Colors : Poll

[VR3]

What would you choose...?

Textured black finish (base)... with the following side panels (one or the other)...

1) Cherry
2) Walnut
3) Cedar

* All wood will be solid wood *

Note: Image is similar to what will be done - MINUS top cap*, and the panels will be LSi style..split into 3.

[audiobliss]

I'm personally very fond of cherry, so I'd go that route. I'm envisioning something for the side panels that could be pretty cool, so I'm trying to draw something up in paint to get the basic idea across.

I know, I'm pretty bad with paint. Hopefully you can kinda see what I'm thinking about here. The bottom piece of wood can probably just be a square. Then the middle piece can start getting smaller. Then the top piece can end up rounded off like in the end of an oval.

[VR3]

I'm leaning more torwards Cedar and Cherry myself - not only is it cheaper... but it also is lighter and will give it a two tone look...

If the base coat wasnt black... I would probally go with Walnut myself.

AB, I like that design overall - but it just increases the margin or error...something I can't afford...... Thats why I dropped the whole curved side panel idea (pictured above)...

What I plan to do is do LSi like, split into 3.... ---- then have a inset roundover that begins where the front and back edges outset roundover is... so it will make a S like shape kind of... its something I'm throwing out there. I might go with a / shape - may go with a decorative edge... but I think it will be between a inset roundover and /.

I might try your idea on Pine first and see how good it looks - there will be ALOT of test pieces before I even TOUCH the actual final piece... trust me - so your idea will be tossed around, altered... may even be used.

Thanks

[Emlyn]

Why not use MDF and a veneer? You'd many more choices that way, and this is what almost all speaker manufacturers do (for more than one reason). There are too many possible varieties of Cherry or Cedar finish to comment really, but I'd go with some kind of Cherry myself.

Here are a variety:

Samples (http://www.oakwoodveneer.com/samples/samples2.html)

[okiepolkie]

Cherry tends to darken over time, so if you start out with a light cherry, it will become a little darker. With that said, I like cherry.

[VR3]

Why not MDF + Veneer?

Tons of reasons....

1) Cost
2) Seams
3) I dont like MDF...

I like the seamless look real wood gives off - as I plan to route the edges, etc...

Just a personal preference...

Thanks for the info Okie - darker is cool... I like dark.... :)

[audiobliss]

You really should experiment with my idea. IMO, it'd add something more to it, really make it stand out. You can pull it off!!

[Jstas]

Cedar will require a stain and a protectant like a polyurethane. It doesn't do well as a finish wood because UV damage can cause it to turn gray. It is also quite soft and will marr easily. While I think it might actually look good, it doesn't necessarily tend to lend itself easily to finished work. I'd do some reasearch on cedar before doing any finish work with it like you are planning. It may be more work and effort than it is worth or that you have the capability to get done properly at this time. Capability meaning that you might not have tools or access to fininishing products that you might need.

However, with the cherry, if you get a light cherry and stain it a shade or two darker when finishing it, the change in color doesn't tend to be as dramatic. It ends up deepening the color and giving the finished wood a deeper, more rich visual texture.

Personally, I like the walnut. It has a very deep and rich grain and doesn't necessarily have to be so dark. Granted, you have to go with the shade of the wood you are using but you can change the color and impact of the grain by choosing the proper stain. Also, walnut is a hard wood and unlikely to be damaged as easily as cedar. It has a more pronounced grain than cherry so it has less of a sterile look to it. Also, because the grain is usually so coarse and pronounced, it is often easier to hide seams and panel joints in the wood. It can be forgiving in that respect. Granted, hiding seams is not an easy task but a smooth, more uniform wood like cherry will show the seams and joints more so than a more coarse grained wood.

If you are considering cherry and cedar, you might want to look at ash, oak or even a black locust. All have similar grain patterns and are closer to the walnut texture without the darknest often associated with walnut.

If you REALLY want something to set them apart, see if you can't get your hands on some chestnut! Even better would be antique American Chestnut. It can be expensive but for the small amount you need, you can probably fit it into a budget.

Just some suggestions, don't have to take them and you don't have to explain why if you don't. Just know that there is a whole world of woods out there and you can get some incredible results for less cost than you think.

[VR3]

Excellent suggestions John...

I've seen people working with Cedar over the past few years and Im pretty leery of it overall - but I do like the color it has. The amount of KNOTS that type of wood has is amazing really... I don't like that at all...

