what is acacia wood like used to make furniture?

[mint]

Most importantly, I want to know if you can class it as hard wood and would a piece of furniture made of it likely to be good looking?

I am looking for a new desk which now has to house new speakers besides the new printer and the laptop, telephone, etc (yeah, I know, lucky girl!)

I do want a nice-looking piece of furniture that I could love and cherish (besides use) and it does have to sit in our bedroom so I don't want too much compromise.

Any advice, thoughts?  Jonz?  Anyone else?

Thanks

[Tancrède]

[quote user="mint"]I want to know if you can class it as hard wood and would a piece of furniture made of it likely to be good looking?[/quote]It is a hard wood;  and notably strong, durable and resistant.  And its colour, grain and appearance are very attractive.

If the timber is coming from one of your own trees that you are felling, I would add that riven it is almost as good as chestnut for fence-posts, and it burns well too  -  though is inclined to spit.

 

[mint]

Thank you, Tancrède; you have now reasured me that furniture made with this wood might indeed fit the bill.

[woolybanana]

The grain on acacia can be very large and not to everyone's taste. The pieces I have seen (just Google it) seen heavy and crude. That being said, I have stinkwood which can also have a pretty big grain though the actual pieces are much more subtle and light (not lightweight though).

Now if you could get a nice piece of olive ash, that would be a treat to feast the eyes on.

[Hoddy]

I have a lovely acacia wood floor in my French living room. We use oil on it to keep it looking good.

[woolybanana]

Yes, it is really tough and makes good flooring.

[Jonzjob]

As Tancrède said it is a very hard wood and when riven, split rather than cut, it was the preferred wood for the vine stakes because it takes an age to rot out.

Here's a load of pictures of acacia furniture for you to see what it is like. It may be difficult to find what you want or to get it made, but I don't really see why it should be heavy??

It's supposed to be very good to turn, but I have never worked it..

[woolybanana]

The grain is lovely but the stuff on your link, JJ, seems very chunky. There seems to be very little if any turned wood there, apart from a fruit bowl and a few balls.

Most of it comes from India, I believe; it seems to have a 'colonial touch' about it.

[mint]

Wools, you're right, those are distinctly unstylish.

My favourite wood is mérisier.  Since I bought a sideboard a few years ago, I have become more and more admiring.  I love the rich honey colour and they do seem to make beautiful furniture with losts of sensuous curves with it.

So, I think I'll re-think.

[grumpyaudeman]

Hi

I have used False Acacia as firewood and fence posts for years its certainly a hardwood, as for furniture I imagine its scarce use is due to the slim width of the trunk ie small planks

http://www.acacia-robinier.be/index_UK.html

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="mint"]Wools, you're right, those are distinctly unstylish.

My favourite wood is mérisier.  Since I bought a sideboard a few years ago, I have become more and more admiring.  I love the rich honey colour and they do seem to make beautiful furniture with losts of sensuous curves with it.

So, I think I'll re-think.

[/quote]

Both mérisier and cérisier, wild and cultivated cherry,  are beautiful wood and I have turned both. We have a lovely coffee table made in cérisier and it is one of my favourites.

This is cérisier. Both are beautiful woods.

[URL=http://s47.photobucket.com/user/Jonzjob/media/Cherrybowl1.jpg.html][IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Cherrybowl1.jpg[/IMG][/URL]