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I was thinking of making a display cabinet for my living room. What would be a good wood to use - Red Oak, Poplar, or Whitewood?
Kunaire, it depends on the look you want and whether you are trying to match existing furniture. Poplar is a close-grained, easy to work wood that is great for painting, or for darker stains, (the greenish sapwood is hidden with medium to dark stains). Whitewood is OK for painting, but staining the softer wood is a pain due to it's tendancy to blotch without a primer/sealant. Red Oak is tougher to cut and work with, but will always (in my opinion) look fine.