Drawers wood ID help?

[Water-Mark]

I've recently bought a chest of drawers as a restoration project and need to identify what they're made of.
I've seen ID charts online etc and have drawn the following conclusions.
I think it's a softwood with an open grain, it dents easily with light pressure from a fingernail.
I can't imagine them being made from anything rare, exotic or expensive.
What little finish is on the outside sanded off really easy and the insides are untreated so I think the colour is natural.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/99806403@N02/9436678304/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99806403@N02/9433895443/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99806403@N02/9433887517/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99806403@N02/9436652404/

There are some small repair areas and they're missing the top so i'd quite like to have a go at matching the wood and finding out what kind of finish I could put on them.

My best guess so far is red cedar, but is it likely this side of the pond?

Many thanks for your assistance, best guess and instinct are more than welcome, I promise not to hold anybody to it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

One of the many kinds of African Mahogany?

 

[Water-Mark]

Thanks for the suggestion.
I should point out I have little woodwork experience so I can't rule out it being something very common.
They also feel very light to hold and the quality of the joints is quite poor.

 

[AndyT]

A picture of the whole thing would help - sometimes the design and period can give useful clues, as can country of origin.

 

[Water-Mark]

Of course it would #-o



Thanks.
My inlaws are pretty convinced its mahogany of some sort so it's looking likely.

 

[Water-Mark]

Oops, double post.

 

[Matt@]

yes its mahogany, one of the lightweight ones...

 

[twothumbs]

Go for Mahogany. All Mahoganys are not necessarliy hard to touch, as in Philippines Mahogany which can sometimes almost pass for Balsa wood. Nice drawings / charts cupboard. Best wishes.

 

[Jacob]

Some sorta mahogany stuff. Don't want to put you off but this is badly made poor quality piece, though I have seen much worse industrial office furniture and it looks quite nice. At least it's ply and not mdf on the bottoms.
But still worth fiddling with - it's all good practice! And an important learning resource - look hard at all the bits which have failed and ask yourself why. If it got much use at all then the runners are likely to be worn out as that design results in the least possible bearing surface, as compared to drawers with slips where the bearing surface could be 4 times wider, and the life 4 times longer.

 

[Water-Mark]

Thanks guys, looks like it's certain then.

I realise they're not fine cabinetry but then I'm not sure I should be let loose on such things anyway.
All the drawers seem to run fine though the cabinet itself could do with tightening up.

I'll strip the finish and practice repairs on them and then see if they're good enough for the house or if my chisels get a drawer each in the garage.

 

[Steve1066]

I would say it,s meranti


https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=meran ... 68&bih=928

 

[Graham Orm]

I would say it,s meranti


https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=meran ... 68&bih=928

+1

 

[Trevsf1]

Nice set of chart drawers.

 

[longinthetooth]

Forget the word mahogany. Romanticism doesn't help anyone. Meranti and 'Philippine mahogany' are synonymous but that's a typical exmple of a timber trade fantasy appellation.

Mahogany comes from Swietania species, originally Swietenia mahagoni from the Caribbean which was more or less plundered to extinction.

Wikipedia says "These days almost all mahogany is yielded by the mainland species, Swietenia macrophylla although no longer from its native locations due to the restrictions set by CITES. As a timber, both Swietenia macrophylla and Swietenia mahogoni are both grown in plantations in several Asian countries such as Fiji, Indonesia, India, and Bangladesh and this plantation mahogany timber is the main source of the world's current supply of "genuine mahogany".

The fruits of Swietenia macrophylla are called "sky fruit", because they seem to hang upwards from the tree. The "sky fruit" concentrate is sold as a natural remedy that is said to improve blood circulation and skin. It is also said to have Viagra-like qualities regarding erectile dysfunction. Consumption of the sky fruit concentrate is approved by Malaysia Ministry of Health.[citation needed]

A somewhat comparable wood is yielded by the related African genus Khaya. This is traded as African mahogany and is from the same family as Swietenia."

I would imagine that the Viagra-like property mentioned is on a par with that of powdered rhino horn ...

 

[Steve1066]

Well all ways willing to lern just done a bit more research
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meranti

 

[Water-Mark]

Thanks for the clarification, it should still be fairly easy to get a matching top for it.