It rates a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5 for hardness and is only available from larger lumberyards and specialty suppliers. Western red cedar, as its name implies, has a reddish color to it. In fact, quarter-sawn white oak is less expensive than some other hardwoods, like cherry. It takes paint better than stain. In some areas of the country (especially southwest United States), pine is the wood to use. Because of their fine, straight grain, both varieties are more stable than many other woods. Wood shop used to have willow. White oak actually takes dark stain ok. The substitutes for walnut are all more expensive than walnut. How to Stain Poplar to Look Like Walnut. If you're buying enough that the price is a significant factor (i.e. You won’t find walnut at your local home center; you may need to special order it from a lumberyard if you want a large quantity. one of the biggest features of walnut is the grain. Oak, is going to have HUGE pores that you'll have to deal with. The downside to hardwoods is their price. Colour is the same, or a bit darker, than Black Walnut. This wood is worth mentioning because it is very common at your local home center and it’s so inexpensive you’ll probably be tempted to make something with it. Poplar is good for making toys, bowls, and small woodworking crafts. staining something cheap to try and look like walnut will always look like exactly what it is. Teak has an oily feel and a golden-brown color. Often referred to as Douglas Fir, this wood has a straight, pronounced grain, and has a reddish brown tint to it. The results aren’t awful, but the color isn’t uniform throughout the wood. Cherry has a hardness of 2 on a scale of 1 to 5. Always sand with the grain as sanding against the grain can create scratches, and wood dye ... 2. Asked what for? Oak is commonly used for flooring and furniture because many people love its grain. Much less distinctive grain. However, it’s hard to stain because it can get blotchy, so you might prefer to paint anything that you make with birch. Not sure if anyone will believe me, but poplar takes a dark stain really well. it's not only about the color. Western Red cedar is mostly used for outdoor projects such as furniture, decks, and building exteriors because it can handle moist environments without rotting. Poplar can be a good choice for drawers (where it won’t be seen) because it is stable and inexpensive. The substitutes for walnut are all more expensive than walnut. Even maple is about half as expensive where I live. It's softer, but I bet (in the end) it will be the closest match once you work out the finishing details. https://www.dummies.com/crafts/types-of-wood-for-woodworking making pine look like walnut. White oak actually takes dark stain ok. You can find redwood at your local home center. Oak is one of the most used woods for furniture. Two coats of brown and red and no one knows that the 3 piece crown moulding on that 9' ceiling is poplar not cherry (like the wainscot below it). Pine generally takes stain very well (as long as you seal the wood first), although Ponderosa pine tends to ooze sap, so be careful when using this stuff. Ash is a good substitute for white oak. Dark woods are popular and relatively rare--they will always be expensive. 1. Soft maple, on the other hand, is relatively easy to work with. It might be that you just need to shop around a bit to get what you really want. Jeff Strong is a professional furniture designer and craftsman whose designs blend Arts and Crafts, Southwestern, and Asian styles. Natural wood colors can also be based on the degree of saturation (meaning how dark a color is – high color or light pale) as well as transparency (meaning matte and glossy), divided into other groups. I love that stuff! Pine is available from most home centers, but it’s often of a lesser grade than what you can find at a decent lumberyard. Sand the poplar with 80-, 150- and 220-grit sandpaper. Cherry also takes dark stain well (with a blotch controler) but staining cherry will get you executed in a lot of places. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Peruvian walnut. The most common type of cedar is the western red variety. Cedar is one of the most aromatic woods (hence, the cedar chest) and is strong enough to endure the elements, so it’s great for decks and patio furniture. You might consider birch. You won’t find ash at your local home center — it’s only available from larger lumberyards. Common Woodworking Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them. Is that how the saying goes? As its name suggests, it has a reddish tint to it. You often can substitute a look-alike wood for more than one wood species, such as alder for walnut or cherry, red gum for walnut or mahogany, and yellow poplar for a variety of woods. They also tend to be less expensive than other hardwoods. stain won't give that natural variation of color. This is a very common wood for furniture-making and is available from sustainably grown forests. Both types of birch have a hardness of 4 on a scale of 1 to 5. If you get it rift sawn or get a hold of some straight grain plain sawn, it will look pretty decent. Blondes are more fun!? It's so cheap that you might as well try it. If you can, try to buy wood from a sustainable forest (commercial tree farms that ensure the supply of the wood). Following is a list of common softwood varieties and their characteristics. /u/screwikea has your answer - but I'd use a slightly darker wood. Teak is highly weather-resistant and beautiful (not to mention expensive — can you believe almost $24 a board foot?). The only other woods I'm aware of that have similar grain structures are also similarly priced. It’s pretty easy to work with (hardness of 4 on a scale of 1 to 5) and takes stain quite nicely, but ash is getting harder and harder to find. Douglas fir is moderately strong and hard for a softwood, rating 4 on a scale of 1 to 4. Some of the more exotic species can be too expensive to use for anything more than an accent. Press J to jump to the feed. The only drawback is that mahogany isn’t being grown in sustainable forests. It takes stain very well and looks great with just a coat (or 10) of oil. In spite of this, walnut is still a great wood to work with and lends itself nicely for use as accents and inlays to dress up a project. Hand sanding with the grain is the best way to massage this hardwood into bringing out its beautiful grain, working with progressively finer grits of sandpaper as you go. Have not seen any since. If you get it rift sawn or get a hold of some straight grain plain sawn, it will look pretty decent. Softwoods aren’t weaker than hardwoods. You won’t find cherry at your local home center, so a trip to the lumberyard is necessary if you want to use it. He is the author of Drums For Dummies and Home Recording For Dummies. We just purchased new Pella windows which are made of pine and would like to have them match the dark walnut cabinets. not just a board or two), it should be possible to pay significantly less than retail by buying from an individual. /r/woodworking is your home on reddit for furniture, toys, tools, wood, glue, and anything else that has to do with woodworking as a hobby or profession.