Another wood idenfication question

[sihollies]

Hi All,

My 13 year old godson is becoming extremely interested/obsessed in woodworking, amongst other practical/creative disciplines and has asked me to oversee him during his attempts at making an end grain chopping board. (His first ever project)

He claims he has done his research and has decided that he would like to use Iroko to make the board & a joiner friend of mine has donated a 2 metre x 150mm x 20mm length of what he claims is Iroko.

I am no expert, but I have my doubts that the timber he has kindly given me is Iroko & I am thinking it may be Maple?? (which IMO will be fine)

Please see attached pictures of the timber & if anyone could confirm the species, it would be greatly appreciated.

All the very best to you all,
Simon.

 

[Doug71]

Looks like Maple

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If it's maple it's probably better for a chopping board than iroko, anyway.

 

[sihollies]

Thanks both,

I have read historic UKW posts and there seems to be some bad press when it comes to using Iroko for chopping boards, but there are so many Iroko boards available that are advertised for sale, so I can't see that Iroko can be that bad when it comes to food contamination??

Iroko kitchen worktops are also popular, which IMO reinforces the above??

This is an area which I have no experience in, so I may be completely wrong?

Thanks again
Simon

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Worktops and chopping boards have wood cut different ways. Long grain iroko is very resistant to chemical damage, which is why lab benches etc. were/are made from it, but chopping boards are end grain and iroko is quite open grained/porous which is why it might not be an ideal choice for one (although often made and sold). Maple is dense has closed pores and better suited.

 

[sihollies]

Cheers 'Phil Pascoe'

Seems a bit odd that end grain Iroko chopping boards are readily available to buy if the the timber isnt ideal for that specific application?
I will just tell me godson that it's a blessing in disguise that we had Maple donated to us, rather than Iroko.

Kindest regards to all that have had an input,

Simon

 

[XTiffy]

I don't know if it is the photograph (or my eyes) but it seems to have a bit of pale green streaks. Which would suggest Poplar/Tulip wood Poplar is quite light in weight compared to maple. Maple would be a bonus as in the UK quite expensive and definitely a good choice for the chopping board. In the past beech would generally have been used.
Interestingly, I can remember an article in some woodworking magazine (decades ago) that scientists wanted to compare plastic cutting boards with wood versions for their trapping of germs. Their findings were that the wood ones were better, much to their surprise, the reverse of what they expected..

 

[recipio]

It's American cherry IMO. You can tell by the pink tinge and grain. I've made a few end grain chopping boards with iroko and other hardwoods like padouk and had no problems. Do some research first - the grain should be convex to convex and concave to concave as far as I remember. I also found that the board turned a ' muddy brown ' after a few months. Better to include a light wood like maple to make it ' pop '.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I can remember an article in some woodworking magazine (decades ago) that scientists wanted to compare plastic cutting boards with wood versions for their trapping of germs. Their findings were that the wood ones were better, much to their surprise, the reverse of what they expected..

I was by one of the American universities. Wood was best, old wood being better than new wood.

 

[stuckinthemud]

I think they hypothesised the bacteria struggled to move between grain lines and so couldn’t develop large colonies

 

[Against_The_Grain]

Your joiner friend needs to clue up on his timber identification, definitely not Iroko by a very wide margin.

I would say sycamore due to the reasonably wide growth rings as it grows like a weed here. A bit lighter and softer than maple but it can very difficult to distinguish between the two.

 

[sihollies]

Thanks all,

I dont think my photos show the colours accurately 'recipio', as there isnt really any definate pink tinge to the actual timber, although it appears so in the images, & I am quite sure that it isnt Tulipwood 'XTiffy', becuase it seems too dense for that?

Against_The_Grain: I am aware that Sycamore is a member of the Maple family, I have worked with alot of sycamore veneers before, but never solid timber, and from my experience have found sycamore to be lighter in colour with a differing figuring to Maple, but may be wrong?

If it does happen to be Sycamore, could anyone advise if it would be approprate for an end grain chopping board?

Thankyou again,
Simon

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[Against_The_Grain]

If it does happen to be Sycamore, could anyone advise if it would be approprate for an end grain chopping board?

It's probably one of the best choices for a chopping board, completely benign timber with no sap, resins, oils, or toxins. It doesn't rive easily either so it would be perfectly fine for an end grain chopping board.

 

[kinverkid]

Although I think it's maple I can see where XTiffy was looking because I wondered myself. That creamy colour on the top board and (what's probably shadow) green tinge in the board underneath could throw you. But as you confirmed that it's also dense I'll guess at maple. Will make a nice chopping board. Would be nice to see it when it's done.

 

[thetyreman]

it looks like maple to me, if it's sycamore it's often softer and a bit more pale looking, ideal for a chopping board.

 

[Lefley]

Looks like eastern hard maple to me. Best end grain chopping board material out there!

 

[XTiffy]

Timber identification from photos is such a subjective process. I have a book "An atlas of photomicrographs for the identification of Hardwoods (HMSO 1961)". Which is the definitive info, if you have a microscope (which I don't). I believe you shave an end grain slice and magnify it (these I believe are 10X). I will attach the Queensland Maple page.and the front cover image

 

[--Tom--]

People make cutting boards from all sorts - doesn’t mean they’re best suited. Quite often aesthetics are favoured over functionality.

Maple is ideal, though 20mm is a little thin for end grain so will need more glue.
Sycamore and beech are traditional kitchen timbers in uk, maple being favoured over the pond.

Good luck, worth thinking about orientation and direction of movement as you glue up as seen a few boards split with the moisture changes experienced.

 

[Lefley]

Hi All,

My 13 year old godson is becoming extremely interested/obsessed in woodworking, amongst other practical/creative disciplines and has asked me to oversee him during his attempts at making an end grain chopping board. (His first ever project)

He claims he has done his research and has decided that he would like to use Iroko to make the board & a joiner friend of mine has donated a 2 metre x 150mm x 20mm length of what he claims is Iroko.

I am no expert, but I have my doubts that the timber he has kindly given me is Iroko & I am thinking it may be Maple?? (which IMO will be fine)

Please see attached pictures of the timber & if anyone could confirm the species, it would be greatly appreciated.

All the very best to you all,
Simon.

View attachment 151260


View attachment 151261

iRoko end grain. Doesn't look like this at all!

 

[XTiffy]

Added to lefley's comment above this is the photomicrograph of Iroko.