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Posted: 10/1/2014 12:40:20 PM EDT
[#1]
All junk unless you pay big bucks for someone who has a small shop.
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Posted: 10/1/2014 12:44:15 PM EDT
[#2]
Bro, have you priced hardwood?
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Posted: 10/1/2014 12:47:14 PM EDT
[#3]
It used to be called plywood.
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Posted: 10/1/2014 12:48:20 PM EDT
[#4]
Quoted:
We've recently purchased some new furniture which is very nice and even made here in the U.S. But I got to looking around for a small bookcase for the kids and came across Berg furniture. Anyway, they talk about how they make their furniture, which you can read here: http://www.bergfurniture.com/consTech.php I'm not a carpenter so I have no real clue how this stuff is made, but I found it interesting to read about. Is most all furniture made this way today? Are there any furniture manufacturers who make it differently? Because I guess I was still under the impression that the companies who made this stuff still had to select single, large pieces of good wood for portions of whatever they're making. Is there any benefit or disadvantage to doing it this way? Go to an Amish Furniture store. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 12:48:58 PM EDT
[#5]
Amish Oak FTW!!!
ETA Beat by 38 seconds
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Posted: 10/1/2014 12:53:25 PM EDT
[#6]
Almost all "wood" commercial furniture, whether residential or office, is veneer-over-substrate. . . Some high end custom conference tables may have a true solid wood edge---1--3" thick depending upon the design, but the rest of table is veneered. The only other "solid wood" furniture would be repurposed wood---that is old sunken logs or former barn planks, etc, used to make a table. . . There is good reason for this: the substrate material (MDF, "Chipcore", etc) is more stable (ie resists shrinking, warping ,etc), lighter and easier to work with than solid wood. I recently installed a 20' x 6' x 2" thick repurposed table for a client---each piece (10' x 6') weighed over 400lbs. . . and that was just the top. . . My office has a repurposed table that is 4" thick.. We had to have the floor checked by an engineer to make sure it could take the load. . . |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 12:54:32 PM EDT
[#7]
Every piece of furniture I have has been either free / dirt cheap used, or hand made (self or professional custom) because I can't find a reasonable cost place that 1) has natural wood finishes that I like, and 2) doesn't used sawdust board of some kind.
Currently building convertible bunk beds by hand. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 12:57:15 PM EDT
[#8]
Go put apart a couch.
Cheap 2x3 or smaller lumber, maybe some plastic braces, staples and CARDBOARD! 
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:00:14 PM EDT
[#9]
This is why I like antique furniture.
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:00:47 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It used to be called plywood. Yup, but modern "plywood" furniture can be done right. Just ask Ray and Charles Eames.
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:04:31 PM EDT
[#11]
I think a lot is made from Rubber; which makes sense. It's not the best looking wood but it is OK and seems to be in ready supply.
Almost all my furniture is either homemade or Stickley which is very good but also very expensive. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:05:44 PM EDT
[#12]
Another vote for the Amish furniture.
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:06:41 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Every piece of furniture I have has been either free / dirt cheap used, or hand made (self or professional custom) because I can't find a reasonable cost place that 1) has natural wood finishes that I like, and 2) doesn't used sawdust board of some kind. Currently building convertible bunk beds by hand. 
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:10:59 PM EDT
[#14]
Quoted:
We've recently purchased some new furniture which is very nice and even made here in the U.S. But I got to looking around for a small bookcase for the kids and came across Berg furniture. Anyway, they talk about how they make their furniture, which you can read here: http://www.bergfurniture.com/consTech.php I'm not a carpenter so I have no real clue how this stuff is made, but I found it interesting to read about. Is most all furniture made this way today? Are there any furniture manufacturers who make it differently? Because I guess I was still under the impression that the companies who made this stuff still had to select single, large pieces of good wood for portions of whatever they're making. Is there any benefit or disadvantage to doing it this way? It doesn't have to be antique. I make furniture out of mostly solid wood and only use sheet goods (plywood) for large surfaces. It's almost always edged with solid wood. http://www.flint7.com/Furniture/Desk5.jpg |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:15:43 PM EDT
[#15]
I build my own.
But I do know my wife likes to go to Downeast Outfitters and browse. They have solid wood stuff. We have a desk from there. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:22:32 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Bro, have you priced hardwood? Earlier this year when I bought a truck of S2S oak it was ~$3.25 a board foot for 4/4. The king headboard and footboard I am building will cost less than most people's monthly grocery bill. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:23:09 PM EDT
[#17]
I have plenty of antique furniture - plywood is nothing new. Layers with alternating grain direction produces a stronger product.
