AnthonyMachado Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 I am fairly new to wood working, I got into it a month back I picked up a lathe at a yard sale for 50 bucks and started having some fun and then I discovered that there was a woodworking shop on the military base I work on with every tool you could ever need and allot of knowledgeable help who love there jobs so much they can be found in the shop on there days off. So I have done a few things like wine stoppers, a side table for my back porch I made from firewood and a few end grain cutting boards. The next project im looking at is a bed for my son. Its a full size and as he is 8 he has plenty of time to abuse and try to break it. My question is what wood should I use? Im not looking to break the bank and go cherry, if it were for my wife and I I would, but I do want to make it out of solid wood, no ply or anything like that. I was thinking along the lines of oak. The other part to this is in what dimensions? Is 4/4 stock going to take the abuse or should I go for something a bit thicker?Thanks for taking the time to help me out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyMachado Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Sorry just realized I posted in the wrong place, I will repost there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 if you realy want to get into woodworking find some local mills small one man operations you can often get wood both cheaper and better selections of lumber. plus they seem to always have small end cuts and odd pieces stored in there mills that they might want to get rid of so they can open up the area for lumber they can sell. plus buy the wood that is rough cut you can plane it down yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 I moved the post for you. For a piece of kid's furniture that you expect to get abused, I'd use:pine/fir/spruce, cause it's inexpensive and stands up to abuse. Downside is that it's a "softwood".poplar, cause it's inexpensive, works really easily, and is a hardwood (but not necessarily harder than pine). Downside is that it sometimes has a greenish tint. It looks great painted, though!red oak, cause it's inexpensive and very hard. Downside is that it's a little more difficult to work than poplar, and it's got large open pores which need to be filled if you want a gloss finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyMachado Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Thank you for moving my post and for the replies, I don't want to paint it so I think ill go with the red oak, I don't like the way pine looks. I am in the military and the base keeps a good supply of wood on hand and can get me anything I need at a pretty good price, compared to what I have seen on line, but I do need to find a local mill because I have a couple of walnut trees in my back yard that might need to come down in the next year or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 mills usually charge around 30 cents a board foot unless they destroy their blade on a piece of metal in the tree. i would not mind having access to the military shop i bet it orderly and clean and fully stocked i could make anything i wanted there. what does the military base use the shop for i doubt they are making fine furniture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyMachado Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Its run by AAFES I think, so there not actually military people working there. They mostly build display boxes for retirments, awards, and flags that kind of thing. Its also part of a framing shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckkisser Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 thats realy nice wish i could come in try it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynthia in BC Posted November 11, 2011 Report Share Posted November 11, 2011 I agree with Beechwood Chip. Oak is hard and not expensive--it's a good choice. I think 4/4 is fine. So are you going to plane it yourself? I don't know where you are, but most lumberyards where you can buy rough lumber will be happy to plane it for you, for a price..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted November 11, 2011 Report Share Posted November 11, 2011 I'd take a look at poplar before making a decision. There are a couple of threads in this forum that show really nice pieces made of stained poplar. I may have overstated the downside. I think poplar is less expensive than red oak, and it's got a smooth straight grain that is very easy to work with. Red oak can be brittle and splintery. Some poplar has a green tint, but in my experience, most does not. You do have to use some blotch control when staining. If you search this forum for "poplar" "in subjects only" (click on the little gear near the search bar), you'll get an idea of the issues and solutions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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