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Thread: Mixing timbers

  1. #1
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    Default Mixing timbers

    I have a few pieces work pieces under my belt now, but I have never used different timber in one piece.

    I have been given an old 45mm x 3000 mm tassie oak curtain rod. I want to use these as the legs on a chunky stool. I have some 45mm thick pieces of what think might be oregon that Ican glue up to make the board for the seat.

    The two timbers will only meet in the holes where the legs are joined to the seat.

    Apart from different grain and colour, can anyone see a problem?

    Thanks for any tips...

    Jorge

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  3. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by GarciaJ View Post
    I have a few pieces work pieces under my belt now, but I have never used different timber in one piece.

    I have been given an old 45mm x 3000 mm tassie oak curtain rod. I want to use these as the legs on a chunky stool. I have some 45mm thick pieces of what think might be oregon that Ican glue up to make the board for the seat.

    The two timbers will only meet in the holes where the legs are joined to the seat.

    Apart from different grain and colour, can anyone see a problem?

    Thanks for any tips...

    Jorge
    Jorge,

    19th century Chairs traditionally used different timbers for different parts of the chair, especially on Windsor Chairs, so in principal, your idea is probably OK. Not sure about the two species you plan to use. The answer could vary depending on what sort of joinery you plan to use between the legs and the seat. But, if it was me, I'd just go ahead and do it. You'll never know for sure if the idea will work until you give it a try, and it'll be a good learning exercise.

    Best of luck with the project.

    Regards,

    Roy
    Manufacturer of the Finest Quality Off-Cuts.

  4. #3
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    I don't se any problems either. Plenty of stuff made with more than one kind of timber and as you say the two only meet at the joints.
    Regards
    John

  5. #4
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    Different timbers may be used for a variety of reasons: for contrast, such as in a table with a light top and dark legs; for structural integrity in Windsor chairs, where one type bends better than another or one is preferred for the carving a seat. Not in the Windsor the timbers may be stained or painted to match one another.

    It is important for me that unstained differing timbers compliment one another. To my eye, Tassie oak does not compliment Oregon Pine (the grain is too different and colour is not the same shade). Personally, I would shape the Tassie Oak legs and then stain them dark, and leave the Oregon natural (finish with wax).

    Regards from Perth

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

  6. #5
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    Hi Derek

    I agree with you in general. But in this case the different timbers were used because I just wanted to reuse stuff that I havery lying around the shed. The Oregon is highly figured and kind.of pretty, but I did not have enough of it to match the grain during glue up. In fact I only just had enough Oregon for the seat and foot rest.

    It's a shed stool that I took on as a quick project for the holidays. I might coat it.in clear PU to make a point of the fact that it's made from recycled materials, or I might paint it... I am rather partial to yellow legs and black top, or vice versa.

    Thanks for taking the time to post.

    Jorge.

  7. #6
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    Default Three timbers actually

    Stool.jpgIMG_8023.jpgIMG_8024.JPGIMG_8025.jpgIMG_8026.JPG

    Update: The woodwork is almost done in this project. All that's left is gluing, sanding to high grit value, staining and top-coating with polyurethane. (Gluing is OK, but I hate all the other jobs that are left)

    The first picture is the photo on the plans in Australian Woodworking. The other pictures are the result. I had to buy 2m of Tassie Oak rod for the back and center rungs and had a lot left over so I added side rungs. I thinks these add both structural and aesthetic value.

    The hand me down curtain rod had a brown finish and a top coat or urethane - It was hard work getting this off by hand so I ended up using a linisher. It turns out that the curtain rod was not Tassie OAK - I am not sure what the timber is - It kind of looks like Tassie OAK but it has a bitter unpleasant smell when cut or sanded... Merbau???

    The rungs are Tassie OAK bought new. The seat and foot rest are Oregon, I think. It certainly had a pleasant pine smell when cut or sanded. I had a minimum of Oregon to do the job and as you can see I could not match the grain. This too had been finished with a reddish brown stain, but since this part of the stool is flat, and the wood relatively soft, the job of removing it was much easier. It was only after removing this finish that I discovered that some of this timber was taken from the heart of the tree.

    With the round seat, round tenons and the large angled round mortices to take the legs and rungs (all new for me) this was an interesting project. That, and using recycled timber for as much of the job as possible made this an interesting and challenging project. Of which I am kind of proud.

    As per Dereks suggestion I will most likely stain the legs and rungs black and leave the seat and footrest clear - or stain with a yellow stain like New Baltic Pine (to yet the yellowed pine look right away, rather than in years).

    I hope that you like this as much as I enjoyed making it.

    Jorge
    Last edited by GarciaJ; 18th January 2015 at 07:26 PM. Reason: Grammar, additional notes

  8. #7
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    Hi Jorge

    That looks fantastic! I'm looking forward to the end result - I could do with one like this in my workshop as well.

    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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    Nicely done
    Check my facebook:rhbtimber

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by derekcohen View Post
    Hi Jorge

    That looks fantastic! I'm looking forward to the end result - I could do with one like this in my workshop as well.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Hi Derek, thank you for the posts. The plans are in Australian Woodsmith #52 page 26. At a pinch I can scan the relevant pages and email you... (better not post them here). There are a few problems with the plans, but it would be pretty hard to work out the angles, etc from scratch.

    Jorge

  11. #10
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    Default Finished...

    Finished now (well, one more coat of clear PU).

    Mixing timbers-finished-stool-jpg
    Attached Images Attached Images

  12. #11
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    Well done.

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