# Complimantry woods



## samiam (Sep 22, 2010)

Fine woodworking did a nice article on woods that compliment each other but was pretty limited on examples. I'd love to see some examples of wood projects that you have all done with woods that compliment.


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## Raftermonkey (Jun 5, 2010)

Bloodwood and Maple look great together. Are you wanting people to post pics on this thread? Anyway, I used them on a bandsaw box. You can look at my projects for an example of these two great woods.

Zeke


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

An interesting point in that article was that big differences (really light and really dark) are not good. Of course, woods that are very similar are not good either. You need to find that middle ground.

Many, including myself, have put maple and walnut together and, per that article, that is not a good combination.

Whenever I put 2 woods together, it seems like one of those woods is always maple. I particularly like maple and macawood (it's a medium dark brown/red wood). I also like maple with paduck and purpleheart. However, I'm essentially done with paduck and purpleheart because they darken too much over time. I agree with Zeke's comment on bloodwood. I also like maple with bubinga.


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## samiam (Sep 22, 2010)

I'd love to see some pictures if avaiable from anybody that has some projects with woods that go together


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## BertFlores58 (May 26, 2010)

I think combination depends on the way you joined them. End grain cutting is also best method. I tried a diagonal cut and it works. Here are some pictures for you:










TOP LID.
Orange red - I don't have any idea but it was a scrap wood that was long time used in a ship's drydock.. Medium hard.

White - from a crate (probably specie of a pine but it doesn't smell pine) a little harder than pine

Black - Also I found in the drydock which maybe similare with IPE or Ipil in the Philippines.

The sides
Narra (amboyna) - both red and orange
White and Black same as above.

I don't know if this is available in your place.

MY ONLY EXPERIENCE is that I need to flatten it from time to time during construction until I finally finished it with sanding sealer and gloss lacquer. Please note that on any combination, once moisture comes in, the movement is bulging in the middle but it return to flat after drying. But because it was already sealed by lacquer, no movement now. If you want to see the finish you can view it on my project.

Here is another one;










The woods are not identified but I am sure that it is a combination of different hardness from soft to hard. Cut endgrain.


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## wseand (Jan 27, 2010)

This table is a combo of Bloodwood, PC Maple, and Cherry. The Top is Bloodwood and Maple, skirts are Maple and Cherry, legs are Cherry and Bloodwood . Sorry the pics aren't the greatest and the legs and skirt wasn't finished yet. Hope it helps. You can also just brows the project and most of them tells you what they are made of.


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## Greedo (Apr 18, 2010)

the only combinations i made were frnech oak with beech for a cutting board, looks nice initially but the color difference fades with time.
and then i made a beech eating board (in my projects) with cherry strips, that looked verry good and still does.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

A very nice bubinga and maple bowl has just been posted in the projects section.


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## Raftermonkey (Jun 5, 2010)

Bloodwood and Spalted Silver Maple. My camera was a little outa focus but you get the idea.









.


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## reggiek (Jun 12, 2009)

Those are some great pics. I love contrasting woods and it is truly part of the artistry of woodworking when projects can combine different species for the optimum visual impact. Maple seems to contrast well with alot of exotics….it is one of my favorite woods to use in combination pieces. Holly is another but is harder to find and more expensive than Maple. I always have some Purpleheart on hand as it is another wood that seems to contrast well with other woods.


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## samiam (Sep 22, 2010)

Rafter Monkey

The bloodwood and spalted maple look really good in the box you made. With the spalting not only do you get the reds and the white but everything in between.


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## Nomad62 (Apr 20, 2010)

I generally like most combinations, but tend to appreciate them more if 1 of the colors is dominant and the other an accent, such as an inlay or a hole plug. To each their own I guess.


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