Wood ID Help Needed!!!

Messages
161
Location
Fredericksburg, VA
Howdy, folks! I need some help identifying this wood. At first, I thought it was walnut, until I picked it up and noticed that is was much heavier and dencer than the walnut I had. It's also a very tight grained wood. The dust it gives off is a yellowish-orange.....which led me to almost think it might be osage orange..????

Help, please!

2284632004_9eac3e63fc.jpg



- Keith
 
The osage orange i've worked with is a vivid yellow color. Where did you get this piece of wood? Do you know if it's domestic? Almost looks like it could be Brazilian Cherry, but there are numerous other candidates as well - Ipe maybe?
See if it sinks or floats in water - if it's an ironwood, that narrows the list of options.
Paul Hubbman
 
Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

In that first picture, I wiped the wood with mineral spirits, just to bring the grain out. Sorry for the confusion.

Here are a couple of more pictures. Here is the face grain, without anything applied...

2284837990_1757c9c0f2.jpg



Here is a picture of fresh end grain...

2284838146_dacaf0c846.jpg



This wood was given to me by a friend, so I'm afraid I don't have too much more information about it. I would think the yellowish sawdust would be a pretty decent indication about the species. I might be wrong. It is very heavy wood, and very dense.

Thanks for your help!!

- Keith
 
The wetted piece in the first pic almost looked like some mesquite, except a bit much on the orange side. The end grain pic is very similar to mesquite. Mesquite is also hard and dense. But the dry picture throws me off of thinking mesquite. And I only get yellow sawdust from the thin yellowish live wood under the bark.

Osage orange goes from almost bright yellow when fresh cut to a burnt orange after expose to light for a while. Never seen any with that black in the end grain.
 
Last edited:
I'd put money on Ipe. Grain and color look right, yellowish sawdust is a clincher too, a really surprising feature when you first cut it.
 
Count this as another vote for Ipe. I've got a bunch of this stuff which I received from the widow of a late longshoreman who scavenged pallets for years. If you were closer to me, I'd give it to you.
 
Last edited:
It looks to me like Philipine mahogan. Otherwise known as lauan. Some have said if it feels heavier than it should it is probably ipe. Well it if feels lighter than it should I would say lauan.
 
With the yellow-orange sawdust my guess would be padauk.

When I saw the picture at first I was thinking.... but not remembering the name, Dale did it for me, I remember having a piece just like that some time ago and all that you say was true when I had the piece, I go with Padauk as well.
 
another vote for IPE

when you cut it does the end grain kinda flake off at the surface? i done a job with some here awhile back it looks identical. and it is heavy.
 
Thanks for all of the replies, guys.

Larry - Nope, no flaking at the end grain. It's a very solid, heavy, tight-grained wood.

At this point, I'm just about ready to call it Ipe, and get on with it. :thumb:

- Keith
 
End grain looks just like ipe to me. Side grain is like ipe, but there is a lot of variation in flat sawn... this is quartersawn. The "wet" color is also typical of ipe.

Ipe is very close to the weight of water... some pieces sink, others float (barely), so that may be another test.

The sawdust from ipe is sort of yellowish, but whatever gets on a t-shirt turns red before the day is out... I don't know what it is in sweat that reacts with the sawdust, but it takes a long time to wash the red stain out.
 
Last edited:
Top