# ??? Anyone know what this is ???



## shadetree_1 (Jul 21, 2013)

This should keep folks guessing for a while, I got this from an old boy ( I think he was in his 90's ) it took him ( he said he was 10 years old at the time ) and his dad 6 semi loads to bring 6 stumps home, said his dad used to make furniture out of it, If you are a member of IAP and saw where I sold some of this as pen blanks a couple of years ago and know what it is " PLEASE " let those who don't know guess!

I found this under some of my Ironwood, I didn't know I had any of it left. This should be fun!

All WAG encouraged !


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## Kevin (Jul 21, 2013)

WAG you want WAG you get. Some kind of species with medullary rays that has white fungus? :I_dunno:

Let's call it spalting even though it doesn't have the black lines it is still called spalted by many. I don't think white oak can get splated that way it's too resistant but hey I have seen things I never thought possible. So did this grow in AZ or elsewhere? Maybe spalted chestnut? I think there was still the tail end of some chestnut back then dying and to remove 6 loads of stumps indicates maybe the trees had dies and stumps needing removal. 

Paul is going to want a good end grain shot lol


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## SENC (Jul 21, 2013)

I don't have a clue, but it is REALLY cool looking!

Some of the grain is almost palm-like, but I've never seen anything quite like it.


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## phinds (Jul 21, 2013)

An end grain shot would be helpful (what you have as an end grain shot is a waste of pixels )


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## JonLanier (Jul 21, 2013)

I'm going to say it has at least 'palm' in the title.


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## LSCG (Jul 21, 2013)

well it appears to be some type of wood, 

that's all I've got.


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## Mike1950 (Jul 21, 2013)

LSCG said:


> well it appears to be some type of wood,
> 
> that's all I've got.



Darn- ya stole my guess!!!!!! :rotflmao3::rotflmao3::rotflmao3:


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## LSCG (Jul 21, 2013)

Mike1950 said:


> LSCG said:
> 
> 
> > well it appears to be some type of wood,
> ...


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 21, 2013)

phinds said:


> An end grain shot would be helpful (what you have as an end grain shot is a waste of pixels )



Sorry about the waste of pixels boss but I don't know what to tell you, I cut 8 pen planks and this larger piece this morning and the end grain looks just like this in all the pen blanks also, and I even sanded it to 220. And besides that I am a long way from being an artist at taking pictures, I don't know how to make it any better.


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 21, 2013)

Not grown in AZ Kevin and no folks, it's not by any streach of the imagination Palm


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## NYWoodturner (Jul 21, 2013)

Two guesses - the first is some sort of cactus? The second would be some sort of root ball. I don't think cactus have that elaborate a root system so I don't think it could be both. Parts of the face grain resemble oak. :dunno:


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## phinds (Jul 21, 2013)

shadetree_1 said:


> phinds said:
> 
> 
> > An end grain shot would be helpful (what you have as an end grain shot is a waste of pixels )
> ...



My mistake entirely. Now that you point out that it's clean and I've looked again, I see that I totally mus-interpreted what I was seeing.

Looks to me like on of those Australian woods that they lump together as "oak" of one kind or another although they are not of the genus Quercus. They have some wicked rays on them though, just like your piece.


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 21, 2013)

NYWoodturner said:


> Two guesses - the first is some sort of cactus? The second would be some sort of root ball. I don't think cactus have that elaborate a root system so I don't think it could be both. Parts of the face grain resemble oak. :dunno:



Sorry, not cactus or a rootball or oak, not according to the old boy I got it from. He did say that it was very very old growth timber.


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 21, 2013)

Here are I hope better pics of the end grain on these quarter sawn pen blanks and I tried to get a better pic of the end grain on the bigger piece.


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## kazuma78 (Jul 21, 2013)

Thats really neat. Can you find this kind of wood for sale anywhere? Or is it very unique to the pieces you get it from?


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 21, 2013)

kazuma78 said:


> Thats really neat. Can you find this kind of wood for sale anywhere? Or is it very unique to the pieces you get it from?



Other than the pen blanks I sold a couple of years ago I have neither seen nor heard of it being for sale anywhere ever. I know I can't be the only one who has it, I've just never seen it marketed before.


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## kazuma78 (Jul 21, 2013)

shadetree_1 said:


> kazuma78 said:
> 
> 
> > Thats really neat. Can you find this kind of wood for sale anywhere? Or is it very unique to the pieces you get it from?
> ...



Interesting. Thats really cool then. From the your certainty that someone wont guess it im thinking its something probably that is around but usually doesnt look like that. It looks cool, almost with a leopardwood look to it but thats not what it is. Ill be interested to see what it is!


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## phinds (Jul 21, 2013)

Definitely does not look like any Quercus species. Still looks to me like one of those Australian "oak"s but I'm still just guessing.


