Need an Opinion - Ash or Elm or Soft Maple

**dale armbruster** · 07-18-2006, 12:55 PM

I'm starting to design a computer desk for the new computer system I just bought. The desk will end up "L" shaped with about 8-10 dovetailed drawers. Can't decide which wood species to go with. Soft maple can be very pleasing and I've done many projects with SM. I've done one small project with ash and I have never used elm.

The elm intrigues me because I've never used it and wonder how it would look. Maple can be really pretty especially if there is any figure. Ash seems very similar to oak. There is no issue to matching the desk up with other peices in the room. The finish will be clear - NO stain.

Any suggestions?

Dale

**Cody Colston** · 07-19-2006, 06:10 AM

I've worked with Ash (made a fairly large corner cabinet) and it works nicely. In appearance it is similar to Oak but the grain isn't quite as open and what I used was almost white. I liked it.

Elm has some interesting grain patterns but I've never built anything larger than a small box from it. I think I've heard that it moves quite a bit.

IMHO, soft Maple is sort of bland.

Not a lot of help, I know, but at least it bumps your post back up the board. :)

Cody
Tyler, TX

Where facts are few,
experts are many

**mcknight** · 07-19-2006, 04:56 PM

Yeah I was going to say that S.M. may be too soft depending on the abuse the desk will endure. Don't know squat about Elm. Ash would be nice. I especially like what you say about "NO stain"! I just got done sanding about 20bd ft of cherry someone had put this really dark stain on. Why, why, why?

**TDHofstetter** · 07-19-2006, 04:57 PM

The ash is pretty classic for a computer desk... ya see a lot of 'em that way. Elm looks BUSY. Interesting, just really busy. If you're a neatness freak, elm won't make life easy - rectangular objects don't look rectangular when they're lying on an elm surface.

-- Tim --

Ita erat quando hic adveni
It was that way when I got here.

:)

Sonny Edmonds · 07-19-2006, 07:52 PM

I think that if you go messin with Maple's Ash, ELMer her husband will probably kick YOUR ash!

So I'm gonna say Oak.

:D

[link:home.att.net/~paul.edmonds/|Sonny Edmonds ]
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**dale armbruster** · 07-19-2006, 10:16 PM

Based on that response, I'm goin' with ASH.

**Dario** · 07-20-2006, 12:01 PM

Good choice.

Elm is prettier but too soft I think.

Dario :)
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