Below are photos of the three samples I placed beside a freshly planed piece of beech which will will be the main lumber for my bench. I am looking for a contrasting color for the dovetail end caps, leg vise, maybe the dogs, deadman, etc.
Thanks for sharing your opinions, it may influence which direction I will lean… listed in no particular order.
Option 1 – Freshly milled piece of Padauk – the color will darken and end up a rich burnt orange / brown
Option 2 – Purpleheart – color will be brighter purple to start with, then fade to a browner hue.
Option 3 – Cherry – color will darken with age, more like the cherry handle color on the plane.
I will be buying the material, and only need about 20-30 board feet, so not too worried about the price, so don’t factor that into your decision, or if you have other options you like, I would like to hear them too!
-- Randy "You are judged as much by the questions you ask as the answers you give..."
In the order of preference: 1) padauk 2) cherry 3) ... 10) purpleheart I just don’t like purpleheart. It is unusual and striking, but it’s color does not go well with most woods.
I vote for the cherry, but that’s because I prefer more subtle contrasts. The paduak is beautiful wood. Like others, I’d stay away from the purple heart.
Paduak, cherry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . purpleheart. I’m just not a fan of purpleheart. I have always used cherry in the past for contrast, but only because I didn’t consider paduak. Paduak starts with the color I always hope the cherry will achieve with age—so why wait?
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