Chestnut

[jackellis]

I am about to come into possession of a fair amount of chestnut lumber for a very reasonable price (less than Borg plywood) without any specific purpose in mind for the batch. Based on a limited amount of internet searching, it appears to be an attractive wood that is quite resistant to decay.

Has anyone ever used chestnut and if so, any advice?

Same questions for Primavera (exotic hardwood that's also known as white mahogany) and Beech.

[herb fellows]

What kind of chestnut? English? There is very litle chestnut here domestically because of blight problems 50 years or so ago. I have chestnut trim in my 100 year old house, very nice but not too good at taking any kind of stain. I believe there is a variety called 'wormy chestnut' that has a lot of holes that give it character. You now posess my entire knowledge of chestnut!

[Uncle Cracker]

Most American Chestnut is indeed from reclaimed lumber. It is a tough wood initially, but much of the antique stuff will have worm holes or other decomposition.

It turns well if solid, and has reasonably nice grain and character. Worm holes, if present, will add to the character and interest, although may indicate presence of softer, less sturdy, layers in the grain. It takes a nice surface finish, but hardness will often resist the infusion of stain.

The worm holes will often require filling (I use CA glue for this, to preserve the "holey" look) prior to overall finishing. If using for pen turning, the wormy wood will leave the brass tubes showing through the worm holes, so I have used either black tubes or black rubberized CA glue to obscure the brass, both with good success.

Chestnut makes nice boxes and picture frames. Often the history of the wood more interesting than the wood itself, but make sure that you don't fall for the "Abe Lincoln slept here" babble that sellers of so-called "legacy wood" often attach to their wares (and to their prices). Real legacy wood will be obtained from, and documented in writing by, foundations and preservation groups.

[jackellis]

Just drive back with the load. It appears to be "virgin" rough lumber with no worm holes, though I'll get a better look in daylight. It's probably Asian chestnut rather than American.

The cheapest hardwood lumber I've bought in a commercial yard out here is western maple at $1.45 per board foot on special. The chestnut ran 65 cents, which is a bit less than I pay for the 3/4" Chilean softwood ply that I like.

I'm thinking Adirondack chairs for the new place if LOML will allow it.