# Great find?



## norman vandyke

Found this while hunting for diamonds in the rough among a pile of scraps. This sample weighs 2.4 oz. 68 grams, if metric makes it easier for exact weight. Measures 2-3/8"x2-7/16"x5/8". Very dark red. Very heavy. Might be from out of the country. Found outside a shipping warehouse.

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13

Looks like mahogany?


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## norman vandyke

I also found a few pieces of this. Looks really cool where the heartwood meets the sapwood.


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## JR Custom Calls

I was thinking bloodwood... I'm not Paul, but I can google... haha. Bloodwood (according to the wood database) weighs 66lbs per cubic foot. Your measurements make .002093845 cubit feet... which would be 2.2 ounces and change based on the 66lb/ft3. 

That other piece looks like paduak

Reactions: Agree 1


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## norman vandyke

JR Custom Calls said:


> I was thinking bloodwood... I'm not Paul, but I can google... haha. Bloodwood (according to the wood database) weighs 66lbs per cubic foot. Your measurements make .002093845 cubit feet... which would be 2.2 ounces and change based on the 66lb/ft3.
> 
> That other piece looks like paduak


Why the heck would these people be throwing this stuff out?! Looks like I need to make another trip there to dig through the pile more thoroughly. I like the look of that second one and only got a few pieces of it so far.


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## norman vandyke

JR Custom Calls said:


> I was thinking bloodwood... I'm not Paul, but I can google... haha. Bloodwood (according to the wood database) weighs 66lbs per cubic foot. Your measurements make .002093845 cubit feet... which would be 2.2 ounces and change based on the 66lb/ft3.
> 
> That other piece looks like paduak


Dimensions of second piece are 2'-1/4"x3-1/16"x3/4+a hair" Weight is 21.7 oz.


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## Kevin

That sappy piece looks sort of like IRW at least the face grain. Haven't checked Paul's site to see if the end grain is similar. Nice finds.


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## phinds

First piece is almost certainly bloodwood

Can you clean up the end grain on that second piece a little better? My first thought was mahogany but now I'm 95% sure it's not.


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## norman vandyke

phinds said:


> First piece is almost certainly bloodwood
> 
> Can you clean up the end grain on that second piece a little better?


I'm headed back to get the rest of that wood I left behind. I'll get a better picture with an actual camera when I get back home.


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## kazuma78

The second piece looks very much like paduk to me


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## Kevin

Yeah it does have that signature padauk color now that you mention it.


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## norman vandyke

Not sure if it makes a difference but when I cut the "padauk" it smelled mildly good. Kinda like flowers or something.


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## kazuma78

norman vandyke said:


> Not sure if it makes a difference but when I cut the "padauk" it smelled mildly good. Kinda like flowers or something.


It does have a potpourri sweet smell to it. Im pretty darn sure thats what that is


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## Kevin

kazuma78 said:


> potpourri sweet small to it



Must be padauk then because padauk means "_a potpourri sweet small_" in Swahili.


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## norman vandyke

Here's the better end grain shot of it and a few other finds. Anyone know what these yellow boards are?


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## Kevin

I think Josh nailed it. That end grain looks just like padauk on Paul's site.

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## norman vandyke

Gonna need some time to cut some more end grains...at least 5 more species in here...

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 3


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## kazuma78

Wow! Jackpot! Haha


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## norman vandyke

I didn't take pictures of the real jackpot I found today, so it didn't happen...yet. I was waking in a city park on the edge of town and saw coming from the ground a big burl stump, covered in eyes. Tree is gone but there are box elders near by. Also found what appears to be a russian olive stump(judging by the bark) with equally impressive burls and eyes. The kicker? I talked to the park manager(very nice old guy in a wheel chair) and he said I could take any deadfall I wanted so long as I only used hand tools. Gonna need to find a way to remove and transport a couple stumps.

Reactions: Like 2


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## norman vandyke

Still no ideas on the yellow one?


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## phinds

That first pic in post #15 reminded me strongly of something. Definitely not padauk but I couldn't put my finger on it. Problem w/ me is I have too damned many woods on my site so I have trouble finding stuff it I don't narrow a piece down pretty quickly.

I DID find it though. What I was thinking of is rengas because that is EXACTLY what the end grain looks like at the level of detail I can see. Check out rengas on my site and see if you think that might be what it is.


