# What kinda wood is this?



## Mlyle (Jul 27, 2019)

I got this wood from a friend. He said it was pallet wood. But we have no idear what this ....

I will entertain any and all suggestions

This wood is very dense and heavy. (this is wrong ... see posts below)

I will turn it soon an see how it treats my tools.

It is a 4x4 x 30.

The pix below are a small piece 4x4. X 10”. With all sides and one end shot

Ok let’s hear it smart guys and gals....:



Ty

Mlyle


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## Mr. Peet (Jul 27, 2019)

Well Mlyle,

Firstly it should have been posted in the Wood ID forum as it was not really logging related. Secondly, with all of those stress cracks, you might want to stabilized the piece(s) before turning it.

As for the wood, of the 10,000 commercial woods available around the world, you have given us a good challenge. Being a pallet, that makes it world wide. Now if you had posted a picture of the pallet stamp, it would likely have reduced the challenge to something much more manageable, and worth putting in some time.

I had thought Sycamore, but you said dense. Without giving a weight to go with the dimensions given, dense means little as well.

@phinds


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## phinds (Jul 27, 2019)

Mr. Peet said:


> ... it should have been posted in the Wood ID forum as it was not really logging related


I agree and have moved it here.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## phinds (Jul 27, 2019)

My first thought on seeing the first couple of pics was weathered Spanish cedar but if it's dense that's non-starter. Also the last pic would likely rule that out anyway.

I agree w/ Mark that it's quite a challenge and, I think, frankly not one that's likely to be solved, although a pallet stamp would help narrow it down some.


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## Eric Rorabaugh (Jul 27, 2019)

I have some mahogany (unknown species) that looks like the 3rd and 4th pictures but it's not dense at all. That rules it out to me.


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## phinds (Jul 27, 2019)

@Mlyle a cleaned up end grain might make an ID possible


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## Mlyle (Jul 27, 2019)

Thanks all ...

Especially for navigating my post to the correct
Forum.

In response

There is no pallet stamp avail. So that is not gonna happen.
The weight of a 4x4 x 6.5” piece is 2 lb.

The end piece pic was a freshly cut piece with new
Forrest blade I thought it was a very clean cut
I don’t know to clean it up better.
Maybe a better pic.

The piece has been milled on jointer and
Drum sanded Down to present dimensions .

I saw all the checks in the wood though not too deep
I am going to turn it and I am very careful and respect wood and the power of my lathe...new
( laguna 1836)

What else can I do to assist identifying???

Again thanks all

Mlyle


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## Mlyle (Jul 27, 2019)

31.945 on the oz scale

905.5 on the gram scale


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## phinds (Jul 27, 2019)

Mlyle said:


> The end piece pic was a freshly cut piece with new
> Forrest blade I thought it was a very clean cut
> I don’t know to clean it up better.


There is no kind of saw that even begins to make end grain as smooth as it needs to be for useful ID work. See my site for examples of what is needed (but I do NOT expect you to get it as good as I do, just try to get quite a bit closer)


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## phinds (Jul 27, 2019)

33lbs/cutft is not particularly heavy, so your statement that it is heavy seems wrong. What are you comparing it to? it's less than half the density of really heavy woods.


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## Mlyle (Jul 27, 2019)

@phinds I agree
as to the weight is not that heavy after checking a piece of
quebracho.....of which is much heavier....and i am off to your site
right now....

this is fun. thanks so mucho for your knowledge....

mlyle


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## Mr. Peet (Jul 27, 2019)

I'm going with_ Fitzroya cupressoides _until better pictures are provided....


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## Mlyle (Jul 27, 2019)

Impossible to be Fitzroya Cupressoides

as that species was forbidden in the US in 1979.


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## phinds (Jul 27, 2019)

Mlyle said:


> Impossible to be Fitzroya Cupressoides
> 
> as that species was forbidden in the US in 1979.


