This nightstand was made in 1999, for my sister. The wood is Sassafras from her property in Pennsylvania, which had been air-drying in my basement for 6-8 years. Sassafras has a grain a lot like red oak, but it is much softer, and easy to work. The legs of the nightstand were turned on the lathe, and the aprons are mortise-and-tenoned into the legs, then pegged with hardwood dowls - they ain't coming loose anytime soon. The drawer is dovetailed, with a solid pine bottom from our own property. The bottom shelf makes the legs much more rigid. Finishing is two coats of stain to darken the light-colored Sassafras, with several coats of oil-varnish.