I'm far from an expert but that grain pattern along the top face looks like chestnut to me too. Bunched up like beautifully compact strings that don't tear much if you cleave it in green woodworking. Why it's so often used to split for palings for fencing and so on. It might cleave along a twist or a spiral in a bigger log but rarely off course that needs braking. All that makes it a delight and easy to work for a bodger making fencing or hurdles in the woods in days gone by. Like a lot of these things we have kept the words but lost the real understanding somewhat . Along with the typical quite dark browning colour on the ridges. Is it getting very pale as you sand down? Could be wrong of course!
I'll bet 3 pints of Guinness at todays prices it isn't cherry though.
By coincidence here is some cherry (that I bought off ChrisP and he told me it's cherry and that's good enough for me! ). This was flattened and planed smooth just yesterday so there is no effect of sunlight at all. Very close grained and really quite a different colour. Apologies the photos are not better quality but should be enough to tell apart.
Cheers
Chris
Ignore the white paint. Bloody plasterer's and their versions of 90 degrees. :roll:
