Requesting help to identify wood type

[AON]

I have been given a very small quantity of wood (one piece 1" x 4" x 12" or 25.4 x 101 x 305mm) and I haven't a clue what it is.

 

Can anyone help me identify it.

it is a more dark than light shade of brown, with short streaks of white in it.

 

The surface was stained and the end has something like a glue on it so I cannot see the end grain.

I cut a few strips as I thought I'd use it but then I saw the actual colour pattern and now it's got me wondering.

There is no specific scent and no appreciable weight to it.

Edited January 17, 2021 by AON

[AON]

I am beginning to believe it to be a not so rare species called Adhmad Rúndiamhair.

[AON]

Seems like it is time to contact the exotic lumber yard

[bruce d]

Alan, can't give you a name but I have seen those strands of white in a picture frame. The shop owner said it was a maple but did not have any more of the stock.  This was years ago and I don't know why it stuck with me other than the visual impact of the wood.

[AON]

thank you Bruce but it does not look like any maple I've seen... possibly chinese maple?  

 

I've contact my supplier of choice and wait a response.

[Jaager]

It looks closer to Oak than Maple to me, but not either family.

A bit coarse looking,  I would use a lens and poke at the white streaks with a sharp awl point to determine the hardness there.  I would be concerned that the white was a destructive fungal intrusion.

[Phil Babb]

It looks very similar to iroko which can have the white streaks in it, if you take a plane shaving of and its lighter in colour ,then could well be Iroko, as it darkens on the surface in light, regards Phil

[bruce d]

1 hour ago, Phil Babb said:

It looks very similar to iroko

I have not seen the white in iroko, but since my stash of that wood all came from the same source (salvaged garden furniture set) I suppose it can vary. The surface darkening on my pieces is really quick in bright sunlight.

BTW, Alan, if it is iroko be careful as every splinter of iroko I have had has turned nasty, and DO NOT breathe the dust.

[Phil Babb]

11 hours ago, bruce d said:

I have not seen the white in iroko, but since my stash of that wood all came from the same source (salvaged garden furniture set) I suppose it can vary. The surface darkening on my pieces is really quick in bright sunlight.

BTW, Alan, if it is iroko be careful as every splinter of iroko I have had has turned nasty, and DO NOT breathe the dust.

Hi, yes iroko is the second most careceogenic timber in the world, I gave up using it in my cabinet making rope years ago as when you machine it you get almost flu like symptoms. You some times yet the resin streaks in meranti and other timbers but this looks a bit brown for those timbers.

Regards Phil

[AON]

Thank you all.

 

I will look up Iroko as I've never heard of it before.

The small piece of this mystery wood (Adhmad Rúndiamhair) that I was given seems to have been reclaimed from a piece of furniture (my guess).

 

I have heard back from the two wood suppliers I deal with ( Exotic Woods in Burlington, Ontario and McQueen Custom Cuts which is nearer to me and supplies to local business and wood carvers), and neither have a clue as to what this might be.

 

I certainly hope it is not a fungus.  It doesn't seem to be.

 

As for protection from wood dust, I always wear my dust mask (with HEPA Filters) and eye protection.  I am constantly concerned for my eyes now ( Cataracts for which I recently had surgery, and Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion caused by Macular Edema for which I've been getting injections in my left eye for the last 4 years), and my Father-in-law worked at a lumber yard for 30 years which gifted him with COPD in his retirement years.

Edited January 21, 2021 by AON

[AON]

Just did a google search and Iroko does seem to have tiny white streaks in it.... and I did develop a couple small rashes after working with it.

 

At first I thought it might be Teak by which it is aka African Teak although it is not teak.

 

The attached google photo is somewhat darker than my piece but I am going to assume this is what it is until something more convincing comes along.

 

Thanks again!

Edited January 21, 2021 by AON

[jdowney]

Wood ID is tough at that level.  Its certainly tropical, iroko is quite likely.  I've seen similar streaks in many woods though, including teak.  Color is not right for teak however, unless its been finished (then teak can have that nice rich red brown).  Raw teak is a more greenish color - I can go take a picture of some if you like, I still have some around.

 

The only sure means of identification for most woods is to look at a thin shaving of end grain under magnification and compare the pore structure to reference samples or photos.

[Jaager]

All and all, I think a quote from one of your countrymen applies here: "You don't want it."

[Jolley Roger]

I've seen similar white streaks in a wood that we call Meranti over here, a cheap wood mainly used in the construction industry.

According to Wikipedia - They are sold under various trade names including "lauan", "lawaan", "meranti", "seraya", "balau", "bangkirai", and "Philippine mahogany".

Genus - Shorea

In my humble opinion it is not suitable for model ship building

This is a sample i have in my wood pile with a bit of white streaking

and some more from the same genus, but very different colors

 

 

[EricWilliamMarshall]

If you are still curious, the best way to Identify wood is via a clean sectioning of the end grain and then taking a look with a 10x loupe. The bible for this sort of thing is: Hoadley, R. Bruce (1990). Identifying Wood 

A google search for ‘end grain wood identification’ will get you started.

 

I can’t tell from the photo exactly but similar white flecks are found in numerous tropical species of wood.

[EricWilliamMarshall]

I should mention Wood Structure and Identification by H. A. Core is an excellent resource, but it is in black and white, and out of print.

[jdbondy]

This probably comes too late to help you Alan, but the US Forest Service has a lab in Madison Wisconsin that will do 3 free wood sample identifications per household. This is the Center for Wood Anatomy Research. The big drawback for you is that they would ideally want a sample that is 1"x3"x6". So like half of your board. And you don't get the sample back. I will probably be sending them some wood samples so I can report back in 4 weeks how the process goes. Here is the link:

 

https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/research/centers/woodanatomy/wood_idfactsheet.php

[kurtvd19]

I was going to mention the lab in Madison but Alan's from Canada so there is probably some requirement for being a US citizen.

I spent some time at the lab before I retired and it is impressive.  I witnessed a test of a 4 x 4 or 6 x 6 wood piece about 10 ft long to see how much weight/force it could withstand.  They do this so the charts in building code and architectural books can be developed so the minimum sizes of wood components can be determined.  We were behind plexiglas several inches thick and when the post failed it was very impressive - loud and toothpicks everywhere!

Something they had there that is a relevant topic for this forum was a replica of the hull of the USS Constitution.  It was about 6 ft long and about 4 ft high and had appropriately sized frames and planks assembled with treenails.  It was made by the shipwrights in Boston before the 1996 refit so various electronic means of testing for structural integrity could be tested while in the water to determine what planks or frames might have to be replaced.  This is commonly done with metal ships and they did it to see if a similar process would work with wood.  The same woods as on the 1:1 ship were used.

[thibaultron]

I watched a lecture given by the curator of the Wasa museum. They had a replica of one of the cannons cast (I think a 24 pounder), and test fired it against a replica of the side of the Wasa.The cannon ball passed completely through the side of the hull, even if there was a frame in the way! The difference was fewer splinters (the main killer in such a situation), if the ball only hit an area without a frame. He said they calculated that the ball would likely also go through the other side!

[mtaylor]

8 hours ago, thibaultron said:

I watched a lecture given by the curator of the Wasa museum. They had a replica of one of the cannons cast (I think a 24 pounder), and test fired it against a replica of the side of the Wasa.The cannon ball passed completely through the side of the hull, even if there was a frame in the way! The difference was fewer splinters (the main killer in such a situation), if the ball only hit an area without a frame. He said they calculated that the ball would likely also go through the other side!

There are some Youtube videos out there of this.  As I recall there's a couple in slow motion showing the splinter spread.   

[Roger Pellett]

The maritime museum in Erie, Pennsylvania that operates the Brig Niagara has also performed this same experimental Archeology using 1812 era weapons.

 

Roger

[reklein]

The white flecks in the wood may indicate teak. As it is known to have flecks of calcium imbedded in the wood. This also makes it hard on woodworking tool edges. Luan is used on certain types of ply for floor underlayment as it is knot free so will avoid dents in the floor.

[ERS Rich]

First pic looks like poplar to me….

 

Studied with a master furniture maker, and when asked, said often he couldn’t identify the species….

 

Comes down to use….what would you like to do with it…?

 

 

[AON]

Poplar, hmm.

 

I used it as contrast for the floor boards and double bladed paddle of my kayak.