which wood is good for making cheap furniture, but the wood should take good polish or even wenge staining?

Question

I need to make contemporay furniture but with little budget. I would be glad if any one can help me find cheap wood which can take good polish and at the same time have a nice appearance.

Answer 1

Most wood workers tend to like sasaphras wood. It takes stain very well and can be molded and stained very well. It's not really cheap depending upon where you buy it. The best solution is to have your own planer and to go to some local auction places, especially ones that the Amish tend to attend. Often you will see cut wood there for a descent price.

Poplar is also a pretty good wood to use.

However, for traditional furniture making ash and cherry are normally used. Cherry is pretty much used for the one color though. Maple is pretty good at taking a stain and of course so is pine, but with pine you need a good quality pine to make it look like another wood.

Answer 2

If you live in Mumbai, you may have seen the furniture makers in Bandra and Oshiwara who make replicas of antique furniture at truly rock bottom prices. I have bought many such pieces and they are still going strong and looking fantastic (and expensive) after many years without requiring re polishing yet. These would have to be made out of "cheap" wood, the vendors usually say "shisham" whatever that is, but it is probably packing crate grade wood which is actually used, however I can guarantee that it lasts and takes good polish very well. Perhaps you could find out from these furniture vendors where to get such "cheap" wood.

Answer 3

You must prime the wood first with an oil primer, then choose your color in a gloss, at this point you can use oil or latex paint. If you use latex get a product called varathane (there are others, different name brands, check sherwin williams out) that is a water based polyurethane and gives a beautiful glossy shine like glass. Or you can use oil base and then poly that is oil baSed too but you haVe to clean up with paint thinnner ie: brushes, hands, anywhere else you might get it. I paint for a living and refinish furniture and prefer the water baSed products after I have primed with oil base if I am going to paint the piece. Good Luck you are taking on a big job lol

Answer 4

Rubber tree stops producing latex after a few years and is taken out. In India a lot of contemporary furniture is made with it.
http://www.irrdb.com/IRRDB/Rubber_Industry/Use_of_Rubberwood.htm
gives more info.

Answer 5

shisham or poplar would be a good choice