Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utastro.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!bellcore!decvax!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!utastro!anand From: anand@utastro.UUCP (Anand Sivaramakrishnan) Newsgroups: net.rec.wood Subject: hardwoods, finishes Message-ID: <282@utastro.UUCP> Date: Tue, 25-Jun-85 18:32:44 EDT Article-I.D.: utastro.282 Posted: Tue Jun 25 18:32:44 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 29-Jun-85 03:01:57 EDT Distribution: net Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX Lines: 27 [] I am in the process of making some furniture, I made a box for my puppy as a warmup exercise (I did say that I was inexperienced), then a maple king-sized bed. I am contemplating making a second bed (smaller), and some heavy padded chairs (not all done up in upholstery, but with straight legs and back, patterned after some chairs I saw in a museum here in Austin). I am looking for cheap hardwoods to do these in. I learnt from a friend of mine that cypress is a relatively inexpensive but very strong wood. His ceiling is done is thick planking of cypress. He said it was what Old Ironsides (U.S.S. Constitution?) was made out of. Cypress is a nice colour, much darker than the white of maple. I would be very interested in learning about other woods. Could people post articles about their favourite woods, and how they finish them? I have not finished the maple bed, as I still do not know what I'd like to do with it (or what I can do, even). I thought of oiling it, I've heard about tung oil, linseed oil and some synthetic (?) Danish oils. I know little about the merits and demerits of these... Why is most maple stained a reddish or yellowish colour?