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## phinds

The 2nd and 3rd pics in post #15, the ones of the yellowish wood with the strong rays, is very weird in that it appears to be diffuse porous and yet has strong rays. The only woods I know of that have those two characteristics at the same time are lacewood, leopardwood, and sheoak and none of them are remotely yellow.

How about cutting of a piece 6" long and sending it to me for a detailed analysis? That way I can fine sand the end grain and see what the parenchyma looks like.


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## norman vandyke

phinds said:


> The 2nd and 3rd pics in post #15, the ones of the yellowish wood with the strong rays, is very weird in that it appears to be diffuse porous and yet has strong rays. The only woods I know of that have those two characteristics at the same time are lacewood, leopardwood, and sheoak and none of them are remotely yellow.
> 
> How about cutting of a piece 6" long and sending it to me for a detailed analysis? That way I can fine sand the end grain and see what the parenchyma looks like.


I think I can manage that. PM your addy and I'll cut you off a piece. That is the only board I found like that.

Reactions: Like 1


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## norman vandyke

phinds said:


> That first pic in post #15 reminded me strongly of something. Definitely not padauk but I couldn't put my finger on it. Problem w/ me is I have too damned many woods on my site so I have trouble finding stuff it I don't narrow a piece down pretty quickly.
> 
> I DID find it though. What I was thinking of is rengas because that is EXACTLY what the end grain looks like at the level of detail I can see. Check out rengas on my site and see if you think that might be what it is.


I definitely think it looks much closer to padauk than rengas that I've seen online but then again, you're the expert here. Those dark lines you see are almost black and up close look kind of like a dashed line, not solid. I may just have to send a sample of that too. Lol


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## phinds

norman vandyke said:


> I definitely think it looks much closer to padauk than rengas that I've seen online but then again, you're the expert here. Those dark lines you see are almost black and up close look kind of like a dashed line, not solid. I may just have to send a sample of that too. Lol


Yeah, I've never seen anything like that in padauk. The end grain of padauk is quite distinctive so again, a 6" long sample would be good (it can be as little as 2" wide, as long as it's at least 1/2" thick). Or you could just fine sand it and post the pic. I can usually tell padauk pretty readily if I can see the end grain details at least moderately well (which means considerably better than the pics you have up so far). Your pics are good but the level of detail I need goes another step in the cleaning/photographing process

I'll PM my address.


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## norman vandyke

And here's another couple end grain shots of another wood.


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## phinds

I can make out reticulate parenchyma which, along w/ the strong rays and the color, means it's almost certainly either lacewood or leopard wood


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## norman vandyke

These are the best I'm capable of taking. Sanded to 400 grit.


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## barry richardson

Great find! Your a man after my own heart..... I love digging through trash!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## norman vandyke

barry richardson said:


> Great find! Your a man after my own heart..... I love digging through trash!


I love it! I wish I found the kind of stuff you guys do though.


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## phinds

Definitely not padauk from what I can see there but to be absolutely certain, I'd need to see it fine sanded or razor cut.


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## norman vandyke

phinds said:


> Definitely not padauk from what I can see there but to be absolutely certain, I'd need to see it fine sanded or razor cut.


I'm sending a sample along with that yellow piece.


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## phinds

norman vandyke said:


> I'm sending a sample along with that yellow piece.


OK, I'll process them and post my findings.


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## norman vandyke

phinds said:


> OK, I'll process them and post my findings.


Thank you!


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## Mr. Peet

The first looked like a eucalyptus to me at first glance, I was thinking "River Red Gum" or "Rose Gum". I could see the Padauk thing too. Padauk is more consistently solid in graining and looks to match better.

The second looked just like "Chinaberry"(_Cassia fistula_), a weed tree in Florida and several other countries. Nice wood, but can check and split easily.

The third looked like "She-oak", but not sure.

Then a diffuse porous basswood looking one, no idea.

Then some sapwood "Chinaberry".

Then some spalted not sure, maybe an elm. Almost looked like banded aliforum...

Nice find. If it is pallet stock, often the shipping department will tell you were the majority of there items are coming from. I've asked workers before and been given specific countries or origin. A few times it was a big help in narrowing the search.


