timber (not pine) and you will never go back. Pine is not in the same league as hardwoods in terms of finish and satisfaction of work. Give tassie oak a try and see if you can match the colours - I don't think you will be disappointed.

Trav

[Justin]

G'day Ash,

The tallboys were all solid pine except for the carcass sides, which are veneered particleboard.


Cheers,


Justin.

[echnidna]

If you are happy with using pine just continue with it.
Apply 2 or 3 coats of linseed oil a few weeks apart and it will send the pine a nice golden yellow.

[ubeaut]

Even easier use brown shellac (French Polish) as the finish and it will go a deep honey colour almost instantly

Cheers - Neil

PS you could try both Myrtle-Beach or Qld Maple both will go the colour you want and are pretty readily available in what you want. So is teak and a number of others depending on your price range.

[AshleyM]

Neil, does this mean that I would have no need to stain. just sand back to say 600 and brown shellac straight to the raw pine.

Would there be anyone out there that could provide a pic or two of this type of technique.

Regards

Ash