Thread: Dining Table

Why don’t you build the table using NG Rosewood. It is fairly readily available and should give you the best match with your NG rosewood cabinet.

You won’t be able to match your cabinet exactly as, depending on its finish and age, the finish will have changed in colour over the years.

There will undoubtedly be stockists in Brisbane. A search using Google should find a few.


Therapy

G'day hatchy and welcometo the worrld of the wise!

NGR should be obtainable at Lazarides, northside somewhere. They are in the ubiquitous phone book.

NG rosewood is also available from Britton Timbers in Brendale.

Rocker

Am I correct in thinking that NGR might be a bit on the soft side for a dining table top? You may need to think about a different timber for the top, or a glass overlay. Our NGR kitchen is showing a fair bit of wear (dents/ scratches) and that's just on the doors and drawers.

James

James,

I don't think New Guinea rosewood is too soft for a dining table top; NGR's Janka hardness is 4.7 kN, harder than African Mahogany (3.8), or teak (4.5). Mahogany has often been used for table tops.

Rocker

thanks rocker,

NGR is now back on the list for my next project- a dining table, hence my query. I was quoted approx 3300/ cube in brisbane today
James

Originally Posted by Rocker

James,

I don't think New Guinea rosewood is too soft for a dining table top; NGR's Janka hardness is 4.7 kN, harder than African Mahogany (3.8), or teak (4.5). Mahogany has often been used for table tops.

Rocker

Interesting figures Rocker I've got a few slabs of African mahogany that came from Darwin and I reckon they would be twice as hard and heavy (scientifical type measurements!!) as the NG Rosewood I have used

TTIT,

The figures I quoted are from Bootle's Book 'Wood in Australia'. Perhaps I should have quoted the figures for Central American mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla or S. mahogani) - 3.1 - 3.6 kN - which were probably the species more commonly used in antique dining tables.

I am not sure if the Darwin mahogany is Khaya sp. Perhaps the severe dry season in Darwin may have something to do with the hardness of Darwin mahogany. I have often wondered whether it would be commercially viable to grow mahogany in plantations in the Darwin area. They certainly thrive very well there, but their wood seems to be much lighter in colour than American mahogany, and may perhaps less valuable for that reason.

Rocker

Thanks for your replies guys,

I'm wondering if there's an alternative to NGR - $3300 a cube is kind of expensive am I wrong?

I'm not concerned with the hardness of NGR - the cabinet has kept very well. French polishing might have something to do with that.

Hatchy

Hatchy,

I doubt if you will find other good hardwoods in Brisbane for less than $3300 a cubic metre. Other possibilities, like jarrah and blackwood, are more expensive than that. I don't think it is worth skimping on the expense of the wood for your table.

Rocker

Hatchy

If you are worried about the cost, try contacting some small saw millers from the phone book and go with a local species. I have found it is cheaper to buy direct from them, however you would probably need to sticker and dry larger dimensions yourself, as most mills will only kiln dry to 2inch thick. I pay about $1200- 2500 per cube, kiln dried when I purchase local species direct from the mill

I see you are in Brisbane, have previously dealt with a mill near deception bay in Brisbane with good results, however that was about 10 years ago and I'm not sure they would be there anymore. Don't know if this is helpful.

I agree with Rocker , select the timber you want based on criteria such as colour, machinability, grain appearance etc, and then consider price. You will probably have the dining table for many years and you would hate to be looking at rubbish timber all that time

James

Agree with Rocker - nothing decent & ready to work with is going to come much cheaper than $3,000/cube. That's the cost of wood, nowadays, unless you are lucky enough to find a bargain (good luck, with all those other hawk-eyed woodies out there... ). From long experience, I can tell you that buying exactly what you want from a reputable place often turns out the cheapest option - no waste, & you should end up with a piece of furniture that you are proud of, & should last several generations. Not sure of your dimensions, but you should get enough for a pretty decent-sized dining table for $1500 - try buying anything from the furniture shops for that price you would be proud to show off!

Just a note on NGR. I've used a fair bit of it over the years & it seems to me to be a pretty variable species, maybe a bit more than average. Meaning I've had bits that were almost as soft as Aust Cedar, while others were more like Red Gum, which might explain the diversity of opinions on its hardness. But on average, I would say it's a medium firm wood, ideal for dining tables. Did some kitchen benches with it 8 years ago & they still look good, & I reckon they would have copped more abuse than a dining table...

Cheers,