Material used on projects

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Joeshark
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Material used on projects

Post by Joeshark »

What are the most popular materials do you use on your projects? If you use anything up to 24" do you glue-up the wood yourself or buy it from a store. What kind of wood do you like to use?

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adze_cnc
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Re: Material used on projects

Post by adze_cnc »

This reminds me of a local newspaper's "Best of the City" awards. Every year McDonald's wins for best French fries. Why? Not because they make the best fries but because every one has their own particular liking for their favourite restaurant's fries so it only takes a couple of extra votes to put McD on top.

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Rcnewcomb
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Re: Material used on projects

Post by Rcnewcomb »

What are the most popular materials do you use on your projects?
It really depends on the customer's requirements. If it is for me it tends to be whatever is available in the shop at that time. For 3D work with glazing hard maple is my top choice. For V-carving I've learned how to finish MDF so it looks like real wood.
If you use anything up to 24" do you glue-up the wood yourself or buy it from a store.
Learn to do your own glue-ups. It is a great skill and gives you more options and better stability of the finished product.
What kind of wood do you like to use?
Hard maple, bloodwood, quarter sawn white oak, ash, basswood, poplar, black walnut, purpleheart, sapele, rosewood, MDF.

Corian is not wood, but it is great to work with. I'm also fond of doing projects in sandstone, soapstone, and marble.
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out, another good day in the shop

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FixitMike
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Re: Material used on projects

Post by FixitMike »

My preferred woods: Cherry, Hard Maple, and Walnut. Occasionally Padauk and Purple Heart. Other material: cast acrylic plastic for LED lit displays, Baltic Birch plywood for wide pieces. It all depends upon what I want the finished piece to look like. And sometimes it just depends upon what piece is on top of the scrap pile.
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Experience comes from bad judgement.

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martin54
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Re: Material used on projects

Post by martin54 »

Kind of hard to answer the first part of your question because the answer is what ever material is best suited to the current project :lol: :lol:
As I do lots of different types of project the list of materials is quite varied. If it's work for a customer then I might make suggestions on what to use but ultimately it is the customers choice :lol: :lol:

Again the second part of the question can be either or :lol: :lol: Sheet materials such as plywood then I would obviously buy in, but if working with hard woods then I would do my own glue ups using what I had available to me generally.

If it is a wood project I am working on I generally use hardwoods & use what I can buy locally from a particular sawmill, they operate a sustainability policy & I tell my customers that I use wood that is supplied from a sustainable source. This does limit me a bit but I still have some nice woods to use. They generally stock Ash, Beech, Chestnut (different varieties), Elm, Hornbeam, Lime, Oak, sycamore & Yew. They also have a limited supply of other hardwoods from time to time :lol: :lol:
I tend to use more Oak than anything else, Hornbeam/Lime are very nice for 3D work as they are very dense, Yew is a stunning wood but tends to be a bit on the pricey side for me unfortunately. I am also quite partial to Elm but that can be a bit hit & miss when it comes to 3D work so doesn't get used much for that sort of job :lol: :lol:

Joeshark
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Re: Material used on projects

Post by Joeshark »

Thanks guys, I have been making furniture now for about 10 years or so. I can do glu-ups and have for some table tops. I most generally use white oak for furniture. I was at a saw mill today and ask them about gluing up some popular for me. I wanted it to be 3/4x 24" x 8'. It priced out at $80.00. Is that about average for that size. That's sanded on all four sides. Again thanks for all your advice!

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Rcnewcomb
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Re: Material used on projects

Post by Rcnewcomb »

3/4 x 24" x 8'. It priced out at $80.00. Is that about average for that size.
That really depends on where you are. (Remember that this is a worldwide forum) In my part of the world that is a good price.
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out, another good day in the shop

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