The only thing I dont like about Walnut in this particular project is the black - and I want it black... so I was more so looking for a "two-tone" look - to make it look a bit higher class...

Actually - it will take quite a bit of wood, you figure I am covering 25" up the speaker... about... 11.25" long - four times... plus the stabilizers on the bottom. It is quite a bit of wood.

I seen some Chestnut, I liked it pretty well - I just don't like LIGHT, LIGHT woods. Oak is definitely a consideration. I may do that actually - but I was hoping to get away from Mainstream colors like Cherry... although it is a consideration (as its in my poll) ;)...

I am leaning more torwards oak, cherry, walnut...

I really wont be able to make a decision until I finish up with the enclosure in MDF form and get it all painted... so I guess I will have to see then...

Thanks! Keep em coming!

[beardog03]

I got a thing for cherry wood..

gives me wood.....sometimes splinters..!!

[VR3]

I'm leaning more torwards Oak and Walnut...

Man Walnut is just so purdy... and not mainstream in the least bit...

But its $4.50 a board foot! Holy SHEAT! ;) - will cost about $60.00 to do the pair - thats if I don't mess up. Which I wont. Dangit! :)

Keep the input coming... dont be afraid to suggest different wood types

[beardog03]

ash...

[Dennis Gardner]

Cocobolo (http://www.cocoboloinc.com/cocobolo.html)

[aaharvel]

'I like pink very much Lois.'

[madmax]

Oak.

[VR3]

Today I was roaming around the shop...checking out various amounts of wood, from ash to walnut...

Cedar looked REAL good up to my test piece of MDF with truck bed liner... I mean real good... So my friend and I took a scrap piece over to the table and did various "tests" on it. First was the fingernail test - which it somewhat passed, it could hide small scratches - but it still scratched fairly well. The next test was the key test... which it passed as far as hiding - performed better than Pine. Next was the Hammer test, which it passed pretty well! All in all, I didnt want to use that, it scratched way to easy for this...

So then I was looking at mainly Oak and Walnut - Walnut didnt last long in the decision due to the fact it cost $4.50 a BD FT! So Red Oak, clear, costs $2.25 a BD FT - and that is what I believe I will use. That with a gloss clear coat.... and a wax buff... indeed indeed!

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Jstas]

If you are going with Red Oak, try a medium English Oak stain. This shade is from minwax. Granted, Minwax isn't necessarily the best stuff out there but you could do far worse for the money.

http://www.minwax.com/Images/Swatches/Waterbased/english_oak.jpg

It has a decent amount of red in it and it makes Red Oak just pop! Especially on the piano black. In fact, I think the grain pictured is oak so it gives you a good idea of what it will look like. It will also give you a color closer to the light/medium cherry finish that it seems you are looking for. The grain of oak is uniform but coarse so it is sufficiently busy and if you get the panel joints right, it'll look like a sinlge 25" wide sheet of wood.

If you want the wood to have a glossy finish, use a clearcoat with a gloss finish. If you want it not so glossy, use a satin finish clearcoat. There are flat finish clearcoats but they tend to make the wood look like it is painted pencil eraser rubber. However, I have heard bad and good things about Minwax clearcoats. I think F1nut would have better insight into what products are good for a clearcoat. A stain is a stain though. If you go with a water based stain, it is a bit more forgiving because it can take multiple coats to get the desired depth of color where as a oil based stain can get too dark too quick. For a beginner, water-based is better until one gets the hang of it.

One thing for finishing though. It has been my experience that oak is a thirsty wood. It's dense and can hold alot of moisture. You will need multiple coats of the stain to achieve the desired result 'cause it will suck it right up. You should let it dry sufficiently between coats and make your best judgement about more coats but it will require a good amount. Just take your time with it and don't go dumping it on. Even, smooth application will give you the best, uniform results.



BTW, if you go to Minwax.com, they have a bunch of color pallettes for thier various stains and finishes so you can get an idea of what you are looking at. I like teh Minwax stuff because it is comparativly cheap in cost, easy to work with and readily available. There is other stuff out there, there is better stuff out there. however, it's a good, middle-of-the-road brand. Especially if you are on a budget.

Here is the list of colors where i got the above sample from.
http://www.minwax.com/products/woodstain/waterbased-color.cfm