Sure ... and a few years ago it was impossible that anyone in America could be smoking marijuana because it was, after all, illegal

Reactions: Funny 6


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## Mlyle (Jul 27, 2019)

@Mr Peet
have you seen a pic of Fitzroya?


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## Mlyle (Jul 27, 2019)

Interesting read of Fitzroya Cup.....But i found no pix


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## Mr. Peet (Jul 28, 2019)

Mlyle said:


> @Mr Peet
> have you seen a pic of Fitzroya?



I agree, it is not likely, but I got you to do some reading. I do not have any but have seen several samples. It can mimic Doug-fir as well as the redwood group. It often has wavy grain or jagged grain similar to the last picture you posted in the original post. As said before, a huge list of possibilities just from the commercial woods.


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## phinds (Jul 28, 2019)

Mlyle said:


> @Mr Peet
> have you seen a pic of Fitzroya?


Google "Fitzroya Cupressoides wood" and click on images

Doesn't look to me at all like your wood but Mark knows what he's talking about and I've never seen it in person.


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## Mlyle (Jul 28, 2019)

@phinds 
I could send a piece!


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## phinds (Jul 28, 2019)

Mlyle said:


> @phinds
> I could send a piece!


Good. I'll PM you my address.


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## phinds (Aug 1, 2019)

Got the piece. A glance at the face grain (your last pic above) had me thinking it was lacewood or leopardwood but a quick look at the end grain said absolutely not to both those. I'll get it processed and see what I can find.

LATER: well, I did a quick 400-grit sanding of the end grain and that did turn out to be fine enough but I wasn't able to match it to any of my samples. I'll get the face grain cleaned up and get more pics posted, but in case @Mr. Peet has a chance to take a look, here's a 1/2" x 1/2" end grain closeup



 

The only thing I found that looks close is mersawa (Anisoptera spp.) and when I checked that in my references I did find an Anisoptera species that is one that I don't have and that is very close and the weight it in the ballpark, BUT ... I think the color is wrong. Problem w/ that is that I can't find references that show the face grain so can't tell.

More to follow ...


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## Mlyle (Aug 1, 2019)

Thanks P 

Yes I have both lacewood and leopardWood
So I was pretty sure it was not either.

I have not heard of Mersawa. 
Thanks this is very interesting. The whole process....

Mlyle


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## Mlyle (Aug 1, 2019)

how about Meranti......

sure looks like a teak or mahogany


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## phinds (Aug 1, 2019)

Mlyle said:


> how about Meranti......
> 
> sure looks like a teak or mahogany


Definitely not teak or mahogany and while it doesn't match any of my meranti samples, "meranti" is a name used by over 130 species in the genus Shorea alone, plus another 20+ in other genera so I can't say for sure that it's not one of them. If it is I haven't a clue which one.


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## Mlyle (Aug 1, 2019)

Looks a lot like Beefwood . Grevillia Striata


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## phinds (Aug 1, 2019)

Mlyle said:


> Looks a lot like Beefwood . Grevillia Striata


That's Grevillea striata and unfortunately I don't have a sample of it but I'll check references.

EDIT: the one sample I can find in my references 

http://images.lib.ncsu.edu/luna/ser...uickSearchA&q=grevillea+striata&search=Search

does not look anything like your wood since it has scaliform parenchyma which your doesn't and it has smaller pores and numerous pore multiples which yours does not have. You must be going by face grain which is very unreliable usually.


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## Mr. Peet (Aug 1, 2019)

phinds said:


> Got the piece. A glance at the face grain (your last pic above) had me thinking it was lacewood or leopardwood but a quick look at the end grain said absolutely not to both those. I'll get it processed and see what I can find.
> 
> LATER: well, I did a quick 400-grit sanding of the end grain and that did turn out to be fine enough but I wasn't able to match it to any of my samples. I'll get the face grain cleaned up and get more pics posted, but in case @Mr. Peet has a chance to take a look, here's a 1/2" x 1/2" end grain closeup
> 
> ...



I assume the pores are not thick walled but have lots of sawdust in them?

