My wife wants me to build a buffet for the dining room, and paint it
black. (I am loathe to do it, but a happy wife makes for a happy
workshop). My question is this, I was thinking of making it out of
pine since it will be painted and finished with probably a poly.
Should I go with a hard wood instead? or maybe make the body out of
pine and the top out of a hard wood? Thanks for any help.

On 8 Sep 2004 17:33:35 -0700, (gmpatti) wrote:

My wife wants me to build a buffet for the dining room, and paint it
black. (I am loathe to do it, but a happy wife makes for a happy
workshop). My question is this, I was thinking of making it out of
pine since it will be painted and finished with probably a poly.
Should I go with a hard wood instead? or maybe make the body out of
pine and the top out of a hard wood? Thanks for any help.


If you're painting it, how about cabinet grade plywood and MDF? Since
you can't see the wood, using more stable materials could make the job
easier.

MDF takes routed profiles nicely and plywood is strong and stable.

Barry

On 8 Sep 2004 17:33:35 -0700, (gmpatti) wrote:

Should I go with a hard wood instead? or maybe make the body out of
pine and the top out of a hard wood?

Painted ? Make it out of sheet stock instead, ply or MDF - saves you
a lot of joinery complexity.

As it's relatively small, well-supported and won't be carrying an
enormous load, I'd go with MDF. If you don't already have one, now's a
good time to get a biscuit jointer.

--
Smert' spamionam

On 8 Sep 2004 17:33:35 -0700, (gmpatti) wrote:

My wife wants me to build a buffet for the dining room, and paint it
black. (I am loathe to do it, but a happy wife makes for a happy
workshop). My question is this, I was thinking of making it out of
pine since it will be painted and finished with probably a poly.
Should I go with a hard wood instead? or maybe make the body out of
pine and the top out of a hard wood? Thanks for any help.

How about using poplar instead (that is if you don't want to use ply or
some other sheet good)? Even if you paint it, the problem with pine is
that it's soft, just look at it wrong and it's going to get dinged or
dented. Poplar also takes paint pretty well. Other cheap hardwoods you
might look at include soft maple (that's really not all that soft, just
softer than hard maple).

On 8 Sep 2004 17:33:35 -0700, (gmpatti) wrote:

My wife wants me to build a buffet for the dining room, and paint it
black. (I am loathe to do it, but a happy wife makes for a happy
workshop). My question is this, I was thinking of making it out of
pine since it will be painted and finished with probably a poly.
Should I go with a hard wood instead? or maybe make the body out of
pine and the top out of a hard wood? Thanks for any help.

Poplar takes paint better than pine, although white pine is lighter.
If you decide to go with pine, use a good underbody/primer. Douglas
fir is not too bad either.

On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 01:57:34 GMT, Phisherman wrote:

On 8 Sep 2004 17:33:35 -0700, (gmpatti) wrote:

My wife wants me to build a buffet for the dining room, and paint it
black. (I am loathe to do it, but a happy wife makes for a happy
workshop).

Poplar takes paint better than pine, although white pine is lighter.
If you decide to go with pine, use a good underbody/primer. Douglas
fir is not too bad either.

Ditto what Ph-man said. A high-gloss black paint job is only going to
look as good as the primer job you do on the bare wood.

And _don't_ cringe at your wife's choice quite yet. Although it's not
my cup o' tea, I have seen black-painted casework that was just
stunning. Very classy. We rag, (no pun intended), on paint all the
time around here but wrongly so, imo. Concentrate on the primer job,
and your black paint job is going to look really elegant. Scrimp on
the primer, or hurry the application, and your paint job is going to
look hacked.

Take your time, and post pictures. Best of luck,

Michael

"gmpatti" wrote in message

My question is this, I was thinking of making it out of
pine since it will be painted and finished with probably a poly.
Should I go with a hard wood instead? or maybe make the body out of
pine and the top out of a hard wood? Thanks for any help.

In 1976 I bought a Bennington pine dining room set. It is used most every
day. The table has a couple of small dings, but is otherwise just fine.
Heavy chars are still rock solid. The table top and chair bottoms are a
full 2" thick, the chair arms (Admiral's chairs) have 1" thick arms.