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## RBcarving (Jul 21, 2013)

Pecky/Mushroom Cypress ??


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## gvwp (Jul 21, 2013)

I'm guessing you don't have any idea where it grew?


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## JonLanier (Jul 21, 2013)

Okay, if it is really old timber. I'm going to say Chestnut. The original American kind. I think that is the one that is extinct.


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 21, 2013)

gvwp said:


> I'm guessing you don't have any idea where it grew?



Yes I know where it grew and what it is.


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 21, 2013)

JonLanier said:


> Okay, if it is really old timber. I'm going to say Chestnut. The original American kind. I think that is the one that is extinct.



Not Chestnut.


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## Kevin (Jul 21, 2013)

Narrow it down a little. Google the thing and post a picture of a leaf.


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 22, 2013)

I'll just give it up, The old boy swears that this is what it is, I can't think of any reason for him to lie to me but maybe he just does not remember very well, after all he said he was 10 years old when he helped his dad bring these from California.


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## LSCG (Jul 22, 2013)

redwood???


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## phinds (Jul 22, 2013)

JonLanier said:


> Okay, if it is really old timber. I'm going to say Chestnut. The original American kind. I think that is the one that is extinct.



Chestnut, extinct or otherwise, does not have rays.


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## phinds (Jul 22, 2013)

LSCG said:


> redwood???



redwood is a softwood. It does not have rays.


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## kazuma78 (Jul 22, 2013)

phinds said:


> LSCG said:
> 
> 
> > redwood???
> ...



Sequoia! I was wondering if there was ever any of that on the market haha


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## DKMD (Jul 22, 2013)

I don't think there's any way that's redwood/sequoia. Looks like she oak with those giant rays.


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## phinds (Jul 22, 2013)

DKMD said:


> I don't think there's any way that's redwood/sequoia. Looks like she oak with those giant rays.



Yes, that's what I've been saying all along (most of "those Australian oaks" that I mentioned have sheoak as all or part of one or more of their common names)


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 22, 2013)

LSCG said:


> redwood???



Ancient Sequoia I was told. Redwood and Sequoia are two different trees.


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## phinds (Jul 22, 2013)

shadetree_1 said:


> LSCG said:
> 
> 
> > redwood???
> ...



Then you have been mis-informed for sure. Sequoia is in the cypress family (cupressaceae) the same as redwood (in fact, sequoia is consided a redwood even though it IS a different species) and is a softwood and had no rays and cannot possibly look anything like the wood you have shown.


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 22, 2013)

phinds said:


> shadetree_1 said:
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> 
> > LSCG said:
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That could very well be the case, the man is in his 90's and was 10 when he went to CA with his dad to get it, that would have been around the great depression era, I had no reason to doubt him when he told me this as I had never seen anything like it and still haven't, maybe it's an ancient old growth Oak of some kind and if so I'd sure like to know which one because it sure is some fine looking wood and an expert I am not by any means.


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## Mike1950 (Jul 22, 2013)

shadetree_1 said:


> phinds said:
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> 
> > shadetree_1 said:
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Just a thought Joe but you might just box up a piece and send it to Paul- I hear he might need more pieces of wood to sand to absolute perfection!!! I will go back into hiding now.


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## Kevin (Jul 22, 2013)

phinds said:


> JonLanier said:
> 
> 
> > Okay, if it is really old timber. I'm going to say Chestnut. The original American kind. I think that is the one that is extinct.
> ...



I'm glad you posted that because all these years I had it in my head that it did.


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## shadetree_1 (Jul 22, 2013)

Mike1950 said:


> shadetree_1 said:
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> 
> > phinds said:
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Good idea my friend.

phinds, PM me your address and I'll get a piece on the way.


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## rdnkmedic (Jul 22, 2013)

I am by no means an authority. Not even close.

This looks like and antique dining room table I have (had......divorce). we have always called it tiger oak because of all the rays in it. I know tiger is not the proper name but doesn't this happen when wood is quartersawn? That's what I was told anyway. this table has been in the family for 50 plus years and who knows how old it really is. I will try to get a picture of the table top.


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## phinds (Jul 22, 2013)

Kevin said:


> I'm glad you posted that because all these years I had it in my head that it did.



Well, technically it should have at least little ones but even with a 10x loupe I've never been able to see any.


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## eaglea1 (Jul 22, 2013)

Kinda looks like snakewood to me


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## phinds (Jul 22, 2013)

eaglea1 said:


> Kinda looks like snakewood to me



Are you talking about Piratinera guianensis? If so, not a chance. For one thing, the rays on that species are TINY and for another the face doesn't really look like it anyway. The edges of the flakes are too well defined and besides, snakewood doesn't HAVE flakes, it has blurry dots. Perhaps there is some other wood you call snakewood?


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