# Mystery wood



## bluedot (Sep 24, 2019)

This board came out of a garage that belonged to a man who restored old boats. Not sure if this si relevant but had to add just in case. Thanks in advance for your help

Dan


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## phinds (Sep 24, 2019)

Can't see enough detail to tell anything but the color. You need better pics. From what I can see of the end grain, plus the boat connection, I'd say it could be teak, BUT ... the face grain color looks nothing like teak (nor does it look like the end grain). Which color, if either one, is correct.

What is the density?

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mr. Peet (Sep 24, 2019)

Can't enlarge the pictures either...

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## bluedot (Sep 24, 2019)

I will try again. I don't think it is teak because it not dense enough but what do I know

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## phinds (Sep 24, 2019)

"not dense enough" doesn't tell us anything about how dense it IS. So what is it?

End grain does rule out teak.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## phinds (Sep 24, 2019)

"not dense enough" is subjective. What IS the density?

End grain rules out teak.

Those are very good pics (and the color is now consistent, which is also good) but can you clean up the end grain more? The problem is that it looks like it is probably semi diffuse porous but I can't really tell. The ray structure is quite clear but the pores not so much. I need to see just how much of the apparent confluence is really confluence and how much is just grain fuzz.

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## bluedot (Sep 24, 2019)

I will try to clean up the end grain more tomorrow thanks


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## Mr. Peet (Sep 24, 2019)

bluedot said:


> I will try to clean up the end grain more tomorrow thanks



Don't forget to give him the piece dimensions and weight to figure density as well...

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## bluedot (Sep 25, 2019)

The piece of wood is 12" x 1" x 2.75"
weight = 337 grams

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## phinds (Sep 25, 2019)

OK, about 37lbs/cuft and this is a much better end grain shot. It's semi diffuse porous.

Closest matches in my end grain set are

devil's walking stick / Aralia spinosa --- face grain is at least possible but unlikely, color is possible but unlikely

prickly ash / Zanthoxylum americanum --- decent match for color but face grain is too even

western serviceberry / Amelanchier alnifolia (& other serviceberry species) but color is wrong and face grain is too even
Eastern redbud / Cercis canadensis, --- color is wrong 
Some woods range from diffuse porous to semi diffuse porous so I checked the diffuse porous as well but didn't find anything likely.

SO ... my only real possible match is devil's walking stick / Aralia spinosa and I wouldn't take any bets at all on that being a good ID.

Must be something I don't have.

The face grain looks like it could be one of the hundreds of Shorea spp. that are sold as luan / Philippine mahogany but I only have maybe a dozen of them in my sample set and the strong rays make it unlikely anyway.

SO that's the long version. Short version --- I'm no help at all on this one

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Great Post 1


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## Mr. Peet (Sep 25, 2019)

phinds said:


> OK, about 37lbs/cuft and this is a much better end grain shot. It's semi diffuse porous. (I got 38.9 lbs/cuft)
> 
> Closest matches in my end grain set are
> 
> ...


(Don't think I helped either...) Click on on the white comment box above to see more of my comments to Paul's reply if you have not already...

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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