Im after a coffee table for my lounge in a specific design. Had a good look around some furniture shops last night and cant find what I want. So I though Id have a go at making one - after all it cant be *that* hard!
Can someone suggest a good quality wood thats not too expensive? The finish I want is a very dark brown. Whats involved in getting a decent stained finish? Would I have to stain it, sand it down again and stain it or is it just a matter of applying coats of stain. I presume the type of wood would affect the finish.
Also, I want a glass top. Is it possible to go to a local glass merchants and have a sheet cut to exact size. Do they have options on thickness and type of glass? What sort of glass would I need? Thanks in advance,
That you can certainly do. You need to get toughened glass for safety reasons. Most glass merchants will have to order this as the toughening can't be performed on the premises. Make sure you tell them it's for furniture use (i.e. not for glazing), otherwise they will put a kitemark or whatever it is in the glass which will look silly on your table.
The type of wood has a big effect on the finish - coarse-grained softwoods like pine will end up streaky, while a fine-grained hardwood like teak will have a much more even appearance. You don't build up layers of stain to get a darker finish, you use a dark stain and a single "coat" (actually it soaks into the surface of the wood rather than sitting on top as a separate layer). You can get a reasonable finish by fine sanding before staining, then waxing with fine wirewool after staining. Furniture makers obtain a fine finish using a scraper rather than sandpaper or wirewool. Try to find a local hardwood merchant who will supply small quantities, or a manufacturer who uses hardwood and will sell you some timber, and see what they have available.
Wood is complex stuff. Yu have to find a compromise between strength (oak is good) appreanace (e.g. mahogany is amongts teh finest grained and most neutral of woods) stability (quarter grain stk from trees that grow uniforaly throughout the year - i.e. tropical hardwoods) are best, bt may not look great as the lack of grain may be considered to dull.
ne thing xcan be said, and that is that pine - and even quality pine - as almost teh worst of all possible worlds. It tends to be poorly cut, sunbect to great cahages with humidity, takes stain very unevenly and is usually fast kiln dried so is not actually stable when you buy it.
Mahogany is amognts teh best of woods to work, and Iroco is teh odern equivalenbt that is more avbailable.
I personally like temepreate hgardwoods - the yews, oaks, cherries walnuts maples and ashes. Each of these has a different appearance, with teh beeches and maples being bland in appearance, and ash very light, and teh rest all mch deeper in grain and color.
If you want to delve furher, get the expensive book 'Understanding wood' by Hoadley. A classic.
Glass rtops can be cut to size by some glass firms: A yelow pages search or asking around shops tha sell stuff like interiors designs etc can usually find a good local one.
Whe staining wood avoit 'woodstain' which is usually varnsh, and go for 'spirit stains' which actiually are dyes and nothing more.
What you fisih teh wood with is a matter of personal taste. Everyine swars by somethj, from fernch polish and button polish (shellac dissolved in alcohol) through danish and linseed type oils, to cellulose and polyurethane lacquers (high gloss and bomb proof).
I havent done enough fine woodwork to have a clear opinion.
French and Button polishes are no good for beginners and would be ott for a table with a glass top anyway. As others have said, stain to required colour (test on offcuts) then finish with a good hard wax. Black Bison paste wax is good stuff, put it on with synthetic wire wool, allow to dry for 40ish mins then buff with a clean cloth. A couple of coats leaves a nice soft sheen which is easily maintained. When dirty rub down with white spirit and wire wool then put on another coat of wax. Pros use it too.
Anything you like. Wood pricing is much more dependent on where you buy it than what species it is. Useful price guide:
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is cheap, easy to work and will take any stain you might want to apply. Beech much the same. Oak's a little more but rather tougher going - worth it if you want an unstained oak finish, not worth it if you're going to slather it with some other colour.
I'm not a good person to ask. I use them because they're friends-of-friends (who have a framing yard and their Wood-mizer on-site there). They're also pretty close to my doorstep.
I also find their attitude of supplying locally or regionally grown timber to be a good fit for my own approach.
I can't imagine buying timber without picking it out in person. They're very helpful for that and have no problem with awkward buggers like me rooting through big stacks for the right boards.
I try not to do so, but occasionally time has dictated having to buy sight unseen. So far, I haven't had a problem on the odd occasion that I have had to, but I far prefer selecting myself, as you say.
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