# Take a guess



## Gap_308 (May 2, 2009)

I bought these shelves from costco years ago on closeout, the wife wanted them and thet are real wood and not cardboard. I now nee to make a low center unit to in the middle under the TV, any ideas on the wood. The last photo is what I want to build to match the shelves. Any ideas on wood and stain are greatly appreciated since I'm so new to woodworking. Just trying to avoid spending money on the wrong materials. I know I'll have to play with the stain some to get it close, I just need a starting point. Thanks


----------



## tdublyou (Jan 8, 2010)

Scott,
If I had to guess I'd say some type of mahogany. It looks like it's been stained to look like Honduras mahogany but doubt that it actually is considering the source. Might be Philippine mahogany, (aka luan). If you have a good hardwood supplier or a custom cabinet shop in your area, you might stop in there with a shelf and they can probably help out.
As for the finish, that's going to depend on the wood you start with. The same people above or a good paint store should be able to help once you've narrowed down the wood species. Matching finishes often comes down to a lot of trial and error on scraps.
Good Luck,
Tim


----------



## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Gotta agree with Tim.. looks like mahogany to me.. and trial and error with scraps is dead on.....


----------



## Gap_308 (May 2, 2009)

I'll try some mahogany and some different stains to start then . thanks guys.


----------



## timbertailor (Oct 4, 2009)

To save some money, you might be able to get away with a good quality oak. With the proper stain, it could work out for you.


----------