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## norman vandyke

Mr. Peet said:


> The first looked like a eucalyptus to me at first glance, I was thinking "River Red Gum" or "Rose Gum". I could see the Padauk thing too. Padauk is more consistently solid in graining and looks to match better.
> 
> The second looked just like "Chinaberry"(_Cassia fistula_), a weed tree in Florida and several other countries. Nice wood, but can check and split easily.
> 
> The third looked like "She-oak", but not sure.
> 
> Then a diffuse porous basswood looking one, no idea.
> 
> Then some sapwood "Chinaberry".
> 
> Then some spalted not sure, maybe and elm. Almost looked like banded aliforum...
> 
> Nice find. If it is pallet stock, often the shipping department will tell you were the majority of there items are coming from. I've asked workers before and been given specific countries or origin. A few time it was a big help in narrowing the search.


I talked with one of the warehouse guys yesterday and he said at least most of their products com from Taiwan.


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## justallan

Do they smell like cosmoline? Sounds just like some stuff found about the 1500 block of Grand Avenue called Harbor Freight.
Looks like a good score, whatever it is.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## norman vandyke

justallan said:


> Do they smell like cosmoline? Sounds just like some stuff found about the 1500 block of Grand Avenue called Harbor Freight.
> Looks like a good score, whatever it is.


None of it smells like cosmoline, fortunately. Most of it smells like nothing at all.


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## justallan

That beats the crap out of smelling like cosmoline.


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## norman vandyke

Here are some more end grain shots and a face shot of what I think might be sheoak? I have no idea what anything else might be.




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View attachment 80144
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## norman vandyke

justallan said:


> That beats the crap out of smelling like cosmoline.


I bought a nagant once, I know all too well about the smell of cosmoline. Lol


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## phinds

Norman, when posting this many pics, you MUST put labels of some kind on them otherwise it is useless because you have so many that people will get confused just trying to figure out which ones people are talking about in any reply.

I'll go back now and do it for you but in future, please do it yourself (everyone else too if you post more than a couple of pics).


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## phinds

You are not seriously saying that you think all these pics are of the same type wood are you?


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## norman vandyke

phinds said:


> You are not seriously saying that you think all these pics are of the same type wood are you?


Not at all. Lol. I think that one or two might be of the same species but I was trying to get all the different ones I found. I really appreciate you labeling them. I will do this in the future.


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## phinds

10,11, and 23 are almost certainly kempas

some of the others seem identifiable but you've just put so many in a single thread that I've lost interest in trying to ID all of them. Maybe I'll get back to it but I'm feeling grumpy today.

You can probably get a lot of these yourself by checking out my wood anatomy end grain pics.


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## norman vandyke

phinds said:


> 10,11, and 23 are almost certainly kempas
> 
> some of the others seem identifiable but you've just put so many in a single thread that I've lost interest in trying to ID all of them. Maybe I'll get back to it but I'm feeling grumpy today.
> 
> You can probably get a lot of these yourself by checking out my wood anatomy end grain pics.


Thank you. I've been checking it out a lot the last couple days. I'll keep looking and studying up for sure.


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## Mr. Peet

I think Paul's on the money with "Kempas" for 10, 11, and 23. I might think 13 is in the same boat. The number 14 looked like "Queensland walnut", _Endiandra palmerstonii_. I thought Eucalyptus for 21 & 22. I thought Corymbia spp for # 7. Out of time. Good luck...


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## phinds

Norman, I got the samples yesterday and I've done rough sanding.

For the red wood, the evidence against padauk is 100%. It has banded parenchyma, possibly marginal, where padauk has none and it has apotracheal parenchyma whereas padauk always has winged aliform parenchyma.

I'm 95+% sure that it's rengas but I want to fine sand the end grain before any final conclusion.

The yellowish wood w/ the strong rays is live oak without a doubt. You'll even see some samples on my live oak page with the yellow color in the sapwood. For some reason when I saw it here in the thread I had totally forgotten that the live oaks are not ring porous. Had I remembered that I could have told you right off that's what it was because of the strong rays and the dendritic pore groupings. When you get those and it's NOT ring porous, there's not much it can be but live oak and when you add in the banded parenchyma that really nails it and I can see the bands clearly even in the rough sanded end grain (well, "rough" meaning 240 grit; my fine sanding is 1200 grit).

Now, as to which particular species of live oak it is, I couldn't say.

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## phinds

Finally got to the end grain fine sanding. The "probably rengas" is now "definitely rengas". Here are 1/3" square cross sections of it and the live oak

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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