(note this is cross- posted on WoodCentral)
I have a request to make a 10' long rustic kitchen table. In short, my question is what wood species should I consider, given that oak is out?
More detail:
This will be a daily user table, as well as place to entertain/host (no formal dining room). They want a double pedestal style with a thick top, 2" or more. Finish is to be robust and durable ("no open crevices for food bits in between planks") with "not necessarily a distressed" look, but a rustic country/mountain/washed-out/pickled-stain kind of a look. Chair choice has not been made - but they have ideas. They want a matching/similar bench for the window side of the table. A more complete description of the house is given below.
I have great latitude in style and material choices, knowing what I think the end-goal is. Traditional furniture woods don't really make sense to me here:
- Oak is out (customer)
- Cherry is not my choice for "base color" reasons.
- Maple - tight grain makes it poor choice for the washed out / pickled stain look (I think).
- Walnut - a possibility, but no experience with it. I thought it was also tight grained and therefore may not be good choice for the desired type of finish.
Other species?
- Cypress - The porch is framed and bordered with thick cypress 'beams' but my scratch test on underside of a railing showed it to be fairly easy to dent with my pencil.
- Beech, soft maple, poplar, and maybe one other species are available at local supplier in 8/4 or thicker material.
1. Is there a pine species hard enough to use for daily use table? Southern Yellow Pine is hard enough I think, but the yellow base color would be a challenge.
2. Is poplar dense/hard enough for table application (my sense without looking up numbers is that it is not).
So what species should I consider?
Henry
hwynands@ieee.org
Here's my best description of the house setting:
This is in a home that borders on a 'mountain house' style (open layout, huge back windows, some exposed beams, rustic pine cathedral ceilings in large open 'living room' with large stone fire place, 10' or more ceiling everywhere else). The adjoining kitchen is U shaped with the opening of the U facing the back windows and the table location. Cabinets have flat panel doors (no arched top) in a dark cherry/mahogany finish, and the central island has oak doors with a subtle pickled stain. The panels on the ends of the island are beadboard with the same pickled stain, and two 5-6" diameter turned columns to support the overhang and bar stool eating area. This turned column and bar stool portion of the island faces the table area.
I have a request to make a 10' long rustic kitchen table. In short, my question is what wood species should I consider, given that oak is out?
More detail:
This will be a daily user table, as well as place to entertain/host (no formal dining room). They want a double pedestal style with a thick top, 2" or more. Finish is to be robust and durable ("no open crevices for food bits in between planks") with "not necessarily a distressed" look, but a rustic country/mountain/washed-out/pickled-stain kind of a look. Chair choice has not been made - but they have ideas. They want a matching/similar bench for the window side of the table. A more complete description of the house is given below.
I have great latitude in style and material choices, knowing what I think the end-goal is. Traditional furniture woods don't really make sense to me here:
- Oak is out (customer)
- Cherry is not my choice for "base color" reasons.
- Maple - tight grain makes it poor choice for the washed out / pickled stain look (I think).
- Walnut - a possibility, but no experience with it. I thought it was also tight grained and therefore may not be good choice for the desired type of finish.
Other species?
- Cypress - The porch is framed and bordered with thick cypress 'beams' but my scratch test on underside of a railing showed it to be fairly easy to dent with my pencil.
- Beech, soft maple, poplar, and maybe one other species are available at local supplier in 8/4 or thicker material.
1. Is there a pine species hard enough to use for daily use table? Southern Yellow Pine is hard enough I think, but the yellow base color would be a challenge.
2. Is poplar dense/hard enough for table application (my sense without looking up numbers is that it is not).
So what species should I consider?
Henry
hwynands@ieee.org
Here's my best description of the house setting:
This is in a home that borders on a 'mountain house' style (open layout, huge back windows, some exposed beams, rustic pine cathedral ceilings in large open 'living room' with large stone fire place, 10' or more ceiling everywhere else). The adjoining kitchen is U shaped with the opening of the U facing the back windows and the table location. Cabinets have flat panel doors (no arched top) in a dark cherry/mahogany finish, and the central island has oak doors with a subtle pickled stain. The panels on the ends of the island are beadboard with the same pickled stain, and two 5-6" diameter turned columns to support the overhang and bar stool eating area. This turned column and bar stool portion of the island faces the table area.
