What cheap wood will look good stained dark?

I think you should use tinted clear coats and enjoy a dark and splotch-free item.

I'd go with poplar. It's cheap, strong and will take dark stain really well.

-- "We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

Aren't there far eastern species which resemble mahog but aren't? Otherwise you may as well paint it, faux bois - used to be very fashionable.

Tim w

Toller,

My first thought would be to use Philippine Mahogany. I happen to like the rather 'blank' grain structure - the 'Work' gets the attention, not the 'Wood'. Also, I like the 'semi-dark' color that appears with just Varnish. However, a rubdown with 'Bombay Mahogany' will get you even deeper.

If you REALLY want to go 'cheap' . . . try regular Pine. Recently Joanne wanted me to re-do a window shelf I had put in the kitchen about 20+ years ago. I had just fitted & 'thrown up' this 8in shelf to cover the existing narrow sill, so she could set out some plants. Slapped some brown paint on it, and 'Bob's your uncle'.

Since then, we've done a lot of things to the kitchen, and now * we're * involved in a pretty good make-over. Anyhow she wanted me to match the chair rails that I made to match the Maple top of a drawed 'Potato Storage Cabinet'. Didn't want to go for that much Maple - yet - ' . . . just make it match, for now . .'. Long story short . . . coats & of 'Antique Maple' stain wouldn't do it. Sanded it all off & started again . . . with a coat of GEL Mahogany to start. After that only needed a couple of coats of the Maple. Of course, to me it looks like 'Red Mahogany' - no where as light as the Maple top - matches the tone of the 'aged' chair rail - but it looks great and she likes it !!

It just may be the color / semi-darkness you are looking for.

Regards & Good Luck, Ron Magen Backyard Boatshop {PS - recommend Water-Based Poly as an overcoat. Goes on really easy, quick rinse clean-up, and hard-as-nails result}

"Toller" wrote

SNIP

If grain means nothing to her, than I would go with poplar and use a dark paint NOT stain.

Use ebony and you can eliminate that step completely.

There goes "cheap". :)

I vote for gray elm. A dark stain really brings out the beautiful grain. It takes a stain easily and is much more stable than the more common red elm. Plus, it's cheap and durable.

Dunno your area... On the west coast, about the cheapest is pine..

Soft wood but the make water bed frames out of it, so it should be strong enough.. Takes stain well, the darker the better... Everyone here over 40 probably had a cheap pine water bed stained dark walnut once, right?

mac

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I feel your pain. :) My wife is the same way. I'll bet some of these phrases are familiar:

Umm, that's not dark enough.

Can't you make it any darker?

Will another coat make it darker?

As others have mentioned--poplar. At least around where I am, poplar is fairly inexpensive per board foot.

Also, what you may find helpful to getting things dark without driving yourself nuts in the process--spray it. Until I recently got an inexpensive HVLP rig[1], I just could not make anything dark enough to appease the princess of darkness. :) I've since used this HVLP system to spray a couple of different types of finishes and was able to get things satisfactory for SWMBO. The first thing I did with it that worked well was using Zinsser SealCoat wax-free shellac. Initially I sprayed it on plain, and then for subsequent coats I added some dye to the shellac to get the proper coloring. For another project, I sprayed some Minwax Polyshades Bombay Mahogany on a chair that turned out nice. In both cases, spraying both the shellac and stain/polyurethane I was able to get decent results and sufficient darkness. What's also been interesting for me, is that I've had no luck at all using either of the aforementioned products in either a wiping or brushing fashion. But when I spray them, I get results that I like.

Had?

What about white ash? Pretty cheap and strong and not a soft wood.

FoggyTown Most of my projects' best features began as mistakes!

Yeah, ours is down in the basement taking up room. Can't even give it away.

Oak, ebonized by wiping down with a solution of steel wool steeped in vinegar for several days.

Poplar, with General Finishes' "Java" Gel Stain.

Example:

Mine, from a previous life/marriage, is in the guest room with a box spring & mattress in it.. I did refinish it with rosewood gel stain to match the rest of the "furniture", though...

mac

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Use the wood!

I've received 4 or 5 water bed frames over the years and love that 2" thick pine... Great shelves, etc...

I've also turned platters from the head and foot boards .. lol

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

a friend of mine went to yard sales where one can usually, at the end of the day, get water beds for free, and bought a bunch of them. he built a shed out of them after planing them down to get rid of the stain and finish.

regards, charlie