Jonm
Established Member
Found these pieces of wood under a raised flower bed. They had not rotted and they were heavy so I retrieved them. Planed one piece and it is pink coloured. Any suggestions as to what it is? My guess is mahogany.
What Wood is This
- Thread starter Jonm
- Start date
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Ygiagam.
thetyreman
Established Member
some form of african mahogany, hard to tell.
RobinBHM
Established Member
How heavy are they?
if old railway sleepers, jarrah is a possibility.
I doubt they are a mahogany species, it’s not very durable, nor that likely to be in this country in that section.
if old railway sleepers, jarrah is a possibility.
I doubt they are a mahogany species, it’s not very durable, nor that likely to be in this country in that section.
bobblezard
1 step forward, 2 back, 2 forward - rest - repeat
I don't know but look very similar to a couple of big pieces I got from a local farm sale. Apparently they were once in a local harbour and over 70 years old.
I'm away now but when I get back I'll take some pics and watch the thread with interest.
I'm planning a bench and some turning with off cuts. Seems very hard and stable
I'm away now but when I get back I'll take some pics and watch the thread with interest.
I'm planning a bench and some turning with off cuts. Seems very hard and stable
Keith 66
Established Member
The colour & grain looks similar to Kapur, it smells unmistakably of camphor when you plane it, used to be used for heavy duty deck timbers etc, (Southend pier was decked with it) if it doesnt It might be jarrah but the jarrah sleepers i have seen are far more interlocked grain & darker.
I'd go for Jarrah too. Took out a gatepost from a neighbour to widen her drive; post must have been in for a good 30 years and was almost completely rot free. It was also that red colour; think another name for it is Red Gum
Jonm
Established Member
Thank you for all the replies, I will measure them up and weigh them this evening, also smell them. They are nowhere near the size of railway sleepers.
Orraloon
Established Member
Red gum looks closer to the mark than jarrah. Both got used for posts and sleepers. Has a ucylipt look to it whatever it is. Looks a bit like the blue gum I used on my bench.
Regards
John
Jameshow
Established Member
I don't know but it won't be any use for your woodworking so leave it outside your gates for the scrappie and PM me your address!!
Seriously good catch!
Adam W.
A Major Clanger
It could easily be mahogany, because mahogany is very durable, which is why they make boats out of it.
Keith 66
Established Member
Im a boatbuilder & have had to repair many wooden boats built from mahogany, Even the best of them were classed as only moderately durable & if used in contact with the ground will rot in short order, It was used in boats because it was a stable good looking timber & available in large sizes. So for yachts it became fashionable for planking & varnished work, but if you want a boat to live a long time plank it in pitch pine or similar, it will outlast mahogany by many years.
Jonm
Established Member
I have measured them. 100mm by 70mm by 914mm long. Density measured as 950 kg per cu metre. Not managed to smell them yet?
Any thoughts about what to use them for?
Any thoughts about what to use them for?
Valhalla
Established Member
Good old fashioned Cherry?
Orraloon
Established Member
Its about the right density for redgum and I reckon it looks like it too. As for what to make I would think there is enough in that picture for a small coffee table or something. It polishes up quite nice but you can sometimes come on voids and gum veins. This should give some idea of the look of it scrubbed up.
Red Gum Coffee Table - Fallen Timber Furniture Fallen Timber Furniture Company - Recycled Timber Furniture Victoria
Regards
John
Corset
Established Member
Jarrah i bought about 60 jarrah sleepers and then planed the front face. It looked just like that. Very dense lots of silica. Blunted my chainsaw every 3-4 cuts
