Anyone worked with parawood?

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Pie

I agree with LR. Cost is not the major driving factor; I'd rather get the right pieces of furniture. Hopefully ones that can be refinished (if necessary). I'd like to plan on using it for the next 30 years, at least.

If you are looking at refinishing down the road in a decade or two, oak might not be the best choice, depending on if you want to change the color. Oak has large open pores and finish really gets into those pores and won't come out easily in the future. Even with a chemical stripper and nylon brush, getting the finish out of oak pores is a difficult job. Although you can use this attribute for a two toned look where the pores are a different color than the rest of the surface. Or just keep the same color and don't worry about it.

[Pie]

Originally Posted by glatt

If you are looking at refinishing down the road in a decade or two, oak might not be the best choice, depending on if you want to change the color.

The Cellar is such a wealth of information! So glatt, what wood would you recommend?

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Pie

The Cellar is such a wealth of information! So glatt, what wood would you recommend?

I'd actually ask the place you deal with. Tell them what you want in the table. And what color you want it to eventually be. They might have a glut of one species that would end up being cheaper than another.

Maple is nice, cherry is too, but expensive. I'm partial to walnut, but it's a taste thing and has similar open pores. Oak is good too, but you might want to consider filling the pores before finishing it. There are several ways to do this. You can use a filler like this. Or start off with a thick layer of shellac, or just build up multiple layers of varnish or poly, sanding between each application.

I tend to think of historical Shaker furniture as being made of maple, but I'm not sure if that's actually true.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by glatt

Maple is nice, cherry is too, but expensive. I'm partial to walnut, but it's a taste thing

I had to chuckle at this. I don't do woodworking, but I do bbq regularly. So when the talk turns to wood, my mind wanders away from woodworking and I start thinking about what I'd cook with it.

But you're correct in either situation. Choice of wood is a matter of taste.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by glatt

Oak is good too, but you might want to consider filling the pores before finishing it. There are several ways to do this. You can use a filler like this. Or start off with a thick layer of shellac, or just build up multiple layers of varnish or poly, sanding between each application.

No, nay, nix, do not fill the pores. That's what makes oak, um oak. It's what gives it character, without grain it might as well be Formica.
That would be like painting curly maple white, spackling a pressed tin ceiling, or doing a Leopard with Miss Clairol.
You can do from a light (natural) finish all the way to a deep mahogany red, and it will still be oak and beautiful.