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:43:33 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Another vote for the Amish furniture. And another. Within the last year, I've bought 2 bedroom sets, Amish made, Elm. They're very nice, and will outlast me. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:54:27 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Go to an Amish Furniture store. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
We've recently purchased some new furniture which is very nice and even made here in the U.S. But I got to looking around for a small bookcase for the kids and came across Berg furniture. Anyway, they talk about how they make their furniture, which you can read here: http://www.bergfurniture.com/consTech.php I'm not a carpenter so I have no real clue how this stuff is made, but I found it interesting to read about. Is most all furniture made this way today? Are there any furniture manufacturers who make it differently? Because I guess I was still under the impression that the companies who made this stuff still had to select single, large pieces of good wood for portions of whatever they're making. Is there any benefit or disadvantage to doing it this way? Go to an Amish Furniture store. This is the right answer. We bought two night stands and one dresser 12 years ago. It was pricy : about $2500 But it is worth every penny. ETA: Sometimes, antique stores will have good oak furnitures for very good price. We found my daugter's dresser that way. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 1:58:40 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
ETA: Sometimes, antique stores will have good oak furnitures for very good price. We found my daugter's dresser that way. Also check "vintage" or "1920s/1930s" furniture on craigslist. I've found a bunch of solid wood furniture for cheap before. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 2:00:52 PM EDT
[#21]
You can find reasonably-priced solid wood stuff at the "unfinished" places. Apart from Craigslist that's been the best bang for my buck, to date.
I can't afford Amish stuff and I'm not willing to pay more than $20 for anything that my kids are bound to destroy. My master bedroom and dining room are entirely furnished with solid Alder stuff that I finished myself. ETA: the bedroom set was five pieces (queen bed, dresser, mirror, night stand, and lingerie) that cost me $1,500 eleven years ago. I might have spent another $50 on stain, poly, and consumables; but I spent a couple of weeks getting the pieces done. After two cross-country moves and the years of hard use It's all holding up quite well. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 2:00:52 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
All junk unless you pay big bucks for someone who has a small shop. 
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Posted: 10/1/2014 2:01:38 PM EDT
[#23]
Real wood is fucking expensive. Its out there, just not at your neighborhood furniture store.
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Posted: 10/1/2014 2:03:31 PM EDT
[#24]
Cannot beat Harden. 100% solid cherry furniture.
From the planting of the trees, to harvesting, to shipping complete furniture, it is all done on site. http://www.hardenfurniture.com/ |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 2:04:47 PM EDT
[#25]
We usually buy Amish-built furniture. We can specify the wood (solid cherry, maple, oak, or whatever) and the finish. The places we like will do custom or semi-custom work as well. We needed a new corner TV cabinet but the stock size was a bit too big, so they scaled it down for us.
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Posted: 10/1/2014 2:05:19 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
All junk unless you pay big bucks for someone who has a small shop.
Exactly why I have a small woodshop. I refuse to buy or make anything with MDF, particle board, or "engineered lumber". |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 2:06:27 PM EDT
[#27]
All my furniture is made of a solid soft wood and plywood. Shit's not cheap either, bedroom set was like 5k
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Posted: 10/1/2014 2:11:01 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
All junk unless you pay big bucks for someone who has a small shop. FPNI Mine came from a guy who works in a city with two lumber mills. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 2:13:11 PM EDT
[#29]
couches are the exception, but we buy antique furniture only.
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Posted: 10/1/2014 4:59:12 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Exactly why I have a small woodshop. I refuse to buy or make anything with MDF, particle board, or "engineered lumber". Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
All junk unless you pay big bucks for someone who has a small shop.
Exactly why I have a small woodshop. I refuse to buy or make anything with MDF, particle board, or "engineered lumber". MDF is actually an excellent substrate for sawn veneer. It's not something that I use because it didn't exist in 1780-1820, but used appropriately there's nothing inherently wrong with it. Problems arise when it's used as carcase material in cabinetry or as door/drawer stock. 
