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red gum

4/24/22       
Bradley Rule Member

Website: http://www.bruleorgans.com

We have a federal contract to exactly duplicate quite a bit of cabinet work from 1922. The original 1922 contract specified red gum, and now that we have all the old, beat up cabinetwork in the shop, it does appear that it is indeed red gum. I’m trying to figure out what to use for the matching cabinetwork. It seems that there are no longer any big virgin growth gum trees around that have the nice, deeply colored heartwood. These days, sweet gum, if you can even find anyone who stocks it as lumber, is all light sapwood.

Someone in a distant federal office whom I will never meet nor talk to is likely to make the decision eventually as to finish color: since the original finish is already aniline dye-stained to mimic walnut (we found that under three coats of lousy subsequent paint), I have sent off a note saying that some sort of fairly dark color is going to be necessary. It’s not likely we can strip the old finish and get enough of the aniline dye out to, say, make it look like cherry.

Anyway, several woods come to mind that seem to have a similar grain to red gum: soft maple, possibly birch, maybe even alder. But which of them will take stain in a similar fashion? I suppose I will have to experiment quite a bit. The original red gum is pink and brown with slight grayish stripes. I can see it would have been very easy to use it as a substitute for cherry back in the day.

Poplar might work if you could avoid the green colored boards…
Thanks for any advice.

4/24/22       #2: red gum ...
Matt Calnen

Not sure where in Tennessee you are located, but Rick Hearne of Hearne Hardwoods would be my first call for an odd item like that. If he can’t help you, I’m sure he can point you in the right direction.

4/26/22       #3: red gum ...
RichC

How many board feet are you looking for? No local sawmill options? What wholesalers have you checked with? I'm guessing some Amish sawmills around Arcola, IL would get some for you.


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