Does anyone know exactly what the original veneer was? It is all but impossible to ascertain after 50 years of sun bleaching and one refinishing.
I've got Wood (veneer) let me see yours
- Thread starter eb88
- Start date
tdgray
Well-Known Member
French walnut I believe. It can be sourced from the internet fairly easily.
Yes, Juglans Regia...aka Persian, English, Italian, and yes, French. Its all "merchandising" from where the wood was sourced...Google Persian Walnut..
A late Italian friend of mine's mother used to make a walnut liqueur that was something special...
A late Italian friend of mine's mother used to make a walnut liqueur that was something special...
Juglans Regia quarter rift sawn looks to be correct. As it ages it becomes more honey toned. One could hand select a veneer to his/her liking, though one can't do that online.
Honolulu
Well-Known Member
I have the following observation about solid wood warping when exposed to humidity/heat...
Years ago my kids' school replaced their chalkboards with whiteboards and the chalk rails that ran along the bottom of the chalkboards were removed and discarded. They were essentially 2x6x10-foot long straight grain mahogany. After determining no one wanted them as they sat in the rain, I took all of them, but not having an immediate project I stashed them outside my garage, in the rain and weather, for about ten years.
My wife and I were looking to change our kitchen table. Reclaimed wood tables were running in the multi-$thousands from Pier 1 and the usual suppliers. I put one of the chalk rails on the sawhorses and ran the belt sander over it. The coarse belt took off a few 32nds of gray surface wood and underneath it was pristine. I cut six boards to about 7 feet, cleaned them up, rabetted joints and epoxied six of them together, secured (pair by pair) with pipe clamps. Finished with a fill coat of epoxy and a couple coats of poly. I wasn't careful to align the grain on each of the six boards, so flattening was a bit of a pain, but the finished boards are about 1.25" thick.
Over 15 years we've had the table in our kitchen in front of the big window with a great view of Diamond Head. The table receives daily exposure to sun and heat - in Hawaii the typical temps range run from mid-60s to low 90s, with humidity to match. NEVER ONCE have I seen any evidence of warping or distortion.
The moral of the story seems to be (in my experience) that well-acclimated solid wood, sealed against humidity changes, does not warp. I'll expect, though, that thin strips of wood, unsupported by a stiff base, could well distort. Sadly I have some 1/4" thick koa paneling that has done so and I'm not sure what I'll do with that, but I hoard koa, so I'll probably die in possession and my kids will throw it in the trash.
Years ago my kids' school replaced their chalkboards with whiteboards and the chalk rails that ran along the bottom of the chalkboards were removed and discarded. They were essentially 2x6x10-foot long straight grain mahogany. After determining no one wanted them as they sat in the rain, I took all of them, but not having an immediate project I stashed them outside my garage, in the rain and weather, for about ten years.
My wife and I were looking to change our kitchen table. Reclaimed wood tables were running in the multi-$thousands from Pier 1 and the usual suppliers. I put one of the chalk rails on the sawhorses and ran the belt sander over it. The coarse belt took off a few 32nds of gray surface wood and underneath it was pristine. I cut six boards to about 7 feet, cleaned them up, rabetted joints and epoxied six of them together, secured (pair by pair) with pipe clamps. Finished with a fill coat of epoxy and a couple coats of poly. I wasn't careful to align the grain on each of the six boards, so flattening was a bit of a pain, but the finished boards are about 1.25" thick.
Over 15 years we've had the table in our kitchen in front of the big window with a great view of Diamond Head. The table receives daily exposure to sun and heat - in Hawaii the typical temps range run from mid-60s to low 90s, with humidity to match. NEVER ONCE have I seen any evidence of warping or distortion.
The moral of the story seems to be (in my experience) that well-acclimated solid wood, sealed against humidity changes, does not warp. I'll expect, though, that thin strips of wood, unsupported by a stiff base, could well distort. Sadly I have some 1/4" thick koa paneling that has done so and I'm not sure what I'll do with that, but I hoard koa, so I'll probably die in possession and my kids will throw it in the trash.
