Yep, it's another "ID this wood?" thread

[xardoz]

I found half of a table in the alley tonight. It had been nice at one point, but someone had painted the top black with "blackboard" paint for their kids to scrawl upon with chalk and had tried to repair the pedestal with drywall screws. The top had split, and half of it was missing. The surviving half measures about .9 in thick and looks salvageable for a solid or chambered back.

The question is, of course, what is it? I don't think it's oak, but I could be wrong.

Grain from the underside, where the pedestal had attached. Photo color is a little blue on my monitor, compared to real life:



Grain from the split:




And the obligatory:

[bigmuff113]

Just had too

[mgdesigns]

The color looks like walnut or mahogany to me, and the grain also looks like those two choices.

[Codger]

Looks like spanish cedar to me. It's not like northern cedars. It's more like mahaogany, but softer and lighter in weight.

[Ed Miller]

mahogany.

[Scatter Lee]

run it thru a saw and if it smells like mahogany it might be mahogany, if it smells like spain it might be spanish cedar, maybe it will smell like black walnut, or whatever just smell it

[dr_zaius]

Originally Posted by Scatter Lee

run it thru a saw and if it smells like mahogany it might be mahogany, if it smells like spain it might be spanish cedar, maybe it will smell like black walnut, or whatever just smell it

+1. Make a fresh cut and take a whiff.

I think its walnut. It looks almost identical to the black walnut sitting on my workbench, only its much lighter in color. But that may be due to its age and/or the lighting when the pic was taken. If it is walnut, you will know immediately when you cut it. Walnut has a very pleasant smell, like a sweet, sugary food smell.


EDIT: Upon a second look at the pics, I would bet money that its walnut.

[Ronkirn]

I vote for Mahogany, and since Spanish Cedar is a Mahogany, I vote for mahogany again..

Ron Kirn

[ehawley]

I vote for cheap (luan) mahogany....

[jkingma]

Originally Posted by dr_zaius

EDIT: Upon a second look at the pics, I would bet money that its walnut.

On first look I would bet money its NOT walnut.

My money is on mahogany (of some kind).

[xardoz]

Thanks, everyone.

I have a piece of what I'm told is mahogany in my basement. I recently made a small cut in it, and the table top smells very similar. But the mahogany in my basement has a much redder color, whereas the table top is definitely brown. I can post side-by-side pics, if that will help.

Neither really smells like what you're describing, Dr. Z. But both have a similar hardness and lightness, as far as I can tell.

I may have to haul my butt up to Woodcraft and sniff some samples - won't that be creepy.

"Jerry, there's some dude in the back sniffing the lumber!"

[czook]

looks like mahogany and nothing like walnut to me.

[TRexF16]

Originally Posted by ehawley

I vote for cheap (luan) mahogany....

That was my first thought too.

Which, BTW might make a very good body laminated up. You could have it kind of chambered with three equal thickness slabs, the center cut out as desired.

Good Luck. By all means make a Alley-Caster out of it!
Rex

[ricplayer]

Got to agree with ehawley on this to me it looks like Shorea which is sold under many names including Meranti, Lauan and Philippine mahogany.

[xardoz]

Alleycaster is definite possibility. I think I can get one good Tele shaped piece out of it for a back, and a few months ago I found some nesting end tables that someone had "destroyed" (broken legs, tops split along the glue lines) with 1/2 inch salvageable tops made from a maple-ish hardwood of some sort. AND there's a small walnut table I recovered, too. These would all need to be rejoined, but hey, can't beat free.

[tap4154]

Yes, it's 'hog.

[Boogyman]

Without feeling it in my hands it's impossible to be sure, but I'm gonna have to go against the grain here... it looks like Pin Oak to me. If it feels heavy and it's hard to drive a nail through it, I'd be willing to bet it is.

We have a lot of different varieties of oak on our property, I've worn plenty of chainsaw blades out on it. Sun-bleached Pin Oak has that same grain and color. I made a pair of pistol grips out of it once and it looks very familiar.

If it is lighter and softer then I'd agree it could be mahogany.

Don't hate me because my opinion is different.

[xardoz]

Thanks, Boogy, but compared to the red oak I've got laying around, it's really pretty light stuff, so I don't think it's pin oak.

[Boogyman]

Originally Posted by xardoz

Thanks, Boogy, but compared to the red oak I've got laying around, it's really pretty light stuff, so I don't think it's pin oak.

In that case I'll go with the general consensus and guess mahogany.

Seems to me there are red and brown mahogany varieties, tho I may be mistaken.

[dr_zaius]

I don't know, I have some walnut that looks identical to those pics. The guy I got it from does brush hogging, so I know the wood I get from him is native to East Texas. Do mahogany trees grow in Texas? Maybe all the stuff I have is mahogany and I was told it was walnut, but I doubt it. I don't think those trees grow here.