And I've got a bunch of shop jigs for making banding that use veneer. THAT is one thing that it does excellently. |
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Posted: 10/1/2014 5:23:11 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yup, but modern "plywood" furniture can be done right. Just ask Ray and Charles Eames.
http://blog.wanken.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Eames-Lounge-Chair-and-Ottoman.jpeg http://www.vastudc.com/images/LCW_Walnut_Front.jpg Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
It used to be called plywood. Yup, but modern "plywood" furniture can be done right. Just ask Ray and Charles Eames.
http://blog.wanken.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Eames-Lounge-Chair-and-Ottoman.jpeg http://www.vastudc.com/images/LCW_Walnut_Front.jpg I'd take a Windsor over that any day. |
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Posted: 10/2/2014 8:39:26 PM EDT
[#32]
Modern furniture in general is not meant to span generations. It was built for it's purpose and to look good until something else came along. Exceptions would Eames, Vodder and and other Danish artists. There are alot of cheap copies. If I cannot make it then I have to look at the builder. Some of my pieces are MCM danish and veneered. Some are Stickley, or T. Moser, or something I know to be quality. Plywood and venner is not a deal breaker, just look at how it is built and joined. I am typing this from my Stickley Morris chair.
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Posted: 10/2/2014 8:42:33 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This is why I like antique furniture. Yup, and you don't need an antique shop for it, go find a thrift shop run by little old ladies, they generally have lots of old tables, desks, that are older, built "like they used to", and it's not all particle board garbage. |
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Posted: 10/2/2014 8:46:16 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Almost all "wood" commercial furniture, whether residential or office, is veneer-over-substrate. . . Some high end custom conference tables may have a true solid wood edge---1--3" thick depending upon the design, but the rest of table is veneered. The only other "solid wood" furniture would be repurposed wood---that is old sunken logs or former barn planks, etc, used to make a table. . . There is good reason for this: the substrate material (MDF, "Chipcore", etc) is more stable (ie resists shrinking, warping ,etc), lighter and easier to work with than solid wood. I recently installed a 20' x 6' x 2" thick repurposed table for a client---each piece (10' x 6') weighed over 400lbs. . . and that was just the top. . . My office has a repurposed table that is 4" thick.. We had to have the floor checked by an engineer to make sure it could take the load. . . This is the correct answer. |
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Posted: 10/2/2014 8:57:57 PM EDT
[#35]
If your talking a sofa or a chair. Take it to an upholstery shop. My dad has been in business since 1991 and I have learned over the years that you can take an older solid wood framed piece of furniture and have it redone for a reasonable price. The junk even most 5k sofas will not have a solid wood frame. My sectional is all oak and the smallest piece of wood on it is 5/4. We paid 100 bucks for it on Craigslist and dad did the labor for free for our wedding present.
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Posted: 10/2/2014 10:10:57 PM EDT
[#36]
You can still get good wood furniture. It's very expensive. Century Furniture, Hickory Chair, Council, all from N Carolina. Statton from Maryland.The stigma attached to
veneered furniture is not always deserved. Some really gorgeous furniture is veneered. |
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Posted: 10/2/2014 10:21:53 PM EDT
[#37]
A table saw, a planer, a shit-ton of clamps, and a big pile of wood is the way to go if you want quality furniture.
Kharn |
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Posted: 10/2/2014 11:42:18 PM EDT
[#38]
My GF just bought a nice condo in MidTown Miami on the 19th floor facing the intercostal/Miami Beach. She's got an 800 sq.ft. wrap-around balcony, so she wanted some nice 'balcony height' patio furniture. We've been looking for six weeks and happened into a place selling outdoor stuff and carrying table/chairs/chaises made out of solid Bolivan Ipe' wood, by Jensen Leisure.
It's the 7th hardest wood in the world and mimics Teak around water and in extreme weather conditions. It wasn't cheap, but it's built really well and made in Virginia. They use certified wood, so it's not the hacks out there raping the rain forest. She got two those swivel chairs, two of their 'backed' stools and a rectangular table: 
Jensen Leisure Ipe' wood patio furniture. You have to look, but traditional methods are still being practiced. Chris |
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Posted: 10/2/2014 11:46:55 PM EDT
[#39]
I get my wood furniture custom built by Amish in the next county over. It's built to last generations, and not much more expensive than the junk you find in chain stores.
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Posted: 10/2/2014 11:59:42 PM EDT
[#40]
Antiques are the way to go if you want hardwood or solid wood furniture imo. On the other hand, my dad makes new furniture out of pretty much any hardwood. He doesn't use any power tools - just REALLY old school craftsmanship with hand tools. I've got a few pieces he's made out of walnut and cherry, even have a single board coffee table. The wood isn't cheap, but it can be had.
I have a couple of pieces from the 1700s that cost less than what just the wood would cost nowadays. I'm an antiques fan though; love the history on everything. |
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Posted: 10/3/2014 12:04:05 AM EDT
[#41]
Well, I've seen decent stuff made out of cheap hardwood withe veneers but it all comes from China. Even that shit is pricey so I want to say yes particle board is the norm. All the stuff I have is hardwood but it's older antique'y stuff acquired by family or found at yard sales and refinished. I've got to get my toddler a bed but will likely go with one of those cutesy race-car/rocket ship beds that will get destroyed any way.
