BB ply vs. oak ply

[Sawduster]

Mike,
Like others, my wood of choice is based on the amount and type ( or lack of ) grain I want for the finished product. The shade of the finished piece ( light or dark ) is a factor for me too. Since discovering the outstanding results of using BLO I rarely use anything else for finishing. I get my scrolling blanks from Sloans so there is not too terrible a cost hit regardless of what I buy. my stash presently contains BB, cherry, red oak, and maple ply, The BB and maple finish out lighter than the cherry and red oak with BLO. I have started using a lot of maple ply for portraits when I want distinctive grain that does not darken up and detract from the subject. Sometimes I want it dark and cherry just looks excellent to me finished with BLO . If there is a lot of wood being removed, I, like others, just use BB since little grain will be left anyway.
I'm far from an expert, but that is my 2 cents

[Rolf]

If all you are going to do is grain filling I would not use either one. There were some excelent talks given by Teri Masaschi at the open house. talking about grain fillers etc. Fox chapel has her book.
Foolproof Wood Finishing:

[PuzzledMoose]

Thick paste-like material similar to drywall joint compound...used to fill holes at the joints in drywall, or to fill in holes you punched in the wall...

Bob

Thanks Bob - sounds like Polyfilla in the UK? Is spackle a trade name or generic?

[ozarkhillbilly]

I'm pretty much of the same school of thought as Mick, another bonus with using BB is that it will display a wider varity of stain. I have used maple, pecan and english oak with great results on my portraits.

[Mick Walker]

Mike, I use BB for portraits and the oak for scenic cuttings trying to use the grain for sky, water, etc. I like a little grain in my portaits so you can tell it is wood.
Diane, spackle dries a lot faster than wood putty and is very easy to sand.

[utbva]

Thanks for the explanation Bob. I didn't know what it was either.
Why would you not use wood putty to fill in the cracks or holes? Or is this not the same doing?
Diane

If you are going to paint over the wood anyway, spackle or drywall compound is much less expensive than wood putty. It is also easier to sand and get a good smooth surface. It is important to use a good primer before painting to seal the surface to get an even coat of paint. At least that is my experience.

[Dragon]

Thanks for the explanation Bob. I didn't know what it was either.
Why would you not use wood putty to fill in the cracks or holes? Or is this not the same doing?
Diane

[BobD]

I'm needing a translation again I think - what is spackle?

Thick paste-like material similar to drywall joint compound...used to fill holes at the joints in drywall, or to fill in holes you punched in the wall...

Bob

[PuzzledMoose]

spackle

I'm needing a translation again I think - what is spackle?

[sawdustus]

I absolutely agree with you Kevin. I would only add that if I am going to paint a puzzle made of ply, which I often do, I prefer BB because the paint covers the little bit of grain. With oak, the grain shows through the paint. The same thing happens when you are constructing inexpensive cabinetry for a kitchen, bath or shop. If you use regular ply, the spruce or pine grain shows through multiple layers of paint. The only solution I have ever seen is to coat the ply with spackle or sheet rock paste, sand it smooth, and then paint the ply. Shellac would probably accomplish the same thing with oak ply.

[Jediscroller]

Oak ply is a little easier to cut. As far as how I decide which to use for what, for a very intricate cutting where there's not much that the grain could add I opt for BB. For those cuttings where I feel the grain of the oak could add to the cutting (water type patterns for examply) I'll opt for oak ply. This same decision making process carries over to hardwoods as well for making clocks and such.

[Minnesota scroller]

For you who have utilized each, why would you choose one over the other? What is the difference besides cost and grain?

Thanks