Whitest/lightest color wood

About the lightest in color wood....

JamieDonaldson

...that is readily available is Maple, and it will be very close to white for this application.

Re: About the lightest in color wood....

Roger

Some "yellow" poplar is nearly as white as fresh cut holly. I have used poplar as a contrasting wood in many projects for years with great results.

... and if that isn't light enough

Bill Boehme

If it needs to be whiter than maple or poplar or basswood then you could use two part bleach to get it chalk white.

Re: Whitest/lightest color wood

Don Stephan

It's not on their web site right now, but Certainly Wood usually has holly veneer.

Re: Whitest/lightest color wood

John K Jordan

How thin? I have very white veneer, but I'd have to check what wood species it is. I thought they carried white veneer in thicker than usual sizes - have to check on the width. I bought a variety of veneers recently from a supplier that Frank Penta recommended. Good stuff.

I may have some holly that big I could resaw. How long of a piece are you looking for?

Also, some, but not all dogwood is pretty white. Hard (sugar) maple is white and easier to come by.

JKJ

Re: Whitest/lightest color wood

ebd

How thin - about 1/8" or 3/16". For each blank I'd need 2 pieces 6" x 6".

Maple sounds like my best bet. I can easily get it locally and resaw it to what I need. Also a good choice because the wood for the bowls is very hard exotic. I think poplar or butternut (have both) would be too soft.

I just wanted something for contrast. Because of the way it will be used I don't think bleaching will work. I don't think the bleach will get deep enough to treat the entire thickness of the wood.

A while back, I saw some bowls at a museum/art gallery on the Blueridge Parkway (?) that I liked. The blank had been cut on an angle and a contrasting thin piece glued in and then sawed again on the oposite angle and another piece glued in. When turned it made criss-crossed rings through the bowl. I did a test bowl from pine scrap and liked the way it came out so I'm going to turn a few.

I have a lot of exotic turning blanks and I'm getting old. I want to start using them up so when I croak 1. my kids don't have to deal with it, 2. they don't get thrown away or used for firewood, and 3. I want to see what the finished wood looks like.

I know, I know - send them to XYZ and they'll get used. More fun for me if I turn them and give the items as gifts. LOL

Re: Whitest/lightest color wood

Philip Duffy

I have some 6Qx10inx7ft Holly planks stashed. They are kiln dried. How much do you need?? Philip

Re: Whitest/lightest color wood

John K Jordan

That reminds me I have some clear northern basswood planks (KD) - it's pretty white too.

JKJ

Re: Whitest/lightest color wood

ebd

I decided just to use hard maple. It's available locally, so I can just go grab it up - what I need, when I need it. I'm probably going up to the farm (where my wife grew up - now her brother's place) this week and can even grab a bunch of air dried there for free.

Super whiteness really doesn't matter too much. I just want a contrast between dark and light. Thanks for all the offers. Though.