Note, Costo does have some nice-looking hardwood (with veneers) at attractive prices but again it's from China if that matters. |
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Posted: 10/3/2014 8:28:04 AM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My GF just bought a nice condo in MidTown Miami on the 19th floor facing the intercostal/Miami Beach. She's got an 800 sq.ft. wrap-around balcony, so she wanted some nice 'balcony height' patio furniture. We've been looking for six weeks and happened into a place selling outdoor stuff and carrying table/chairs/chaises made out of solid Bolivan Ipe' wood, by Jensen Leisure. It's the 7th hardest wood in the world and mimics Teak around water and in extreme weather conditions. It wasn't cheap, but it's built really well and made in Virginia. They use certified wood, so it's not the hacks out there raping the rain forest. She got two those swivel chairs, two of their 'backed' stools and a rectangular table: http://jensenleisurefurniture.com/temp/enlarge/Opal-Swivel-Hi-Dining-Group.jpg Jensen Leisure Ipe' wood patio furniture. You have to look, but traditional methods are still being practiced. Chris Ipe (pronounced eee-pay) is a stone cold bitch to work. I've got a pile of it stickered and drying that's going to go to building a covered porch. |
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Posted: 10/3/2014 8:44:26 AM EDT
[#43]
As said, if you want good wood furniture have to pay for it. Otherwise you'll be getting a combination of veneered wood, with allot of it made in China/Vietnam...companies like Hooker, Flexsteel, etc. Even Stickley, while its good, its very expensive for what you get. I would rather go with a custom woodmaker, or at the least a company like JL Treharn (semi custom).
John Buchanan work for example, this is very traditional (New England Tea Table)...but he'll build anything you want. He does amazing stuff. |
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Posted: 10/3/2014 8:56:24 AM EDT
[#44]
All of my furniture is hand crafted Amish made from real oak.
Granted it was very expensive and most people could not afford it...but I want quality stuff, and I was willing to spend some $$$ to have it. |
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Posted: 10/3/2014 9:10:33 AM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I have plenty of antique furniture - plywood is nothing new. Layers with alternating grain direction produces a stronger product. 
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Posted: 10/3/2014 9:26:15 AM EDT
[#47]
A big part of the problem is the availability of decent woods.
You can buy hardwood fairly cheap but it isn't the same as the old-growth wood that actually makes heirloom quality furniture. In a lot of cases a well built piece that uses laminates and such is superior to what can be built from third growth solid wood. The bigger problem is the market driving quality down, mass-produced junk is more profitable. |
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Posted: 10/3/2014 9:26:49 AM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
As said, if you want good wood furniture have to pay for it. Otherwise you'll be getting a combination of veneered wood, with allot of it made in China/Vietnam...companies like Hooker, Flexsteel, etc. Even Stickley, while its good, its very expensive for what you get. I would rather go with a custom woodmaker, or at the least a company like JL Treharn (semi custom). John Buchanan work for example, this is very traditional (New England Tea Table)...but he'll build anything you want. He does amazing stuff. http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2635&d=1308258536 http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2632&d=1308258520 I've got a Statton table(cherry) that's almost identical except for that beautiful wood. Walnut, I'm guessing? |
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Posted: 10/3/2014 9:28:53 AM EDT
[#49]
I haven't furniture shopped for a while, but Lay-Z Boy furniture was one of the last holdouts on making furniture with real wood and springs.
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Posted: 10/3/2014 9:31:32 AM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I've got a Statton table(cherry) that's almost identical except for that beautiful wood. Walnut, I'm guessing? Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: As said, if you want good wood furniture have to pay for it. Otherwise you'll be getting a combination of veneered wood, with allot of it made in China/Vietnam...companies like Hooker, Flexsteel, etc. Even Stickley, while its good, its very expensive for what you get. I would rather go with a custom woodmaker, or at the least a company like JL Treharn (semi custom). John Buchanan work for example, this is very traditional (New England Tea Table)...but he'll build anything you want. He does amazing stuff. http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2635&d=1308258536 http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2632&d=1308258520 I've got a Statton table(cherry) that's almost identical except for that beautiful wood. Walnut, I'm guessing? That's actually Tiger Maple....it is very nice. Check this out, while not a fan of the style (English Butler's Tray Table), the wood is amazing. This is about the most expensive wood you can get on furniture, its highly figured cherry (or Flame cherry). Almost never used due to cost. Buchanan piece as well. |
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