Best wood to use for a dinner table?

[coonazz]

I've got a buddy of mine that has a saw mill that I can use to make myself a custom dinner table. He makes tables all the time, but is behind on his orders right now, so I can't ask him to make one for me (at the brother-in-law price).

So far - I've only seen one of his cedar tables. (In the pic below) I think it's beautiful, but didn't know if I should look at other woods too. Any suggestions?

[Texastaxi]

Mesquite or walnut would be some nice choices.

[clintb]

Knotty Alder

[LWD]

Really depends on the look you want. Mesquite would be very interesting. But whatever you do be sure it's going to match the decor of the room and your house or your wife might make you put it in the garage.

LWD

[Snacks]

Mine is made from an old barn and is pretty sweet, it's oak

[Wapitislayer]

Acacia Wood

[coonazz]

Wapitislayer - That's beautiful, but I need to stay with something that can be found relatively close to North Texas.


I found this slab of Mesquite that I thought had some interesting features.



I'm looking at Black Walnut too, but the price is crazy for that wood/tree.

[Jrmhunting]

Wapitislayer - That's beautiful, but I need to stay with something that can be found relatively close to North Texas.


I found this slab of Mesquite that I thought had some interesting features.



I'm looking at Black Walnut too, but the price is crazy for that wood/tree.

Thats a cool looking piece of wood. It looks like it has a lions face in it.

[DNTRanch]

Following this, I am planning on doing the same thing. Looking for some old Barn wood, Hard to find. Then I figured I would get it plained, and go from there.

[E.TX.BOWHUNTER]

Option are many: pecan, hickory, oak, elm are some medium woods. If you want darker walnut is my 1st choice. Mesquite is very hard and will require some extra work but it would be very rewarding.

[bphillips]

having mine made from mesquite

[poisonedbrew]

i keep seeing something different in that mesquite.......though i just can't put my finger on it.

[meathunter]

Thats a cool looking piece of wood. It looks like it has a lions face in it.

I see something a little more fun than a lions face.

[meathunter]

Wapitislayer - That's beautiful, but I need to stay with something that can be found relatively close to North Texas.


I found this slab of Mesquite that I thought had some interesting features.



I'm looking at Black Walnut too, but the price is crazy for that wood/tree.

Is that from a pussywillow?

[jpbruni]

If you get the right cut of pecan, it is awesome and more reasonably priced. I work with mesquite all the time and it is always beautiful. I built a solid Honduran Mahogany kitchen table about 20 years ago and it is 4" thick with huge lathed legs. It weighs about 400 pounds. The movers said it was the heaviest table they had ever moved! I would hate to see what that wood would cost now

J.P.