Wood id

[rob1693]

Just got a few off cuts of this very dense and heavy any idea what it is

 

[Argus]

From the pictures, probably Sapele or Iroko.......

Sometimes these tropical hardwoods - Iroko especially - have hard calcium crystal deposits in the grain which can blunt tools.

They were/are used as building timber.... windows, doors etc.

 

[Marischal Ellis]

Not Sapele but something beginning with B. Memory failing me. Someone will come along.

 

[niall Y]

Could be Keruing. Can be quite 'sticky' and 'oozy' at times, Had some block board made from the stuff, which was very heavy.

 

[Ollie78]

Looks very like Iroko to me, though there are a few very similar ones.

Ollie

 

[rob1693]

Iroko has the flecks in the grain very similar. it planes and scrapes well its made a nice morticing mallet prefer it to my thor

 

[Torx]

I’ll second the vote for Iroko.

 

[Argus]

Definitely Iroko.....

though it could be Sapele..............

Then again.......

 

[Torx]

Iroko (finished with wax):

 

[Ttrees]

Iroko has the flecks in the grain very similar. it planes and scrapes well its made a nice morticing mallet prefer it to my thor

The term "flecks" to me, is very descriptive, and what I've seen referred to as such is often present in beech and sipo/utile, but not apparent with iroko, which it looks like to me also.
I think these pictures describe what a fleck is, but maybe @Sgian Dubh can clear that up, should he have differing opinions on the matter!



https://www.google.com/imgres?imgur...hUKEwjs2tLC9dj6AhVUVsAKHfaaALEQMygFegUIARCCAQ
350 × 262

 

[Doug71]

Iroko

 

[spanner48]

I vote for Black Locust [Robinia Pseudoacacia].

Little used, because it is too hard to work [have to pre-drill holes for nails, or they bounce off]. Also poisonous, with dust that can cause breathing problems.

 

[Yorkieguy]

I'd say Iroko.

Along with Laburnum and Yew, one of the most toxic timbers in terms of dust inhalation:

http://baysidewoodturners.com/media...ns_ITD Guidelines Draft - August 24, 2012.pdf

I'm not 'shroud waving' - I've turned all of those timbers, but with a proper dust mask on, not one of those sill white disposable ones, whose only purpose in life is to fool loved ones that we're taking sensible precautions.

The attached pic is of an Iroko bowl I turned, which shows the similarity to the picture in the first post.

 

[Argus]

The first appearance in the pictures suggested to many of us one of the Mahoganny 'look-alikes'. ..........I thought Sapele or, more likely, Iroko.

However, going back to the OP's original post, he mentions that it is 'very dense and heavy'.

One timber that is dense and heavy and also looks similar to the pictures is Greenheart.
It's a sub-tropical species that is now often used commercially in as an alternative to Teak, particularly on boats and the like where new genuine Teak is now almost unobtainable.

I believe that some of the very old coastal groins on West-Wales beaches, originally Teak, have been repaired with Greenheart in recent years.

One more candidate for the debate......

 

[Keith 66]

Greenheart was useed a lot for dock pilings & very rarely for any decorative use as its quite a bland timber, i was given a few lengths of it last year & you wouldnt use it on a boat to look pretty.
My money is on Iroko.

 

[whereistheceilidh]

If it is very heavy/dense then Jarra....quite splintery...hard to cut & plane but gets a good finish. Durable. Do not inhale!
Does not look like iroko, too red ...but it may be the camera.

 

[thetyreman]

the only thing I'm certain of is that's not sapele

 

[rob1693]

Black locust or iroko both look good shouts I'm leaning towards black locust

top picture black locust bottom iroko

 

[2 Rivers]

Looks like iroko to me, I've used tons of it in my past.