its been a long time since i posted about the armoire and dresser that i have been commissioned to build.we have been looking all over for good walnut and have not really been able to find any. upon contacting the specialty dealers we found that they were way out of our price range. so after my recent success in dying the poplar we are thinking that we are just going to settle for poplar and some good finishing techniques. won’t take away anything from the piece. i’m gonna have to get creative but i think that it will work out in the end! so in the next couple of weeks i should have the lumber and we’ll take it from there.
8 comments so far
Beginningwoodworker
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807 posts in 212 days
posted 52 days ago
That might be the way to go.
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker
Douglas Bordner
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2737 posts in 602 days
posted 52 days ago
Denny, if you haven’t ordered the poplar yet, you might try a harder wood that will take stain and stay in your price range. I’m not sure where you are from, but depending on your locale might be able to get birch, butternut, ash or hickory at reasonable prices. Just my 2ยข.
-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.
thetimberkid
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1684 posts in 242 days
posted 51 days ago
Thanks for the update!
Callum
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teenagewoodworker
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2139 posts in 307 days
posted 51 days ago
ya we can get ash and hickory at reasonable prices. but i can get a pretty good finish on poplar with the spray guns and everything and we can get it for about 2 bucks a bf. the wide stuff too up to 16”.
darryl
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989 posts in 865 days
posted 51 days ago
walnut runs about $6 a board foot over here… a little pricey for my wallet these days.
I can understand have to find alternatives.
you seem to have a good woodworker’s head already, so I’m sure your project will come out great.
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Lee A. Jesberger
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2898 posts in 518 days
posted 50 days ago
Hi Dennis;
After seeing your last finishing job, I think you’ll do just fine.
For the future you might want to keep i mind as Douglas mentioned, Butternut it is a great substitute for walnut, due to the grain similarities. I’m not sure of the price of it though.
Lee
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teenagewoodworker
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2139 posts in 307 days
posted 50 days ago
i think i will look at butternut. not sure of the price.
dennis mitchell
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posted 12 days ago
I’d even go Soft Maple before I go with the Poplar.
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