Secondary woods as bookcase shelves and back

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H

HSteier

Well-known member
I'm moving along with my three bay Chippendale library bookcase. The bottom is essentially complete and I'm about to begin the top. The top has three bays, i.e. it is essentially three bookcases joined side to side. Only the end boards are visible in their entirety. So I wonder, in traditioanl design were the interior verticals, the bottom, back and shelves made of secondary woods stained to match mahogany?
I'm experimenting with various stains on poplar. It ssems that Trans-Tint "reddish brown" dye on poplar, then shellacked comes close to mahogany with a shellac finish. Does anyone have any dye or stain suggestions?

Howard Steier
 
I have seen english pieces that looked to have cuban on the front faces and mexican or south american on  the ends. It might be safer to use some very straight grained(boring) mahogany with a couple inches of your face mahogany on the front of the shelves and such. The pieces I remember only had a half-inch or so of cuban on the "face" of some ends and shelves. It just might save you a bit of remorse later. Seems there is always some "plain" stock about.
 
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