Help identifying wood species

[Jimromar]

Hello everybody.

I'm new and this is my first post, I have been building Oak Framed structures for a few years now and have just received a large order of "oak".

I am thoroughly convinced however that it is not oak.

There is none of the prettiness that oak is famed for and the end grain is just completely bare.

It has no smell and I have had a rusty file sat on it all afternoon in water and there are no black stains at all.

Please have a look if you get chance.

Many thanks

James.

 

[AndyT]

I'm no expert, but if it's not oak, you're looking for other pale, open grained timbers.
Ash and sweet chestnut spring to mind as possibilities. Of the two, chestnut is probably lighter in weight and a bit softer than oak or ash.

 

[Trevanion]

That's Ash. It's cheaper than Oak too, so you've been ripped off there.

Has quite a distinct smell when you're working with it, can't really explain what it smells like but it's sweet.

 

[MikeG.]

Ash.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I'm no expert, but if it's not oak, you're looking for other pale, open grained timbers.
Ash and sweet chestnut spring to mind as possibilities. Of the two, chestnut is probably lighter in weight and a bit softer than oak or ash.

Chestnut would have marked with the iron test.

 

[Jimromar]

Hmm. Thanks for the replies. It's not chestnut, I've worked with that and it splits beautifully and very easily.

So I'm correct then in thinking that there is no way it's oak and everyone thinks ash.

Unbelievable!

 

[Jimromar]

It doesn't have much of a smell whereas when I've got oak in the shop it is filled with the lovely smell of it, even before working it..

 

[Trevanion]

It doesn't have much of a smell whereas when I've got oak in the shop it is filled with the lovely smell of it, even before working it..

There is a smell with Ash but really only when it's being worked though, and when the shavings are fresh. If I had to describe it I suppose the closest thing I can think of is a kind of vanilla smell but not quite, it's hard to describe.

On the plus side, It's a very robust and strong timber that doesn't cost the earth, but it's not that great for external applications compared with Oak.

 

[Jimromar]

And not too great when I've sold a customer an "oak" porch

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will be making an angry phone call come Monday!

 

[profchris]

You might want to consider a different approach.

I'd be calling to say that an unfortunate mistake has been made, and they sent you ash instead of oak. Obviously they're going to sort that out for you, so you are calling to find out what they plan to do .... [at some point in the conversation, the inconvenience to you and your customer will of course get a mention, and by then they should be feeling guilty and want to make you happy]

An angry start often gets a defensive response ("Of course it's oak, we don't try to rip off our customers") and its downhill from there.

Up to you though.

 

[Jimromar]

Hahaha I appreciate the advice, I'm a generally mellow kind of person and would start of course by explaining the issue etc not going in all guns blazing. Was meant as a pun really. I do like your approach and will try it out.

Thanks. James.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

It doesn't have much of a smell whereas when I've got oak in the shop it is filled with the lovely smell of it, even before working it..

There is a smell with Ash but really only when it's being worked though, and when the shavings are fresh. If I had to describe it I suppose the closest thing I can think of is a kind of vanilla smell but not quite, it's hard to describe.

On the plus side, It's a very robust and strong timber that doesn't cost the earth, but it's not that great for external applications compared with Oak.

I'd call it a nutty smell

 

[Benchwayze]

Never used Japanese Oak, but I believe it is very pale. Could it be Japanese Oak?

And Ash smells to me like the ash-pan from a 1940's coal fire.
Hence the name? :mrgreen:

John (hammer)

 

[AJB Temple]

Very unlikely that anyone would supply Japanese oak in quantity by mistake. It's quite pricey. 8)

 

[Jacob]

Looks like oak to me.
https://www.google.com/search?q=oak+tim ... 40&bih=511

There is none of the prettiness that oak is famed for and the end grain is just completely bare.

Oak isn't at all pretty - except for the interesting ripple you get with planed quarter sawn surfaces. And the end grain is fairly featureless, except for the same medullary rays which give the ripple as above, but not necessarily very distinctive.
Maybe you have to revise your notions of what oak actually looks like?
PS Try to show the medullary rays by planing up a bit of end grain (they should be radial), or a quarter sawn (riven) face, which should show the ripple. If you don't get either then it's not oak?

 

[Trevanion]

No Jacob, It’s definitely Ash.

 

[Jacob]

No Jacob, It’s definitely Ash.

You are probably right but a quick plane as described earlier would make it definite.

 

[Trevanion]

There’s no need to plane it, it’s definitely Ash.

 

[Suffolkboy]

Looks a lot like Ash to me

 

[John Brown]

Can you DNA test timber?