# Please help identify this medium hardwood



## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

This wood came from a tree cut down in a vacant lot in Riverside county, CA.

I initially thought it was black ash, but recently have been considering it possibly to be an elm.

I researched the end grain, but it isn't clearly obvious. The grain itself resembles elm or ash, but there is a pattern to the wood between the larger grain pattern that is perplexing.

These pics are from a box I just made. Hardness is similar to mahogany. Basically in the middle between Alder and birch. There is no smell whatsoever that I can surmise. The wood turns a light reddish brown when oil is applied. There is a sharp demarcation between heart and sapwood, the sapwood being yellowish cream.
I just added an older pic of a coaster set I made from the same tree, you can see the heartwood clearly.

Best guesses? I will try to get a razor slice of end grain pic up today.
Note: This is not Oak. The close up below resembles oak, but look at the top picture to realize just how far zoomed in the bottom pic is. There is zero smell, none of the rays oak has and it's not hard enough to be oak.

Thanks for helping!
-Joseph









View attachment 111901


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## Mike1950 (Aug 23, 2016)

WAG oak

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mike1950 (Aug 23, 2016)

Red oak

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

Here is a concrete seat and the coaster sets

Reactions: Like 1


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## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

Mike1950 said:


> WAG oak


Not oak

Reactions: Like 1


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## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

Oak has a clear scent and those distinctive rays, but thanks for trying @Mike1950

Reactions: Like 1


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## Tony (Aug 23, 2016)

The first pics look like Oak, but not the bench and coasters. Nice work, I really like the coaster set. Tony

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## barry richardson (Aug 23, 2016)

Both ash and elm have a very detectable smell IMO, so that would probably rule those out..... This a wild ass guess, I don't even know if it grows in Cali (but it seems like pretty much anything will) Kentucky coffee Tree. I've only seen pictures of the finished wood, but it looks a lot like yours....

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

barry richardson said:


> Both ash and elm have a very detectable smell IMO, so that would probably rule those out..... This a wild ass guess, I don't even know if it grows in Cali (but it seems like pretty much anything will) Kentucky coffee Tree. I've only seen pictures of the finished wood, but it looks a lot like yours....


Hey barry, you know what? I considered that! I just browsed hobbit house pics for anything resembling it and that certainly did. I will look into it... Thanks for the suggestion.


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## Tony (Aug 23, 2016)

@phinds

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

Here are the rest of the images from me actually getting the log. Colors are pretty accurate if a little saturated (these were from my instagram). Wood is not especially heavy or light.

Kentucky Coffeetree is a good guess too. So far it's very close, since it has no reported smell just like this wood, and seems to fit the end grain and grain patterns.


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## phinds (Aug 23, 2016)

barry richardson said:


> Both ash and elm have a very detectable smell IMO, so that would probably rule those out..... This a wild ass guess, I don't even know if it grows in Cali (but it seems like pretty much anything will) Kentucky coffee Tree. I've only seen pictures of the finished wood, but it looks a lot like yours....


Yeah, coffee tree was my first guess too when I saw the concrete bench insert but I think the rays in the second pic at the top of the thread are way too big for it.

I'm waiting to see the end grain closeup.


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## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

phinds said:


> Yeah, coffee tree was my first guess too when I saw the concrete bench insert but I think the rays in the second pic at the top of the thread are way too big for it.
> 
> I'm waiting to see the end grain closeup.


That close up is maybe closer than you think. Here it is again with scale. This is a TINY box for my Stanley 101 plane.


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## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

@phinds ill send you a sample of this along with the quartersawn poplar, and i'll throw in a mulberry for good measure. I'll peruse the site and see what else I can provide. Are you looking for anything in particular?


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## phinds (Aug 23, 2016)

Palaswood said:


> @phinds ill send you a sample of this along with the quartersawn poplar, and i'll throw in a mulberry for good measure. I'll peruse the site and see what else I can provide. Are you looking for anything in particular?


Thanks. Here's a list from a recent trade post I made, suggesting things that would be helpful:

Monterey cypress, pecky cypress, sinker cypress, huon pine, Lebanon cedar, incense cedar, tamarisk, knobthorn, laburnum, Norway spruce, Sitka spruce, English yew (not Pacific yew), sugarberry, Alaskan yellow cedar, paulownia, smoketree, English elm, mango, quilted maple, any walnut from South America (Peruvian, etc), California laurel (aka "Oregon myrtle"), pin oak, arborvitae (aka "Northern white cedar"), honey locust, chittamwood, coffee tree (but only flat cut, not rift or quartersawn), American elm

As for the mystery wood, coffee tree looks more likely now that you've shown me how close up your closeup is. Here's yours and a same-sized section of coffee tree. Pore size and distribution seem very close. Rays seem slightly bigger on yours but not too far off and the distribution is about right as well.


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## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

End grain slice as promised


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## Palaswood (Aug 23, 2016)

What about Chinaberry - Melia azedarach
http://www.wood-database.com/chinaberry/
compare the above with this from wood database.


IDENTICAL!!!
Holy crap this has got to be it!


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## Nature Man (Aug 23, 2016)

phinds said:


> Thanks. Here's a list from a recent trade post I made, suggesting things that would be helpful:
> 
> Monterey cypress, pecky cypress, sinker cypress, huon pine, Lebanon cedar, incense cedar, tamarisk, knobthorn, laburnum, Norway spruce, Sitka spruce, English yew (not Pacific yew), sugarberry, Alaskan yellow cedar, paulownia, smoketree, English elm, mango, quilted maple, any walnut from South America (Peruvian, etc), California laurel (aka "Oregon myrtle"), pin oak, arborvitae (aka "Northern white cedar"), honey locust, chittamwood, coffee tree (but only flat cut, not rift or quartersawn), American elm
> 
> ...


I have some Incense Cedar -- glad to send you a piece. Please PM me with your desires and address. Chuck


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## phinds (Aug 24, 2016)

Palaswood said:


> What about Chinaberry - Melia azedarach


Interesting. I had never noticed how similar chinaberry and coffee tree are in both face grain and end grain characteristics. Not sure I could make the call on a mystery wood (like the one in this thread) between the two. Maybe someone with a lot more experience in the face grain could tell.


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## JR Parks (Aug 28, 2016)

Your 2nd photo in post #11 looks typical for chinaberry.


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## ripjack13 (Mar 4, 2017)

What was the consensus on this? And where's Joe been?


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## Palaswood (Mar 14, 2017)

I'm 100% on Chinaberry. Case closed (as far as I'm concerned).

I'm still around. The workshop (garage) had to get cleared out and all my tools/wood are stuffed in the back due to Property management poking their nose in my business. Seems to have blown over, so I'll try to get back to working wood. 

I was getting burned out, so a break was good for me. I took up sewing in the meantime.

no really. I made this canvas tote.

Reactions: Like 2


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