Now that I know that oad was a mistake (altho
it looks great). I need to find some alternative
wood that will not stain my really old nonstainless
knives. I can no longer find maple nearby (nor
anything more exotic), and ordering what little I
need over the net becomes relatively expensive after
shipping is added.
I can get poplar, fir, spruce (and of course red oak).
I'm asuming the pine is too soft and splintery and
knotty and pitchy.
What about some of whatever the non-knotty 5/4 lumber
is being sold by the local home store?
What about the poplar. hasn't much grain but all I want
is a knife block after all.
thanks,
chuck
chuck <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I need to find some alternative
> wood that will not stain my really old nonstainless
> knives.
Maple, ash, paulownia, lime (linden, basswood), hornbeam, magnolia. If
you're going to do this, do it right.
Maybe white oak around the outside (lots of people with A&C kitchens),
but I wouldn't use it for the part that the blade might rest against.
I don't know red oak - is it any different to white, in terms of
tannin problems with steel ?
I make kitchen knife blocks from ash, because it's locally grown and I
have lots of it. I also make furniture for Japanese cutlery and
swords, where wood choice gets pretty fussy when the piece is worth
mongo-thousands and just polishing it is a couple of grand. I should
be importing "the right timber" (for tradition, as much as anything),
but I'm actually using lime.
> I can get poplar, fir, spruce (and of course red oak).
No. Really, really no.
Try asking in rec.knives too
I made on from poplar about a year ago. Holding up fine and doesn't stain
the blades.
"chuck" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Now that I know that oad was a mistake (altho
> it looks great). I need to find some alternative
> wood that will not stain my really old nonstainless
> knives. I can no longer find maple nearby (nor
> anything more exotic), and ordering what little I
> need over the net becomes relatively expensive after
> shipping is added.
>
> I can get poplar, fir, spruce (and of course red oak).
>
> I'm asuming the pine is too soft and splintery and
> knotty and pitchy.
>
> What about some of whatever the non-knotty 5/4 lumber
> is being sold by the local home store?
>
> What about the poplar. hasn't much grain but all I want
> is a knife block after all.
>
> thanks,
>
> chuck
>
Can't find walnut?????
That is a pretty common wood. Maybe it is where you are looking. Try a
hardwood lumber dealer. They will have it. Don't try Home Depot or Lowe's.
"chuck" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Leon wrote:
>
> > Many knife makers use Walnut. Harder than Poplar, Pine, Fir, ect. but
easy
> > to shape.
> >
> >
> Great, thanks.
>
> I was really trying to find out whether any of the woods
> I CAN find would be suitable. If not, I'll try a different
> approach.
>
CW wrote:
> I made on from poplar about a year ago. Holding up fine and doesn't stain
> the blades.
Thanks CW. I can get poplar pretty easily here.
BTW - I sprayed sealant inside the knife slots that hold the
non-stainless blades and have had no more staining from
the red oak. Maybe just a matter of thorough drying?
Altho the "emergency" seems to have ended, I'll look for some
poplar tomorrow.
chuck
> you might just check the thrift stores. i see tons of empty blocks
waiting
> for knives where i live. bring your knives with you on a thrift store run
> and find one that fits.
>
> randy
>
Great idea. Done that. Problem is, I got a Wusthof
10 1/2 chef's knife, high carbon non-stainless, with
a 2 1/2 wide blade almost 1/4" thick. Can't find
anything that'll hold this beast.
chuck
chuck wrote:
> Now that I know that oad was a mistake (altho
> it looks great). I need to find some alternative
> wood that will not stain my really old nonstainless
> knives. I can no longer find maple nearby (nor
> anything more exotic), and ordering what little I
> need over the net becomes relatively expensive after
> shipping is added.
>
> I can get poplar, fir, spruce (and of course red oak).
>
> I'm asuming the pine is too soft and splintery and
> knotty and pitchy.
It's only knotty and pitchy if you use the knotty and pitchy parts <grin>.
Seriously, one aspect of lumber grading is the percentage of the board that
is defect-free. Low grade lumber has more knots and pitch pockets and the
like than higher grade, so a higher percentage of a lot of high-grade
lumber will be considered "usable".
> What about some of whatever the non-knotty 5/4 lumber
> is being sold by the local home store?
>
> What about the poplar. hasn't much grain but all I want
> is a knife block after all.
Poplar should be fine. Pine as well, just pick your pieces carefully.
You might want to take a look at <http://www.woodworkerssource.net>--they
have 20 board foot "project packs" and 8 square foot (S4S to whatever
thickness you like) "craft packs" that are ideal for small jobs for a flat
price including shipping. They'll deliver 20 board feet of hard maple to
my doorstep for less than I would pay at the Borg, and they stock a very
wide range of lumbers including a bewildering array of exotics.
> thanks,
>
> chuck
--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)
> I can get poplar, fir, spruce (and of course red oak).
Not on your list, but beech is a good choice. I made my first one
"remodelling" a coomercial one I had bought adding some offcuts, then
another one out of coutertop cut-outs (from sink and hob), then more
using cutting boards, Ikea kitchen tops and offcuts lying around the
shop.
"chuck" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Now that I know that oad was a mistake (altho
> it looks great). I need to find some alternative
> wood that will not stain my really old nonstainless
> knives. I can no longer find maple nearby (nor
> anything more exotic), and ordering what little I
> need over the net becomes relatively expensive after
> shipping is added.
>
> I can get poplar, fir, spruce (and of course red oak).
>
> I'm asuming the pine is too soft and splintery and
> knotty and pitchy.
>
> What about some of whatever the non-knotty 5/4 lumber
> is being sold by the local home store?
>
> What about the poplar. hasn't much grain but all I want
> is a knife block after all.
>
you might just check the thrift stores. i see tons of empty blocks waiting
for knives where i live. bring your knives with you on a thrift store run
and find one that fits.
randy
On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 20:02:10 GMT, chuck
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Now that I know that oad was a mistake (altho
>it looks great). I need to find some alternative
>wood that will not stain my really old nonstainless
>knives. I can no longer find maple nearby (nor
>anything more exotic), and ordering what little I
>need over the net becomes relatively expensive after
>shipping is added.
>
>I can get poplar, fir, spruce (and of course red oak).
>
>I'm asuming the pine is too soft and splintery and
>knotty and pitchy.
>
>What about some of whatever the non-knotty 5/4 lumber
>is being sold by the local home store?
>
>What about the poplar. hasn't much grain but all I want
>is a knife block after all.
>
>thanks,
>
>chuck
poplar's fine. so's pine, if you can find a piece that won't bleed
pitch all over your counters.
chuck <[email protected]> writes:
>Leon wrote:
>
>> Many knife makers use Walnut. Harder than Poplar, Pine, Fir, ect. but easy
>> to shape.
>>
>>
>Great, thanks.
>
>I was really trying to find out whether any of the woods
>I CAN find would be suitable. If not, I'll try a different
>approach.
>
Where are you that you can't find maple or walnut? Even California
has both available for sale pretty much anywhere.
scott