Carpentry and Woodworking - working with pine

I am going to build an entertainment center out of pine. I like the look of knotty pine, but have never worked with it before. Also, I want to build it out of solid wood instead veneered plywood. Are there any issues with joining pine other than it being a softer wood? Is pine bad when it comes to wood movement over time (expanison and contraction)? Also, would you suggest using a different kind of pine? Thanks.

Glenn

Knotty pine is pretty but can be the dickens to work. Make sure your planer has sharp blades. Pine is not much different from other woods, except it gums your tools and is soft.

You will also find that good quality pine is expensive, moreso than walnut or cherry. That alone may prompt you to use knotty-pine, veneered plywood with solid wood for the edgebanding and other components.

Staining pine has its ups and downs. I prefer to clear coat it and let it develop its own characteristic deep, golden, yellow color. With a tendency to weep sap, pine should be wiped with some lacquer thinner just prior to the first coat of finish to ensure bonding of the first coat.

Pecan is a pretty, knotty wood that you might consider for a darker color without so much yellow.

The yellow in pine develops with exposure to light, so it happens even with stain, causing the stain color to darken over time.

I have built many things from pine because of its special look, but it is not my favorite wood.

Hope this helps.

I just used knotty pine T&G boards for my living rooms walls, i used golden oak wiping stain and 2 coats of semi-gloss poly. Granted this is not finish sanded like furniture is, but it took the stain really well. Just a bugger applying and wiping stain off that many boards.

First and foremost, I would highly recommend you stay away from buiding an entertainment center out of solid wood. You're asking for problems. Why not make it out of knotty pine plywood veneer and then use solid wood accents? It would cost you A LOT less money and would be a more structuaral product.

When gluing up any type of solid wood, don't make your boards any greater than 6" wide. You must alternate your graining so it looks like a roller coaster effect. This counter-balances the twist and helps keep the boards straight. Any boards larger than 6" will warp and crack.

Make sure you keep your boards in a controlled temp room or they will flex and end up bowing beyond a usable point.