In 1981 we bought a Bennington pine kitchen table. It is also used every
day. Still looks good. Based on my experience, pine is a good wood to use.

May I make a suggestion? Before you go ahead and paint it, take a scrap of
the pine, invest $2.00 in a small can of Minwax Jacobean stain. It is very
dark and perhaps your wife will accept it over black paint.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

May I make a suggestion? Before you go ahead and paint it, take a
scrap of the pine, invest $2.00 in a small can of Minwax Jacobean
stain. It is very dark and perhaps your wife will accept it over black
paint. Ed

Why would you put the Minwax stain over the black paint, Ed?

(g,d&r) ;-)

Patriarch

Michael Baglio wrote in message . ..
On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 01:57:34 GMT, Phisherman wrote:

On 8 Sep 2004 17:33:35 -0700, (gmpatti) wrote:

My wife wants me to build a buffet for the dining room, and paint it
black. (I am loathe to do it, but a happy wife makes for a happy
workshop).

Poplar takes paint better than pine, although white pine is lighter.
If you decide to go with pine, use a good underbody/primer. Douglas
fir is not too bad either.

Ditto what Ph-man said. A high-gloss black paint job is only going to
look as good as the primer job you do on the bare wood.

And _don't_ cringe at your wife's choice quite yet. Although it's not
my cup o' tea, I have seen black-painted casework that was just
stunning. Very classy. We rag, (no pun intended), on paint all the
time around here but wrongly so, imo. Concentrate on the primer job,
and your black paint job is going to look really elegant. Scrimp on
the primer, or hurry the application, and your paint job is going to
look hacked.

Take your time, and post pictures. Best of luck,

Michael

How do you "rag on paint"? Specifically, what kind of paint (oil,
latex) do you use and how thin do you make it? Do you have to use a
brush for inside corners, etc?

Thanks.

Charles

Charles Lerner wrote:
We rag, (no pun intended), on paint all the
time around here but wrongly so, imo.

How do you "rag on paint"? Specifically, what kind of paint (oil,
latex) do you use and how thin do you make it? Do you have to use a
brush for inside corners, etc?

Have I missed the comical nature of your post or did you miss Michael's?

He was saying that wRECker's look down on painting wood (hence the "no
pun intended") and that we shouldn't.

Cheers,


Andy

Andy Jeffries wrote in message ...
Charles Lerner wrote:
We rag, (no pun intended), on paint all the
time around here but wrongly so, imo.

How do you "rag on paint"? Specifically, what kind of paint (oil,
latex) do you use and how thin do you make it? Do you have to use a
brush for inside corners, etc?

Have I missed the comical nature of your post or did you miss Michael's?

He was saying that wRECker's look down on painting wood (hence the "no
pun intended") and that we shouldn't.

Cheers,


Andy
I guess I did miss the joke - I thought when he said "no pun intended"
he implied sincerity rather that sarcasm. Anyway, I sometimes do
paint wood furniture and had never tried to apply the paint with a
rag, but it sounded interesting because I always end up with some
brush strokes.

(I'm still not sure if Michael was joking or not - even after
rereading his and your posts.)

Charles

(Charles Lerner) wrote in
m:

Andy Jeffries wrote in message
...
Charles Lerner wrote:
We rag, (no pun intended), on paint all the
time around here but wrongly so, imo.

How do you "rag on paint"? Specifically, what kind of paint (oil,
latex) do you use and how thin do you make it? Do you have to use
a brush for inside corners, etc?

Have I missed the comical nature of your post or did you miss
Michael's?

He was saying that wRECker's look down on painting wood (hence the
"no pun intended") and that we shouldn't.

Cheers,


Andy
I guess I did miss the joke - I thought when he said "no pun intended"
he implied sincerity rather that sarcasm. Anyway, I sometimes do
paint wood furniture and had never tried to apply the paint with a
rag, but it sounded interesting because I always end up with some
brush strokes.

