Another 'What wood is this?' question.

[swb58]

Bit of a landmark day today, my first box came off the production line. No chance with this to line up the grain unfortunately, I had to split the piece of wood to start because of two old nails in the middle of it so I cut the remaining bit in two and put one on top of the other.
It was destined for the fire so I'm not too bothered about what I've ended up with. I know it's hard to tell from a photo but any ideas as to what wood is? It came out during the renovation of an oldish house. To me, it looks like Teak but it's not a common building timber. Maybe something that was brought up from the beach and made use of?

Cheers.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

It's possibly elm.

Regards Mick

 

[Mar_mite]

I reckon it's walnut. Nicely done.

 

[finneyb]

+1 for walnut. Looks good.

 

[Chrispy]

Pretty sure it's laburnam.

 

[swb58]

Thanks for the input (and the compliments )

It's not fair of me to ask from just this one photo I don't think. I'll clean up the remaining chunk tomorrow and post up another picture. I've not had much experience with more unusual species but this didn't strike me as being very hard to work :?:

 

[Chrispy]

I'll stand a pint that it is Laburnam as said.

 

[Woodmonkey]

It does look like laburnum but I never heard of it being used for construction purposes... you said it was a timber from an old house?

 

[Chrispy]

Ah didn't read the bit about the beach Teak is very much a boat building timber so very likely the sorce and teak is very similar to laburnum.

 

[swb58]

Yes it came from a house, not an Ye Olde house but probably 100+ years old. I can't remember what length it was (I had the job of cutting all the old timber up for firewood) but it was about 6" x 3" (7x4?), sort of lintel over a doorway/ built in cupboard type size.

It's quite common round here to find timber that's been brought off the beach. I've got Oak from a farm clearout that were at one time ships timbers and another piece which was used on our place as a gatepost, I don't know what species that is. I've been in touch with the Historic Dockyard about it, They've told me what it might have been from but didn't know what wood it is.

I feel another picture coming on

 

[Grahamshed]

I would go with old teak.
Which with my track record must guarantee it isn't

 

[KimG]

Pretty certain it is not Laburnum, the grain is wrong (remember the zigzag patterns distinctive in Legume woods), the colour though, a poor guide, is similar.

I think it looks similar to Teak too, it also looks a bit like Greenheart, especially the split piece, greenheart splits very like that.

It doesn't look like any Walnut I've seen before.

I would also not discount the suggestion of Elm at this stage.

 

[Mark A]

...it also looks a bit like Greenheart, especially the split piece, greenheart splits very like that...

I agree, it's a dead ringer for a lump of greenheart I have.

 

[KimG]

An interesting test for Greenheart is to observe the dust when sanding it on the lathe (wear a mask, it's unpleasant stuff) you will notice that the dust is very heavy and very quickly settles rather than floating about, this is due to the very dense nature of the timber.

Teak has a slightly oily, but not unpleasant odour when worked. It also blunts tools (even HSS) very quickly.

 

[bugbear]

Bit of a landmark day today, my first box came off the production line. No chance with this to line up the grain unfortunately, I had to split the piece of wood to start because of two old nails in the middle of it so I cut the remaining bit in two and put one on top of the other.
It was destined for the fire so I'm not too bothered about what I've ended up with. I know it's hard to tell from a photo but any ideas as to what wood is? It came out during the renovation of an oldish house. To me, it looks like Teak but it's not a common building timber. Maybe something that was brought up from the beach and made use of?

Cheers.

Could you post an infocus closeup of the grain on top of the box?

BugBear

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Greenheart is very dense - so much so that it can sink in water - if it doesn't sink it will float very 'low in the water'

Regards Mick

 

[swb58]

I didn't do the float in water test, it was raining too much Don't think it's heavy though.

Here's a couple more shots of the box, not like seeing it in the flesh though, sorry.

The large block is what it came from with planed surface.

I said about timber off the beach, I believe this is Oak. Lots more things to be made out of it. Like this

and this. (I hate it, thought the contrasting pillar would work :evil

This is the gatepost I mentioned earlier ^^^. Still with a few trunnels (tree-nails), each peg was wedged in with three wedges in triangle formation to hold the peg and form a watertight seal (very handy in a boat I would assume!) All pock marks are the remains of brass nails which were used to attach some type of armament I was informed. The wood from it can be seen in the third photo ^^^, it's the thinner strip towards the top. They both look similar to my eye.

And lastly something else off the beach, I will get round to taking it back to to where it came from one day. It's over 60 years old . . . . any guesses?

 

[KimG]

Very good close up, that definitely discounts Laburnum at any rate, the planed wood looks a lot more like Teak this time, but I can't be definite as to what it is. The bowl is Oak.

Beach sign, Plywood.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Teak

 

[swb58]

Beach sign, Plywood.

It's solid wood, no cutting corners when that was made :wink: