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Best wood for trivet

17K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  Foghorn 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello folks,

I'm wondering if you can help me out. I have an idea to make a nicely designed, almost an artistic, trivet out of wood. Does anyone have a recommendation for the type of wood I should use and if I need a certain type of finish? I am a complete novice so forgive me if this is an elementary question as I know not.

Thanks
 
#4 ·
Basswood,

Thanks for the input. I'll research ipe wood and see if it's feasible.

MisterBill,

Yes, there is a sacrifice component to a trivet but I would like to find a material that won't burn or tarnish. There has to be some sort of wood that can withstand contact with a hot object without burning or leaving a last mark, right?

Thanks
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Wood Engineering Machine Circle Auto part


I'm doing a related project: hanging silver/pewter platters of various sizes on a wall (think high end hubcap display) using homemade French cleats while affixing "feet" or pads to the bottom of the platters. My issues are: wood that can handle warming in an oven & how to glue the cleat/feet to the platters considering heat.
See prototype photo…
Maple + super glue on glass.
Thoughts?
 

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#9 ·
You are too worried about materials. I have made and sold dozens of trivets using a CNC router. I use mostly maple, cherry or walnut for aesthetic reasons rather than heat resistance. They all work fine. I finish them with solvent based polyurethane because it holds up better than lacquer or any water based finish i have tried. I have attached a few of our designs below. Some of these have been in continuous use at my home for over 3 years now and show no signs of heat damage.

Artifact Wood Art Button Rim

Tableware Drinkware Dishware Stemware Serveware

Brown Wood Door Creative arts Rectangle
 

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#12 ·
Your requirements are so unusual that I doubt if very many people would have had any experience at all. I am afraid you are going to have to experiment and determine the answers for yourself. At the very least, you should start by using high temperature epoxy rather than PVA (Titebond, Elmer's) or polyurethane (Gorilla) type glues. There is such a thing as thermally modified wood which might serve your needs. Here is a Wikipedia link that explains the process.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermally_modified_wood

I saw some slabs of thermally modified wood for sale at an import shop. I can't remember the species. It was an exotic wood from some Central American country. It was quite attractive and reminded me of Brazillian cherry.
 
#13 ·
There are some heat resistant glues, and perhaps some suitable for joining metal and wood but the metal and wood will expand and contract at very different rates which may cause even those types of bonds to fail with such a wide temperature range. I would probably go with a mechanical connection (screws) using oversized holes to allow for expansion differences. I have also heard that ipe has a higher flash point than most woods. I would probably experiment by sticking some pieces of different woods into the oven at about 475-500 degrees for at least 30 minutes to see how the wood holds up. This is close to the flash point of oak for example so you will see if it is going to start to burn. In any event, you probably want to heat the wood before assembly to get all of the moisture and volatile compounds out of the wood prior to assembly. You might need to repeat the heating and cooling process several times. For this application, I probably would not apply a finish to the wood.

BTW, the wood feet coming out of the oven will still be hot enough to damage a surface so may need a cool base to sit this on.
 
#14 ·
Why would they want to put them in the oven?

They're not likely to have enough thermal mass to really keep anything warm for any appreciable amount of time.

If they want to keep stuff warm at the table, look into more active solutions like chafing dishes and such.

Trivets are meant to protect a table from hot pots, pans, or dishes. A 400-degree dish won't burn hardwood.
 
#15 ·
I'm doing a related project: hanging silver/pewter platters of various sizes on a wall (think high end hubcap display) using homemade French cleats while affixing "feet" or pads to the bottom of the platters. My issues are: wood that can handle warming in an oven & how to glue the cleat/feet to the platters considering heat.
See prototype photo…
Maple + super glue on glass.
Thoughts?

- Biggrhammr
I wouldn't glue that. It would be better to solder some threaded brass rods to the pewter and use nuts/washers in counterbores to hold the wood on.
 
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