# Good substitute for alder



## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

I'm in the process of designing a new piece of furniture for a family member and the desired wood is Alder. Unfortately, Alder is not easily accessible to me here in western Pennsylvania, based upon searches on Woodfinder & Google.

My question to someone more knowledgeable than me is: what wood would make a fairly good substitute for Alder?

From what I see on the internet, pine should do the trick, with a very light brown dye job. The grain and appearance of pine seem to mimic alder, especially knotty alder.

Any experience you might offer will be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Tom.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

There is no good substitute for alder. How dare you even suggest it.


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

> There is no good substitute for alder. How dare you even suggest it.
> 
> - TheFridge


Not helpfull, unless you know where I can get some alder without driving 3000 miles.


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

Tom, interestingly enough I used alder as a substitute for cherry on my William & Mary Prie Dieu. The trim around the top of the desk is alder. The face and edge grains are remarkably similar … end grain not so much. Perhaps you could use some plain Jane cherry for your project. I would imagine cherry in your neck of the woods costs what alder does in mine.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Was at my local Menard's store, in Sidney, OH….full rack of Alder…...Right beside two racks of Maple…

I'd have to look and see what they want as to prices….


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

Just curious what are the qualities that make Alder wood desirable to you friend for this piece?


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

> Tom, interestingly enough I used alder as a substitute for cherry on my William & Mary Prie Dieu. The trim around the top of the desk is alder. The face and edge grains are remarkably similar … end grain not so much. Perhaps you could use some plain Jane cherry for your project. I would imagine cherry in your neck of the woods costs what alder does in mine.
> 
> - Ron Aylor


Interesting but the cherry might darken too much with age, whereas this new piece needs to match two existing pieces.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> Tom, interestingly enough I used alder as a substitute for cherry on my William & Mary Prie Dieu. The trim around the top of the desk is alder. The face and edge grains are remarkably similar … end grain not so much. Perhaps you could use some plain Jane cherry for your project. I would imagine cherry in your neck of the woods costs what alder does in mine.
> 
> - Ron Aylor


I remember reading an article in Wood Magazine that said Black Cherry and Red Alder what a good look alike.

Did a search 
http://www.woodmagazine.com/materials-guide/lumber/wood-look-alikes


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

> Just curious what are the qualities that make Alder wood desirable to you friend for this piece?
> 
> - AlaskaGuy


AlaskaGuy,

Need to match an existing sideboard and coffee table, both have alder tops.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

I'm not saying you haven't checked everywhere near you but I live in DFW Texas and can get alder out the yin yang at the lumber yards here, and it's fairly cheap. Western PA has nothin? Even Pittsburgh?

Again, not accusing you of being lazy. Just askin.


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

> I m not saying you haven t checked everywhere near you but I live in DFW Texas and can get alder out the yin yang at the lumber yards here, and it s fairly cheap. Western PA has nothin? Even Pittsburgh?
> 
> Again, not accusing you of being lazy. Just askin.
> 
> - ColonelTravis


Colonel Travis
Pittsburgh and the surrounding county it is in (Allegheny County) has no sawmills, or lumber yards, except the big box stores. Now the surrounding counties have some sawmills, but the vast majority are in the eastern half of the state. The problem is, alder only grows on the northern west coast, up into Canada. Trucking logs across the country costs, appearantly too much for the mills to deal with it.

Cherry on the otherhand, is everywhere, but it will darken with age and this project is supposed to match existing pieces.


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## ColonelTravis (Mar 19, 2013)

Interesting, thanks. Agree pine could get you pretty darn close to knotty alder. If I were trying pine I'd get the conditioner from Charles Neil. I have used it on poplar and cherry, not pine, but it works wonders with blotchy wood.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

Some times you just have to pay the freight.


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## pontic (Sep 25, 2016)

How about Box elder?


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## Mr_Pink (May 20, 2017)

Would poplar work for this?


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

> How about Box elder?
> 
> - pontic


Pontic,

Too much color, red, etc.


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

> Would poplar work for this?
> 
> - Mr_Pink


Mr Pink,

Don't think so, no grain pattern to speak of.

