I am going to attempt building some DVD shelves. I am going to use wood that is 2x6x10 for each shelf. I am going with the 2 inch thickness so that there will be no bowing or "dipping" in the middle of the shelves.

I have checked all my lumber stores and no one stocks pine in those dimensions. So my other choices are cedar or millstead.
I am not familiar with millstead lumber. The price difference between the two is extreme. $18.37 for the cedar and $8.75 for the millstead. I have picked both up and can't tell which weighs more.

Can someone lend some thoughts and using one or the other?

 

What are your plans to finish the wood? If painting, poplar or plywood would be better options.

 

I was planning on stain and a polyurethane finish

 

The millstead product is just HD's version of inexpensive SPF lumber (spruce-pine-fir) meaning it may be any of those types of wood.

Cedar takes stain well, at least colors that are brownish, but SPF not so much. SPF when stained tends to be very blotchy and inconsistent in color and can vary widely between boards since they can be different species. Poplar paints very nicely but also tend to be very blotchy when stained.

For a furniture grade finish you would want to go with something like oak but I realize that is likely not in the budget, even though you could use thinner material without sagging.

Whichever way you go, I suggest you buy a small length of the material and try your desired finish on it first, so you are not stuck with a look you don't like.

Good luck with your project!

 

Thank you for your input CarbideTipped and the explanations. I have never painted wood before. Will the Millstead take paint nicely I wonder? If so, does that also require a lacquer or polyurethane finish? (I would think so)

 

Use an oil based primer followed either by a waterborne or oil based enamel. Two coats of the enamel and you should not need anything else like lacquer or poly. Given that oil based paint can yellow a bit with time, I would only consider the waterborne enamel if you plan to paint this white.

 

my wood working experience is very minimal so I hadn't even considered painting the shelving but the more I think about, the more I like the idea. I have some red in my room so I may paint them the same shade. Still thinking about that though.

Thank you as well stickshift

 

To get away from the blotchiness that pine is prone to you can apply a wood conditioner first, then stain. Because the wood conditioner slightly seals the wood the stain won't be as dark as it would be otherwise - but will be uniform.

Enamel paints don't need a clear coat to protect them. Lacquer isn't compatible with most residential paints.

 

sorry. Just deleting a posting

 

Got a picture of where you plan on building these shelves?
What's the span?
No way would I be using 2X wood or cedar for simple shelving.
Milstead is just a brand name, tells us nothing about what material it is.
A simple 1X cleat across the back and sides, and a 1 X 2 across the front will make 3/4 plywood more then strong enough.
Lowes carry's laminated shelving board in the lumber dept. that's very strong.