Thread: Surian Cedar or New Guinnea Rosewood??

Hi JustBec, no doubt you'll get a variety of answers to your questions, but here's my 2c worth.

The Surian 'Cedar' is another Toona, pretty much the same as our Australian "Red Cedar". I javen't used much of the imported stuff, but have made a few items with it & found it was softer on average than Aus. Toona, and tended to be furry & difficult to finish to the standard I like. Being a very light wood, it's not very strong & not suited to fine cabriole legs, IMO. Even with great care in grain orientation, you will have weaker spots where the grain 'runs out', making your legs liable to fracture if mistreated. But if you do persist with it, it can look the goods when finished. The colour & grain can be very similar to Mahogany & so it suits the style, which reached its peak in the 'age of Mahogany'.

NGR is a denser wood & is more suited to your project structurally, IMO. But the colour & grain patterns can be pretty strong. A piece of furniture with strong structural details like cabriolet legs usually looks better in a plainer wood, or at least one that doesn't compete with the lines, with wiild grain patterns. I've worked with a fair bit of NGR, and it can be pretty variable, but the denser, straight-grained stuff works well. It often has "rowed" grain, meaning there are stripes in which grain direction reverses, and these can be a challenge to plane cleanly, but a good sharp blade & fine set will usually do it. It seems to take moulding & details well - here's some crude carving on a childs' chair for example.

Cheers,

thanks IanW, that was very helpful.
Thanks for looking at it from a structural point of view as i hadnt thought of Surian not being strong enough for the cabriole legs etc..
I am still undecicded though so any more opinions would be great!

My Grandson made a table for his exam with NGR and it turned out great.
I made a dropside table out of NGR and it works good with power equipment. It is much harder and can take a few knocks. That would be my choice.
good luck
les

G'day JustBec and welcome to the forums.

Everything IanW says is right. I don't like working with Surian Cedar for the reasons he gives.

Why not see if you can get good quality Hoop Pine(Aruacaria Cunninghamii).
It will be strong enough for your purpose, is very pleasant to work an you will not have trouble with cranky or florid grain. If need be you can stain it very successfully.

One timber that combines both of the attributes that Ian has mentioned and would be ideal for your project is Rosewood. It is structurally sound, works well and finishes beautifully. Cost wise it should be close to the other two.
You can get it through Greg Ward who is a member of this forum, and who posts frequently. He also lives in Sydney.
See here:
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f14/my-bush-super-111850/
You can send him a PM to see what he can do for you.
Good luck with your major work - start early and work hard at it in these early stages. Aim to have it finished a month before the deadline, because there will be unintended delays enforced on you by your own circumstances or the school. If this happens you will have a time cushion. I have seen too many HSC major works die at the end because they were either neglected over the first term, or the student just took it too easy in the early stages, and there was simply too much to do at the last minute. Don't forget that you have four or five other subjects, and those teachers won't cut you any slack on your woodwork. (Oops - slipped into teacher mode there for a minute - I'll put my woodies hat back on now)
Seriously though, I am impressed that you are doing some consulting of woodworkers in the holidays - so this means that you are keen to get off to a good start. Keep the momentum going and don't slack off on this. It will come back to bite you if you do, because, unlike every other subject, you have to have a completed piece, up to a high standard, well before stu-vac.
Best wishes
SG

Do you mean scented Rosewood SG? If so, I heartily agree - it is beautiful stuff to work with, turns, planes, carves & finishes every bit as well as genuine Mahogany, IMO.

But be aware that it seems to be unsuitable for some finishes, particularly shellac. I was warned of this by an old cabinetmaker of some fame, here in Brisbane, so took it seriously. The few pieces I've made with it were finished with several coats of thinned Danish Oil, followed by a good waxing when thoroughly dry. (The wax was applied with oooo steel wool). That gave a superb finish. Unfortunately DO is not particularly resistant to water spills, but this is a relatively small risk on a dressing table, I would think.

Not a good pic, I'm afraid, but this little Rosewood table has the most tactile surface & has mellowed to a rich mahogany colour over the 12 or 15 years since it was made...

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

- Unfortunately DO is not particularly resistant to water spills, but this is a relatively small risk on a dressing table, I would think.

Cheers,

Lovely table. Biggest danger for dressing table finishes used to be nail varnish remover. Don't underestimate the ability of cosmetics to strip finishes. That's why you would see dressing tables with a plate glass cover over the top.
Cheers,
Jim