Help selecting new front door hardwood.

[FiscoKing]

Hi,

I'm trying to select a hard wood for my front door. I made an earlier post about this which did help:

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=657038#657038

But after speaking to some more joiners and looking at examples, I'm beginning to see that there is a little more to all this.

What I'm looking for, is a hardwood door, that has very prominant, almost random grain, like this one (american ash):

http://www.crimsonguitars.com/c2/uploads/bwds_ash.jpg

What I'm finding is that asking for a particular wood type is no guarantee that you'll get the random (& interesting) grain contour.

What you might end up with is:

http://image42.webshots.com/43/2/57/61/2741257610086417573ujFatV_ph.jpg

Or almost no grain contour at all.

I'm assuming that this is because of the way the wood is cut, or more specifically, which part of the tree trunk you get.

If this is correct, how does one go about ensuring that the wood used has the grain contour you want?

The oak and iroko woods discussed in the previous thread all have grains that can be exploited so that you end up with striking patterns, but many of the doors I've seen jmade with such wood just look plane.

I've been talking to shop fitting joiners with their own facilities for making doors, and the best they can do is simply order the wood, and use what turns up.

I don't want to spend a shed load on a hardwood door & frame if it turns out looking very plane. I'd be happy to pay more for wood with an interesting grain pattern, but do not know how to go about asking for this.

Thanks.

 

[r896neo]

the best way to do this would probably get the specific measurements/ criteria you joiner requires and then you go source the timber yourself. He will be getting it in rough sawn anyway and if you get it you can individually select each piece for the grain pattern you like.

Get down to your local hardwood importer and show the guy in the timber yard what your looking for and he may be able to show you your options, then hand pick what you like the look of. Bare in mind, unless you understand how a door is made, the nice pattern of grain in the centre of a lengths you choose may end up at the foot of the door etc. So look through plenty.

In my experience they sell so little hardwood to the public that ifthey have a seperate hardwood warehouse they are rarely busy. I have spent 40 mins lifting and checking for suitable grain and or straightness etc before and they were happy to help.