New to building curious on wood

Submitted by cmp007 on Tue, 11/13/2012 - 14:42

Im new to building my own stuff and cant wait to start tackling things. I was going to start with the farmhouse table but I need an entertainment center first. I was going to do an easy fix but we moved our living room around so now want to make something for a corner unit. Im going to go with the tall corner media console. Question is im new and I dont know what types of wood to go with. I wont stain this piece im probably paint black. I dont want the cheapest wood possible but I do need to conserve money so "the best" isnt in budget right now. But what wood should I go with to make sure its going to look and function the same in ten years without breaking the bank. Thanks!

claydowling

Thu, 05/09/2013 - 06:56

Pine is a great choice if you want durability and affordability. It's also light weight, so you'll be able to move the piece around easily after you build it. My advice is to insist on pine though, and not accept the generic "white wood" they sell at the home center, which is probably spruce. Some home centers, like Menards, have the white pine set out separately. If you don't have a Menards, find an actual lumber yard, where you will be able to specifcy the species. No. 2 white or yellow pine are good safe bets.