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Anybody out there ever work with willow? I had some firewood-sized blocks and milled ’em up and made a jewelry box. It’s actually kind of pretty, though the end-grain is porous and not very attractive. I need to finish it, though, and have no idea how it takes stain or what finish would be best. I also wonder the same things about aspen. Any other info about these two woods would be helpful, too.
Thanks, folks.
Charlie
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Charlie,
Aspen is a good wood but can be difficult to stain and finish. You might try testing various finishes on scraps of the same wood to see how it goes. You will also find aspen behaves the same way as they are related woods both members of the Salicaceae family. Good luck.
Stephen
*I have used Willow in a number of projects. I like the wood because it's very light in weight. Unfortunately it's also somewhat softand can damage easily. I've used it mostly for drawer sides and backs that do not see alot ofwear and tear, although I have also used it indraw fronts too. I've not used a stain on it butI would guess it would be wise to use a pre-stainconditioner to prevent blotching, the wood is veryporous. I have used (blonde) shellac and (tung) oil finishes successfully. One other aspect, quarter-sawn boards as much nicer looking and easier to machine and finish. Sometimes I've never beenable to sand the wood smooth (a fuzzy surface) on flatsawn boards.
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