Another Wood ID

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Peri

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Hi Folks,
I recently found some old school science desks that were going into the skip. Someone had already had the tops, but I managed to get the frames. I believe the desks were made maybe late 60's, early 70's.


Can anyone tell me what this wood is?




Thank you :)
 
Thanks for taking a look.

The only other useful pics I have are





The small piece in the bottom photo has just been wiped with spirit to bring the grain out.
 
Another batch of science tables from derby posted about here many years ago turned out to be iroko with beech legs. The orange-brn colour in your last photo could be iroko.
 
Myfordman":3tud8dzz said:
Another batch of science tables from derby posted about here many years ago turned out to be iroko with beech legs. The orange-brn colour in your last photo could be iroko.
I remember them well. If these particular frames are iroko it's worth the OP bearing in mind that's it's pretty nasty stuff to work with; the dust is particularly irritating when it's being machined - Rob
 
My guess was meranti - but thats only going off a google image search.

It planes beautifully - almost like a softwood, and it's quite light (not dense).

I wish I could give more info.

I did get 2 very damaged table tops a while back that I turned into bookshelves. This wood - again unknown - was much denser, much darker and was indeed horrible to work with power tools. Eyes, nose and throat very irritated - needed proper ppe for that.



 
looks like meranti to me as well, but I've never used utile, when I did work with meranti it was nice to work with handtools but a bit dusty if blades aren't razor sharp.
 
woodbloke66":20e88me9 said:
Myfordman":20e88me9 said:
Another batch of science tables from derby posted about here many years ago turned out to be iroko with beech legs. The orange-brn colour in your last photo could be iroko.
I remember them well. If these particular frames are iroko it's worth the OP bearing in mind that's it's pretty nasty stuff to work with; the dust is particularly irritating when it's being machined - Rob

Sensitivity to Iroko seems very variable. I get hayfever, mild asthma and excema suggesting I might be sensitive to such stuff, but I can work with it all day and no PPE with out adverse reactions. Curious
 
another vote for Meranti often known as Philipine mahogany, its a very variable timber related to Luan which is extremely light & soft. Meranti will vary from pink to deep dark red almost purple colour, his will depend on where the tree grew. I have two large boards that I bought a few years ago, they had been stored in a barn for 40 years & the seller thought they were mahogany, but upon cleaning them i found a timber yard stencil stating Dark red Meranti, they were cheap enough so i wasnt too put out but it is unholy heavy & hard.
 
Light, fairly soft, pale pink to reddish orange and dusty unless tools are razor sharp - sums it up perfectly.

Nailed it - thanks all.

:)
 
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