The wood I'm guessing is tropical as no growth ring boundaries jump out. The rays look very long and 3-10 cells wide or more, thus the interesting grain see on the one face (I also assume). Was the sawdust generally brown? Did it seem at all sticky or have any latex feel? No tyloses... Does it respond to blacklight? 

I lack any good Mersawa samples, just one generic (lacking species ID) Beefwood, lack that too, but it has much wider rays. 

Had a 15 hour work day, tired, I'm out...


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## phinds (Aug 1, 2019)

Mr. Peet said:


> I assume the pores are not thick walled but have lots of sawdust in them?
> 
> The wood I'm guessing is tropical as no growth ring boundaries jump out. The rays look very long and 3-10 cells wide or more, thus the interesting grain see on the one face (I also assume). Was the sawdust generally brown? Did it seem at all sticky or have any latex feel? No tyloses... Does it respond to blacklight?
> 
> ...



Yeah, I think what appears in my regular sized end grain closeup above to be fat vasicentric parenchyma is in fact thin vasicentric parenchyma and the a lot of sawdust. That's pretty clear in the extreme closeup below.

Growth ring boundaries were quite vague and there were none in the 1/2" x 1/2" section I showed.

Yes, the rays are quite long and as you can see in this 1/32" x 1/32" cross section (shown here a half of real size), they are as you thought several cells wide. Because I only went to 400 grit, this extreme closeup is not very clear.

I did not do enough sanding to pay attention to the dust.

Have not checked it against black light

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Mlyle (Aug 2, 2019)

Wow!!!!!!!!!!

Lotta Big Words!!!!

And yes the sawdust was brown... same color as wood....

I have no black lite. But what could be a typical
Or possible reaction to a black light?

Mlyle


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## phinds (Aug 2, 2019)

Mlyle said:


> I have no black lite. But what could be a typical
> Or possible reaction to a black light?


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## Mr. Peet (Aug 5, 2019)

phinds said:


> Yeah, I think what appears in my regular sized end grain closeup above to be fat vasicentric parenchyma is in fact thin vasicentric parenchyma and the a lot of sawdust. That's pretty clear in the extreme closeup below.
> 
> Growth ring boundaries were quite vague and there were none in the 1/2" x 1/2" section I showed.
> 
> ...



You know Paul, just looked at your super close-up and had a laugh as it looks just like "Hog Wash" soap blocks the lady up the road with the antique store has.


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## Mr. Peet (Aug 5, 2019)

_Hieronyma alchorneoides_ or another in that genus... The wood is often in pallets, has a wide range of colors, a wide range of grain, (straight, wavy, curly, mottled, etc.) has chatoyance, fine splinters common, silicates common, can have collapse if dried too fast, grays as it weathers before rotting.

My sample matches well to all your pictures Myle. Here is an I*nside wood* pic:


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## phinds (Aug 5, 2019)

Mr. Peet said:


> _Hieronyma alchorneoides_ or another in that genus... The wood is often in pallets, has a wide range of colors, a wide range of grain, (straight, wavy, curly, mottled, etc.) has chatoyance, fine splinters common, silicates common, can have collapse if dried too fast, grays as it weathers before rotting.
> 
> My sample matches well to all your pictures Myle. Here is an I*nside wood* pic:
> 
> View attachment 169798


Mark, just FYI, it appears that the wood you posted the pic of has plentiful pore multiples but I'm not seeing that in this mystery wood


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## Mr. Peet (Aug 5, 2019)

phinds said:


> Mark, just FYI, it appears that the wood you posted the pic of has plentiful pore multiples but I'm not seeing that in this mystery wood



Good point Paul,

I didn't take any time to look at any others in the genus and quickly assumed match being that Myle's face grain pics matched well. Wonder if any others in the genus match better?


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## Mlyle (Aug 5, 2019)

Wow!!!!

You guys lost me about 3days ago....

I did not know we had real wood scientists
In our midst. 

I will just sit by and listen like a good student...!!


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