Help with wood identification - with more photos

[frugal]

I picked up this wood at the recent auction at Pughs. The lot was described as oak, but once I have cleaned it up it obviously isnt. The wood has a fine grain, but with occasional dark lines every now and again.

It has much paler sap wood than oak and I tried the wire wool and vinegar test to see if it blackened, but it did not.

The wood is a little "stringy" on the faces after planing, but takes sanding well.

Any ideas?

A cleaned up piece after I have ripped it in half and planed it.

The rest with a little cleaned up to see the knot.

 

[Mattty]

Hard to tell from the pics but looks like Walnut to me... bonus!!

 

[motownmartin]

It looks very much like Walnut to me, this box was made out of European Walnut and I had some similarities in the wood although your pic shows it a little darker.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Hard to tell from the pics but looks like Walnut to me... bonus!!

I could be American Black Walnut

 

[frugal]

I had discounted walnut as it looks nothing like the piece of English walnut that I got from Yandles last year.

If it is American black walnut (there was a fair bit of it at the auction), then it does not look very black. I assume that 'black' walnut is not actually that black.

 

[JonnyD]

Black Walnut often has a purplely tinge to it. I cant really tell from the photos but it looks a little light to be black walnut although the contrast between the heart and sapwood looks like black walnut.

Jon

 

[frugal]

All of the finished pieces of walnut I have seen were a lovely dark brown colour. This wood is currently grey with a slight greenish tinge.

If it is walnut will it darken down over time?

When I thought that this was oak, I was going to make a box from ebonised oak and spalted holly. The maybe-walnut does not look as though it is going to be dark enough to give a real contrast to the holly which is the focus. (The recipient gave me the holly branch two years ago and when I split it open it discovered some lovely figuring, so I ripped it into veneers and I now want to make it into a box to give back to them).

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Here is one I did earlier before any finish :lol:

It looks very similar my pic does have a pinkish tint though but I find taking pics especially with a flash alters from every angle.

 

[frugal]

Here is one I did earlier before any finish :lol:

It looks very similar my pic does have a pinkish tint though but I find taking pics especially with a flash alters from every angle.

I remember that thread. Now I need to go back and find it again.

My bookmark collection is starting to make me look like a Lord Nibbo fanboy

 

[TrimTheKing]

Hi frugal

Not wanting to 'pimp' my project again, but I used ABW for this one, and if you look down the pics you can see the difference between pre and post oil ABW. If that is indeed what your plank is then you can bet there is some nice dark wood underneath the second you apply some oil.

A generous wipe over with white spirit will show you what final colour depth to expect.

HTH

Cheers

Mark

 

[Lord Nibbo]

This LINK might be useful for someone to waste an hour or two or even three , just scroll down the page to the lists :lol:

I've never heard of 90% of the woods listed in the list but it's an excellent resource for wood types.

 

[frugal]

First a reference piece of known English walnut wiped with white spirits to make it a fair comparison:

Next we have one of the pieces of maybe-walnut that I have half made into a box side, also wiped with white spirits. It has still come up white grey. I am also befuddled by the dark bands every cm or so, they look like growth rings, but I can not believe that any hardwood growsby a cm a year in radius:

I also took two of the off-cuts and wiped the one on the right with white spirits. This piece has come up a more honey colour than the box side.:

Finally the box side with the holly that I want to use as the veneer for the lid. I am not sure that there will be enough contrast between the two. I might need to stain the wood to darken it down more...

 

[TrimTheKing]

Hmmmm, doesn't look like ABW to me, the grain doesn't look right, but who knows....

Mark

 

[CHJ]

ABW , finished in sanding sealer and waxed. I was told it was imported from Canada but other pieces I've seen have been similar colour.

 

[bjm]

Does the wood have greasy feel to it?

Brian

 

[JonnyD]

could it be a slightly weathered piece of monkey puzzle.

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/ ... puzzle.htm

It has the same sort of growth rings.

Just a thought

Jon

 

[PowerTool]

..or possibly sweet chestnut ? Often used as a substitute for oak,and normally has quite distinct growth rings.

Andrew

 

[frugal]

I have just spent the past hour going through my copy of "Wood Identification and Use" all evening and the only other thing that is remotely close is Wych Elm. "The heartwood is light brown sometimes with a green hue or green streaks". It could be walnut as the book also says that american walnut can be "light greyish-brown, dark chocolate or purplish-black".

This piece is definitely light greyish-brown.

BJM: The wood does not feel greasy at all

 

[bjm]

Frugal

I'm going to regret this but can you post a picture of the end grain - a good clean cut surface showing the growth ring detail?

I asked about the greasy feel given the reference to oak - as it was from an auction I wondered if the description came from stock records which may have had it down as 'African oak' which is not oak but teak. Teak has a generally greasy feel to it and if plantation grown can have wide growth rings.

Brian