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  1. #1
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    Default Complementary/contrasting timbers

    America has some classic combos that complement or contrast each other well, and are commonly used together, like walnut and cherry.

    What do we have down under that go together nicely?

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  3. #2
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    All depends on the look you are after. For the usual dark against light most would reach for Tas Oak and Jarrah but we have so many good looking timbers the combinations are too many to mention. I tend to like Tas Oak and Blackwood but I often just use what is to hand. This board game is Blackwood and Tas Oak pieces and blackwood and hoop pine board.
    Regards
    John
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  4. #3
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    I did a stunning bookcase cabinet a few years ago in curly jarrah and curly Tasmanian blue gum. I had it at Boranup gallery, western Australia and was sold for almost $ 10,000.

  5. #4
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    what are darker timbers that are commoly available? are we pretty much restricted to reds?

  6. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by yoboseyo View Post
    what are darker timbers that are commoly available? are we pretty much restricted to reds?
    It's the 'commonly-available' requirement that's the problem, yoboseyo. We have lots of dark woods and light-coloured woods, but many are not regularly harvested commercially. Sizes required & workability are other considerations - do you want to use solids?, make veneers?, string inlays? Are you wanting to make small objects or furniture? All of these things would influence any suggestions from the gallery....

    Cheers,
    IW

  7. #6
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    Default Contrasting woods

    This is the piece I was referring to, using basically 2 contrasting timbers, jarrah and Tasmanian blue gum.
    Would work in any number of contrasting timbers
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  8. #7
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    Mark, I would have loved a close-up of the timbers. You do such nice work - one of these days I shall come and look over your workshop.

    Yoboseyo, what did you have in mind by way of build? I think that the selection of woods is difficult to make as a rule, since even in species the colours vary. Consider the range of Jarrah, as an example, which runs pink to purple/black. The nature of the design, as well as the loading of each part ... all play a role.

    I am building a small side table, and have just begun on the drawers. The choice of timbers is intended to create a little fun and life in the piece (called the Harlequin Side Table). There is a Hard Maple carcase and dividers, along with Black Walnut, Curly Maple and Pink Jarrah. This is just with the drawer fronts fitted before dovetailing and shaping (into a curve) ...





    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  9. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by yoboseyo View Post
    what are darker timbers that are commoly available? are we pretty much restricted to reds?
    Depends how much you want to spend and if you want to restrict it to local timbers or if you're happy with imported as well.

    At my old work, our "go to" dark timbers were American Walnut and Cambia American White Ash (Cambia is a heat treatment process that both stabilises the timber and changes its appearance). Both are in the brown range; the walnut tends to go a bit yellow with age (it's normal), the cambia is more of a chocolate brown but some boards can be especially dark

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by derekcohen View Post
    Mark, I would have loved a close-up of the timbers. You do such nice work - one of these days I shall come and look over your workshop.

    Yoboseyo, what did you have in mind by way of build? I think that the selection of woods is difficult to make as a rule, since even in species the colours vary. Consider the range of Jarrah, as an example, which runs pink to purple/black. The nature of the design, as well as the loading of each part ... all play a role.

    I am building a small side table, and have just begun on the drawers. The choice of timbers is intended to create a little fun and life in the piece (called the Harlequin Side Table). There is a Hard Maple carcase and dividers, along with Black Walnut, Curly Maple and Pink Jarrah. This is just with the drawer fronts fitted before dovetailing and shaping (into a curve) ...





    Regards from Perth

    Derek

    That's a beautiful looking piece Derek, I have just finished a piece in similar mid-century style, the contrast in the woods is stunning.
    I have relocated workshops now, I was renting a place in Oakford that had a 210 square metre shed but had to relocate to Armadale and am down to 50 square metres.
    You would be welcome to come over.

  11. #10
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    I don't have a particular project in mind - just after some ideas and inspiration

  12. #11
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    I wasn't going to post this project, and I'm still not , but your thread has come up at an appropriate moment as I had literally just finished a coat of varnish. To gauge how "just finished" I mean, the varnish is matt, and as you can see it looks like gloss, so still very wet!

    P1050164 (Medium).JPGP1050165 (Medium).JPG

    Forest Red Gum and Tallowwood. The Tallowood is easier to work and as others will testify the FRG can be an absolute ba$tard, but it's not always like that: Just on a good day. The project is a wall to wall office desk. My side is on the left of the drawers with SWMBO on the right: I am the left hand man . The three sections are not joined for the moment to assist finishing.

    The contrast is pleasing enough, but the truth is that I did not have quite enough FRG so I made it up with the Tallowwood.

    The FRG is not too hard to come by and any blond timber could be substituted for the Tallowwood. Somebody already mentioned Tasmanian Oak (comprises typically four different Eucalypts), but Spotted Gum would be another.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  13. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bushmiller View Post
    The Tallowood is easier to work and as others will testify the FRG can be an absolute ba$tard
    that's surprising, as tallowwood is apparently quite hard.

    I have some stuff that's possibly FRG. That stuff is bad for your teeth

    Beautiful cabinet there, too!

  14. #13
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    Yoboseyo

    I only said Tallowwood is easier to work: Not easy . Actually most of my comment is more to do with hand planning. FRG tends to pick up more and these boards seemed to have more diverse grain direction than the Tallowwood. Also the FRG I used was what would euphemistically be called "Feature Grade," which loosely translated means it would not pass muster under any other timber classification. However, I had it and don't mind the many, many defects in the timber.

    Thanks for your comments. It does look better at a distance, which is why I was not going to post.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

  15. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bushmiller View Post
    .... FRG can be an absolute ba$tard, but it's not always like that: Just on a good day....
    Amen to that! It's got to be the worst-working wood I've ever tried to put a surface on! Or at least the tree we built Luke's bench from, was. Apart from the unpredictable grain, it was highly siliceous & dulled blades quicker than any other wood I've met. It was also the gummiest, & a thick layer quickly built up on the plane sole, quadrupling the effort. Keeping the sole coated with paraffin wax helped a bit, but didn't entirely prevent gumming. (I read recently that wiping the sole with linseed works better, I'll have to try it if I ever have the courage to work with the stuff again).

    A problem you face with most dark woods is that they'll change colour & 'fade' pretty quickly, altering your carefully planned colour schemes. A few like Ebony or African Blackwood last, as does the black pigment in spalted woods...

    Cheers,
    IW

  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by IanW View Post
    (I read recently that wiping the sole with linseed works better, I'll have to try it if I ever have the courage to work with the stuff again).
    Ian

    I read that too recently (was it from Terry Gordon?), but have yet to try it.

    Regards
    Paul
    Bushmiller;

    "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"

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