Wood Id

[Bigus]

Hi

Does anyone know what the wood used on this table is? It has been stained as there is a bit worn on part of the table surface, which is a very pale cream colour.

The table is nothing special but I'd like to know what wood it is as I intend to possibly use it to practise woodworking and may pull it apart and use the wood for other things.

The image is attached

Thanks
Bigus

 

[gasman]

The interlocking grain on that close up makes me think mahogany or sapele??

 

[david123]

If you are using it for woodwork, it may be better to take it apart. That way you will be able to find an unstained part of the surface that will be easier to identify.

 

[adidat]

top is pine, the rest looks like mahogany.

the effort you would go to, to pull it apart cleanly would outweigh the cost of a couple of quid at jewsons for similar pieces. it looks like a nice little table!

adidat

 

[Bigus]

Thanks for the responses. Mahogany sounds about right for the sides and legs - the grain/texture looks similar to one of my guitars which is definitely mahogany. I got the table for free and need something to practise planing on and could end up with some useful bits of timber afterwards.

 

[MARK.B.]

Nice little table,a little tlc and it will serve you well (or someone else) for years to come.

 

[Bigus]

Now you are making me feel guilty about the prospect of hacking it up ;-)

 

[Dangermouse]

What you have there is a top of maybe pine or Elm and the rest mahogany, made around 1840's. Please3 don't break it up as its a lovely piece of furniture. Sell it and buy some wood to work with. It should be worth at least £100

 

[Bigus]

Hi Dangermouse

Thanks for the reply. I realise this is getting somewhat off-topic but I am interested in how you narrow it down to the 1840s?

I have Googled around and can see it's what's called a "pembroke" style drop leaf table and that hand-dovetailing on draws point to pre-1860 (and the dovetails on mine are most definitely hand done). It has a signature on the bottom of the draw but difficult to tell what the name reads other than the initial C and last name appearing to begin with B.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

I would put your table around 10 - 15 years older than dangermouse. It can be dated by the general style and more specifically by the shape of the turned legs and the quality of the mahogany. It is a Brazilian mahogany base with what looks like a replacement pine top. ( all of the good Cuban and Honduran mahogany had all but gone by the 1830's ) The pine top looks as though it has a good bit of age to it so has probably come off another antique pine table. It would have had a mahogany top with much deeper leaves joined by a rule joint, which was probably taken off to repair another antique. As for value, I doubt it would fetch more than £30 in auction because it has been 'got at' so I dont think you should feel guilty about using it as a practice piece. If I might make a suggestion though. Rather than just randomly hacking away at it, you might find it more rewarding to design a piece of furniture and use the timber from this to make it with.

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Interesting thread this. How do you tell the difference between Cuban and Honduran and then the more recent Brazilian Mahoganies?

 

[Bigus]

It is a Brazilian mahogany base with what looks like a replacement pine top. ( all of the good Cuban and Honduran mahogany had all but gone by the 1830's ) The pine top looks as though it has a good bit of age to it so has probably come off another antique pine table. It would have had a mahogany top with much deeper leaves joined by a rule joint, which was probably taken off to repair another antique.

I scrolled through a good number of "pembroke mahogany table" photos on Google images and they all looked like they have mahogany tops, so had wondered if it wasn't original. As you say though it does look old (more so than the base!). The photos I uploaded to the post don't show the other half of the table top which is split and has a raised knot - not in great condition at all.

As for value, I doubt it would fetch more than £30 in auction because it has been 'got at' so I dont think you should feel guilty about using it as a practice piece.

It's more the case that I feel guilty about the prospect of chopping something up which is that old. From it's initial conception, at the lovingly hands of it's Victorian creator, it's survived for over 150 years only to be hacked to bits in a shed by an amateur! At best it would have ended up as part of a guitar (it would be kind of cool to be able to say "this guitar features 150 year old Brazillian mahogany") and at worst it'd end up as a pile of wood shavings.

If I might make a suggestion though. Rather than just randomly hacking away at it, you might find it more rewarding to design a piece of furniture and use the timber from this to make it with.

I am thinking of maybe removing the top and reworking the wood, i.e: sorting out the split, re-glueing the sections together, planing/sanding & re-finishing. Or there is a wood reclaiming place not to far from me, so if they get any bits of old mahogany table top I could work that into the right size/shape for mine.

Thanks