Glynne
Established Member
Can anyone please identify this hardwood.
It is similar to some acacia I have but not as yellowish.
It is similar to some acacia I have but not as yellowish.
Wood ID please
- Thread starter Glynne
- Start date
Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:
thetyreman
Established Member
going to guess iroko
Distinterior
Established Member
4th vote for Iroko 
Glynne
Established Member
Thanks all.
Despite woodworking for many years I've never used Iroko before so a first for me.
I beleive it can be quite an irritant so......!
Despite woodworking for many years I've never used Iroko before so a first for me.
I beleive it can be quite an irritant so......!
Is it very brittle? I tried to router something that looked very similar, and that was just a nightmare. Big chunks coming off. I have no idea as to what it is. Tried to find out from the fairly good WOOD Identification & Use by Terry Porter, but the possibilities are simply too many.
As to a guess, without closer look, I would suggest it is elm. Then there are 3 possibilities: Dutch elm, Wych elm, or English elm.
Ttrees
Iroko loco!
3rd pic looks like iroko to me, though that florescent light is making it difficult to see any texture and real colour, but coming through with the crown cut.
A close pic with a shaded lamp would likely have a more accurate representation of colours,
and would likely show pore depth a bit clearer, iroko had deep pores.
However I don't see any other features which makes me think it's anything else.
Most similar common tropical timbers being yellower like idgibo, or yellow balau, paler
or redder like meranti, although some paler examples can look similar, same pore depth when looking closely at face grain, but being soft and mostly lighter is the giveaway.
The rest I've encountered when worked look different,
sapele smells strong when end grain worked, very red compared, much tighter pores
or sipo/utile, often has some fleck like beech.
A close pic with a shaded lamp would likely have a more accurate representation of colours,
and would likely show pore depth a bit clearer, iroko had deep pores.
However I don't see any other features which makes me think it's anything else.
Most similar common tropical timbers being yellower like idgibo, or yellow balau, paler
or redder like meranti, although some paler examples can look similar, same pore depth when looking closely at face grain, but being soft and mostly lighter is the giveaway.
The rest I've encountered when worked look different,
sapele smells strong when end grain worked, very red compared, much tighter pores
or sipo/utile, often has some fleck like beech.
Keith 66
Established Member
Iroko, wear a dust mask when machining or sanding it, the dust is horrible.