(I'm still not sure if Michael was joking or not - even after
rereading his and your posts.)

Charles


Forty years ago, at least in my part of the world, there was slang phrase
"to rag on", meaning, roughly, to harrass, demean, disrespect, look down
upon, etc.

"She was ragging on him all day to cut the grass". "Mom ragged on me until
I got my homework done."

In those days, paint went on with a brush, a roller, or, if you were really
a pro, an airless spray rig. Faux finishes were only for the rich and
famous...

Or something like that.

Thanks to all. Great advice, I will seriously consider the MDF since
I have 3 sheets in my garage, I just never thought of using it for
making furniture.

patriarch wrote in message 7.77...
(Charles Lerner) wrote in
m:

Andy Jeffries wrote in message
...
Charles Lerner wrote:
We rag, (no pun intended), on paint all the
time around here but wrongly so, imo.

How do you "rag on paint"? Specifically, what kind of paint (oil,
latex) do you use and how thin do you make it? Do you have to use
a brush for inside corners, etc?

Have I missed the comical nature of your post or did you miss
Michael's?

He was saying that wRECker's look down on painting wood (hence the
"no pun intended") and that we shouldn't.

Cheers,


Andy
I guess I did miss the joke - I thought when he said "no pun intended"
he implied sincerity rather that sarcasm. Anyway, I sometimes do
paint wood furniture and had never tried to apply the paint with a
rag, but it sounded interesting because I always end up with some
brush strokes.

(I'm still not sure if Michael was joking or not - even after
rereading his and your posts.)

Charles


Forty years ago, at least in my part of the world, there was slang phrase
"to rag on", meaning, roughly, to harrass, demean, disrespect, look down
upon, etc.

"She was ragging on him all day to cut the grass". "Mom ragged on me until
I got my homework done."

In those days, paint went on with a brush, a roller, or, if you were really
a pro, an airless spray rig. Faux finishes were only for the rich and
famous...

Or something like that.

O.K., I reread all the messages again and finally get it! (now, i'm embarassed)

Charles

On 10 Sep 2004 03:55:50 -0700, (Charles Lerner)
wrote:

O.K., I reread all the messages again and finally get it! (now, i'm embarassed)

Don't be. We won't rag on you.

Michael

Michael Baglio wrote:
On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 01:57:34 GMT, Phisherman
wrote:

On 8 Sep 2004 17:33:35 -0700, (gmpatti) wrote:

My wife wants me to build a buffet for the dining room, and paint
it black. (I am loathe to do it, but a happy wife makes for a happy
workshop).

Poplar takes paint better than pine, although white pine is lighter.
If you decide to go with pine, use a good underbody/primer. Douglas
fir is not too bad either.

Ditto what Ph-man said. A high-gloss black paint job is only going
to look as good as the primer job you do on the bare wood.

And _don't_ cringe at your wife's choice quite yet. Although it's
not my cup o' tea, I have seen black-painted casework that was just
stunning. Very classy. We rag, (no pun intended), on paint all the
time around here but wrongly so, imo. Concentrate on the primer job,
and your black paint job is going to look really elegant. Scrimp on
the primer, or hurry the application, and your paint job is going to
look hacked.

Take your time, and post pictures. Best of luck,

Michael

While you are testing these other options you might try test spraying a
flat or matte clear finish over black paint instead of a gloss. Glossy
finishes show every nick and dent and are somehow always look like
children's room furniture to me. Prime and paint away but use a can or two
of matte spray finish as your top coat and furniture will have a more
sophisticated look. I usually use acrylic paints in glossy or matte or
however I find the paint color I like and then use matte finish spray as
the top coat. Works out as if the original paints were matte or flat as
well.

Josie

If its going to be painted then MDF would my choice cheap and will
take paint very well.

I always find odd the postings I read for the people who do not
recommend using pine for furniture. Where I come from people a pay
premium to get antique pine furniture and reproductions also do very
well.

Daniel




(gmpatti) wrote in message om...
Thanks to all. Great advice, I will seriously consider the MDF since
I have 3 sheets in my garage, I just never thought of using it for
making furniture.