I'm leaning towards knotty pine with a very light brown or khaki dye.

Here's what I am shooting for:


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## Nubsnstubs (Aug 30, 2013)

Call a lumber supplier in Pittsburgh, and order it. If they say they can't get it, they are not doing their job. I have no idea what it would cost there, but in Tucson, without any forests nor mills to supply our demand, it's over $3 bdft for superior 4/4 s2s. Hood distribution is our local supplier. Just a guess, but they bring in at least 5,000 bdft per month. Good luck locating a substitute, but like Fridge said, there is no substitute. .......... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Alder is the lord of species. It is perfection attained.


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## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

> There is no good substitute for alder. How dare you even suggest it.
> 
> - TheFridge
> 
> ...


Exactly! people have crossed continents for Alder, as Fridge suggests…. and to mention Pine- STOP

Out West they use it as a substitute for Cherry- cabinet makers referred to it as "poor man's cherry"


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## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

> Alder is the lord of species. It is perfection attained.
> 
> - TheFridge


He is like the first people- who disregarded the "Weirwood" (translated to Alder) and cut them down….


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

The knotty aspect is the curve ball. Cherry is a great substitute for alder (actually, it's the opposite like DW said, but hey). I think your idea for knotty pine is the closest you'll find readily available, but still, there's no comparison. Plan on lots of test boards if you go that route.

Our local Woodworker's Source store gets great reviews online. I'm fortunate to be in town and shop there directly, but the reviews indicate that they do a lot of online ordering. Since knotty alder is super cheap, and depending on the quantity you need, it might be affordable to ship.

https://www.woodworkerssource.com/shop/search.html?Search=knotty+alder


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

> Would poplar work for this?
> 
> - Mr_Pink
> 
> ...


That looks ray flecked or faux-finished to me. Maybe
a glaze over a ray flecked wood. Beech or something.


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## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

*+1*


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Late 80s, mauve and white wash.


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## cathode (May 18, 2014)

> Would poplar work for this?
> 
> - Mr_Pink
> 
> ...


Injecting my unwanted opinion here:

I would disown any family member of mine that owned such ugly furniture. That pink glaze looks like bloody vomit.

I don't think it matters what you put under, that glaze and wash coat looks like it'll hide 90% of the wood under it.


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## putty (Jan 1, 2014)

I agree, that is hideous!


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## LiveEdge (Dec 18, 2013)

I bet the furniture doesn't actually look like that. There is quite a color cast to the photo.

I'm smiling on the inside. Down is up and up is down when cherry is now a substitute for alder.  Here in the PNW alder, for the longest time, was a weed tree. Now it's hot stuff.

Seeing as you don't need too much, it's possible you might find maple that substitutes. If we recall on this forum in the last few months we had a 150 post thread where there was genuine argument whether a piece of wood was alder or maple. Must mean the two can look like each other. You'd need to find the right piece though.


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

oldtool, before lookin for substitutes and getting it shipped, i suggest calling around to different wood suppliers,mills,etc locally and asking.might even want to call some custom cabinet builders,too.if they dont have it, ya might want to ask if those places know of somewhere locally that does. i found that woodfinder is pretty good, but woodfinder might not have every place locally on there.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Find a Menard's store…usually a full rack of Alder at mine…..


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## ArtMann (Mar 1, 2016)

I thought Alder was mostly used as a substitute for other woods.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Alder is the master wood from which all was conceived.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

All wood on the planet is a hybrid of Alder.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

You are correct sir.


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## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

The core of all Christmas trees is Alder……


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> The core of all Christmas trees is Alder……
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Speaking of Christmas I think these turned Alder trees are the coolest.


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## bk3132 (Sep 28, 2017)

You might check out http://www.techwoodpanels.com/. They are in prime Alder country and ship anywhere. Might be a way to get the wood you want, already glued up in panels too…


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## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

bk3 +1


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I had to bring this back. It was my duty.


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## theoldfart (Sep 9, 2011)

Well Andrew, damn nice to hear from you again, how's it hangin' buddy.


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## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

Not only are we under attack from COVID but the Alder has to fight the Alder beetle…


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