Thread: Newbie needs help re: wood for Bed

I've built two, one is Jarrah, the other Aussie Red cedar, was about $700 worth from memory. I suggest the softwood

ian

Originally Posted by ian

I've built two, one is Jarrah, the other Aussie Red cedar, was about $700 worth from memory. I suggest the softwood

ian

Is "aussie" red cedar the same as what is known as "Mackay Cedar" as seen in any Hogs Breath cafe furniture?

mate, just about anything is better than american cherry. get some qld myrtle or qld kauri or if you can find enough get some gidge... all qld timbers!

Originally Posted by CraigJ

Is "aussie" red cedar the same as what is known as "Mackay Cedar" as seen in any Hogs Breath cafe furniture?

Craig - No, definitely not! "Aussie" cedar is a totally different genus (Toona sp.) and very soft, whereas Mackay cedar (Albizia toona) is a much harder wood, and would perhaps be a better substitute for Cherry. Having worked quite a bit of Nth American cherry, I can't say there is anything quite like it in local woods, but there are a few woods that will give you a similar colour, (to aged cherry) like rose alder, myrtle beech, etc., which are much more friendly to work than brush box.

I'd advise going to your local purveyor of cabinet woods and choose the one you like best - for the amount of wood involved in a bed, there will be just a slab or so's worth of difference between the best and cheapest choice. And as most will tell you, the cost of the wood is much less than the value of a well-made piece. You're dead right in thinking that it's harder to do a good job with really tough woods, especially when you have limited equipment.

Cheers,

A mate of mine used NG rose wood a few years ago for a bed and tables that he was making. It came up really nice and finished well. From what he said it wasn't to hard on his tools either. It was a bit cheaper than blackwood was at the time which was one of the reasons he went that way.

If you were down here I'd suggest Southern myrtle (AKA myrtle beech , Tas myrtle etc.). It's a nice light pink, and sometimes you can get it with spalting (tiger myrtle). I reckon you'd probably have a good range of local timbers to choose from too.

Originally Posted by CraigJ

Hi guys,

I have seen brush box used looking similiar, but fear my abilities would be tested due to it's hardness on tools.
...keep it up guys.

That's easy,
Learn to to sharpen your tools.
I was at Toowoomba for the demonstration/show/exhibition on SHARPENING

It REALLY was made to look easy.
and
I can now shave with my old Chisel :eek:

The Finger Nail tricks got me in;
had my blood curdling iniatilly
BUT once I had done it, All was clear.....I did NOT cut myself once

YES!
The Sharpening realy is straight forward, might I even say easy.....Nah!
Simple; if I can do it

If newly weds, try bamboo

Nah John, Bungee cords

Craig
Long time contributors and lurkers may remember Jon Arno who was considered an expert on most things wood.
If I remember correctly, Jon considered Cherry the king of North American cabinet timbers because of its colour and ease of working.

We in Australia have acustomed ourselves to working with woods that the Yanks consider "as hard as concrete".

If you can afford it, go with a timber that you like the colour of and is relatively easy to work.

ian

Originally Posted by ian

If I remember correctly, Jon considered Cherry the king of North American cabinet timbers because of its colour and ease of working.

We in Australia have acustomed ourselves to working with woods that the Yanks consider "as hard as concrete".

Ian - having spent a few happy years in Canada, I butchered quite a few bits of Cherry, and can vouch for its being an excellent cabinet wood - a little bit 'lively' at times (especially if you leave sapwood on) but good to work with, and just about perfect hardness, so that table tops etc. don't get dinged very easily (cf our Aust. Cedar!!). It is very easy to finish - takes on a beautiful smooth 'gloss' off a sharp blade or fine paper, and just about any finish seems to suit it. So I was a bit surprised by Zed's assertion that "...just about anything is better than American Cherry..." I think his loyalty may be clouding his judgement.
North Americans don't have the plethora of species to play with that we have, but what they do have includes some pretty nice (and useful!) woods - there just ain't anything quite like Hickory for axe handles. Much as I respect Jon Arno's opinions, I'd debate his claim for the preeminence of Cherry - Black Walnut is even nicer to work, equally pleasing in terms of colour (it ages from the purple-black of fresh heartwood to a deep brown not all that different from aged cherry, though you'd never confuse them), and a bit more stable. All a matter of personal preference, I suppose.

We have lots of great woods to play about with - some as tough as nails, alright, but there are some really nice, workable woods that match anything the rest of the world has to offer, too. The sad bit is that most are now in such short supply, and it's likely to get worse long before it gets better.

This is the only cherry piece I happen to have a picture of at the moment (drawer front is birdseye maple)...
Cheers,

IanW

very nice, I particularly like the contrast between the drawer front and the rest of the piece.


ian

That Bird's Eye Maple really makes the piece, doesn't it? The Cherry looks rather nice too...

On the subject of timbers, we here in Aus are really blessed with the quality and variety that we have. Sadly, some of the nicer ones are getting a bit rare and/or expensive.

The only wood that I really miss is English Yew; that can be just stunning!

Originally Posted by ian

IanW
....... I particularly like the contrast between the drawer front and the rest of the piece.
ian

Thanks Ian - yeah, I usually don't go for contrasty things, much, but b'eye maple and cherry do seem to hit it off well. I saw them used on a few old pieces when I lved in Canada, so it was certainly not an original idea of mine!
Cheers,