What wood is this??

[nickson71]

Hi all

I'm trying to gat an initial id on what type this wood is as I may need to source some to make a fire surround due to the last one not surviving my clumsiness ...... this is the same pic as in the last thread I started but I thought that I may get a bit more input asking direct (hope this is ok)

The blocks are parquet flooring block that were ripped out of a university Lab which I'll be laying soon.

The first suggestion by JFC was Douglas Fir
and SWMBO asked a local builder who thought it was a timber related to mahogany but with a closer grain pattern but she can't remember the name even with prompting


Thanks

Ian

 

[jasonB]

Its not unlike Iroko

Jason

 

[Anonymous]

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[Chris Knight]

Looks like Iroko. Plane a bit off and see if it goes yellower - that would be Iroko for sure

 

[Johnboy]

Another vote for Iroko from me.

John

 

[Evergreen]

If you try and plane a bit with really twisty grain and it drives you mad, it's definitely iroko!

Regards.

 

[LyNx]

sand it with no mask on, you'll soon tell :twisted:

 

[jonny boy]

Iroko without a doubt.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Ian, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that it's Keruing. There are about 70 of the Dipterocarpus species that produce timber of this type. The grain tends to be shallowly interlocked, and there is often resin exudation especially on freshly cut end grain and the wood gets warm-- try putting a piece on top of a radiator with some paper towels under to catch any resin that drips. These signs would be a strong pointer towards Keruing.

On the other hand, Iroko, another good candidate that others have suggested, tends to have strongly interlocked grain and often has large cavities filled with calcium carbonate. These are 'stoney' and blunt tools.

Both species have been used for flooring extensively in the past, although I think their use for this purpose is quite unusual nowadays.

There's a few clues to look for that might help. Slainte.

 

[woodbloke]

Iroko for me as well - Rob

 

[Adam]

Ian, I wouldn't rule out the possibility that it's Keruing.

If it is, its awful stuff to work. Dose up on the barrier cream and dust masks and get the dust extractor on max!

Adam

 

[aldel]

My vote is also for Iroko.

Freshly cut it will be a yellowish colour and have a waxy feel.
Wear a mask! It sure makes a good emetic as I know to my cost.
Often called "teak" in garden centre furniture.

Aldel

 

[Jake]

Has it been cleaned up much, and if so was it that colour before you cleaned it up?

I would have expected iroko to have gone a much more chocolatey-brown over time while on the old floor. It has a reddy-orange hue like that when freshish, but it doesn't last more than a year or two of exposure before it goes chocolatey-brown. If you've exposed a fresh surface in cleaning it, that would explain it.

 

[Shivers]

Iroko,this is what is used in a lab enviroment as it makes a good bench thats resistant to chemicals.Now they use thermo setting plastics such as phenolic resin--but back in the old days it was iroko.

 

[OPJ]

sand it with no mask on, you'll soon tell :twisted:

Or so I've been told, wearing a mask (presumabley a cheap, disposable one) has little or no effect and it still gets right down your thorat! :?

I'd suggest it's probably Iroko as well.

Can't be douglas fir, it's simply not 'pink' enough. And the grain appears a lot different.

 

[nickson71]

Thanks all for your help

 

[M Overdijk]

Looks like afzelia to me: red color and same structure as iroko.
Often used for parquet (i have it). Carefull when working with it: the dust is not very healthy.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi M Overdijk

Welcome to the forum.

Cheers
Neil