# Making furniture out of pine?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-furniture-out-of-pine/521544>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 16, 2009, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-furniture-out-of-pine/521544 "2009-12-16T22:53:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-furniture-out-of-pine/521544/21 "2017-11-21T23:54:56Z")

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The first thing I thought about was waterbeds from the 70s and 80s. Everyone I ever saw was made of cheap pine that was easily scratched by just running a fingernail across them. Of course they were hard to notice when properly illuminated with a lava lamp. 🙂

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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-furniture-out-of-pine/521544/22 "2017-11-22T01:02:07Z")

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I’ve always wanted to make a veneer table top. Using pine as the base.

Veneer comes in rolls.

Then you have a furniture grade surface to stain & finish.

My bucket list project is to do a parquet table. I’ll get to it after I retire.  
[http://www.retrorestoredltd.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/product\_page\_slideshow\_large/public/product-images/Herringbone%20table%20top.JPG?itok=-T9tKBOh](http://www.retrorestoredltd.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/product_page_slideshow_large/public/product-images/Herringbone%20table%20top.JPG?itok=-T9tKBOh)

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-furniture-out-of-pine/521544/23 "2017-11-22T07:41:18Z")

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> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> I’ve always wanted to make a veneer table top. Using pine as the base.
> 
> Veneer comes in rolls.
> 
> Then you have a furniture grade surface to stain & finish.
> 
> My bucket list project is to do a parquet table. I’ll get to it after I retire.  
> [http://www.retrorestoredltd.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/product\_page\_slideshow\_large/public/product-images/Herringbone%20table%20top.JPG?itok=-T9tKBOh](http://www.retrorestoredltd.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/product_page_slideshow_large/public/product-images/Herringbone%20table%20top.JPG?itok=-T9tKBOh)

Trouble with that idea is that pine is not a very stable base for veneer or marquetry - it will expand and contract across the grain, and your veneer may crack or lift. Much as I love solid timber, ply or MDF is probably a better base for veneer than pine.

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**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-furniture-out-of-pine/521544/25 "2017-11-22T11:19:00Z")

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I have made pine wood bedroom sets country style that looked nice and held up for at least two decades and are still going strong but the finishes just don’t last like they do on hardwood unless you do something like acrylic resin which is very thick. I refinished the tops on two nightstands recently with tru-oil which is really for gun stocks and I was amazed at how nice it came out.

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**Author:** ![Newmaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@Newmaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newmaker)\
**Post date:** [October 9, 2020, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-furniture-out-of-pine/521544/26 "2020-10-09T12:04:22Z")

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I’m making a pine and resin table with 40w bluetooth system underneath. I find a top coat of epoxy resin (glasscast). Makes it resistant to asteroid strikes.

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