Journals Projects Workshops Reviews

Please Help Me Identify this Wood

2010 Views 17 Replies 7 Participants Last post by KJS3, May 17, 2014

KJS3

Discussion Starter · May 15, 2014 (Edited by Moderator)

4

Hello everyone,

I recently picked up some wood from someone off craigslist but am unsure of the species and so was he. He cleared out a custom staircase and moulding shop that was going under and this is some of the wood he found. It is heavy and gives you plenty of small splinters. Any help in identification would be greatly appreciated and let me know if I can provide any other details that would help.

Thanks,

Kyle

Wood Bedrock Flooring Slope Hardwood

Wood Textile Shelving Shelf Hardwood

See less See more

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

bigblockyeti

· #2 · May 15, 2014

Heavy and small splinter sure sounds like wenge, but the color looks nothing like the wenge I've had my hands on, unless it's been sun bleached, but that presumably would only be on one side.

LiveEdge

· #3 · May 15, 2014

Nearly positive it is going to be either Cumaru or Ipe. Both will sink in water.

KJS3

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 15, 2014

Thanks for the quick responses. Looking at pictures online it does look a lot like cumaru.

Has anyone worked with cumaru? I was thinking of making a tabletop and maybe some shelves. Not sure if it would be good for anything else. I guess I was hoping I scored a better wood but I will use it for something.

Thanks again!

Kyle

Ingjr

· #5 · May 15, 2014

It could be cumaru, although it doesn't look a whole lot like the cumaru I've had in the past. I don't remember it as being splintery wood either. It is heavy, very heavy. Quite hard also. To me it looks like some kind of African mahogany. Heavy is a relative thing. Is it heavier than Oak? Lighter than?

WoodLe

· #6 · May 15, 2014

Probably Mahogany

KJS3

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 15, 2014

To me it feels heavier than oak but I am still new to woodworking so I am not nearly as experienced as you all. Looking at pictures it kind of also looks like santos mahogany. Confusing. I will try to get some more pictures up.

One thing I saw for either santos or cumaru is that gluing can be problematic. Does anyone have experience with gluing panels or tabletops with these types of woods?

Thanks,

Kyle

Wolfdaddy

· #8 · May 15, 2014

Could also be sapele or sipo. Looks like some mahogany variant to me.

LiveEdge

· #9 · May 16, 2014

Can you cut a small end piece and see if it floats or sinks? Mahogany floats. Cumaru sinks. I agree with someone above that the main thing going against it being Cumaru are the splinters. I did a whole deck and don't remember it being splintery at all.

KJS3

Discussion Starter · #10 · May 16, 2014

I will cut off a small section this weekend and see if it floats.

In reference to the wood being toublesome for glue, I also saw that some people clean the joining edges with alcohol to ensure the glue will set properly. Will this create a strong enough joint for a table top?

Thanks again for all the replies.

Kyle

vetwoodworker

· #11 · May 16, 2014

Mahogany based off of the grain pattern, but could be cumaru. Let us know how the sink test goes

KJS3

Discussion Starter · #12 · May 17, 2014 (Edited by Moderator)

10

Okay so it definitely sunk so I guess that means it's cumaru or ipe. I have put a few other pictures below.

Bottle Drinkware Liquid Wine Glass bottle

Rectangle Wood Tints and shades Natural material Metal

Brown Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor

Table Wood Rectangle Wood stain Floor

Brown Rectangle Wood Wood stain Fixture

See less See more

KJS3

Discussion Starter · #13 · May 17, 2014

2

Rectangle Wood Gas Hardwood Wood stain

See less See more

Wolfdaddy

· #14 · May 17, 2014

I'd say definitely cumaru. I have a piece that looks almost identical to those last pics.

LiveEdge

· #15 · May 17, 2014

Cumaru endgrain is quite distinctive to me. While it's always hard to be sure, I had a good suspicion.

LiveEdge

· #16 · May 17, 2014

4

Here are a couple pictures of a piece I have lying around from the deck. If you build something with it, let me know how it goes. I haven't done anything with the ends I have.

Table Rectangle Purple Wood Outdoor furniture

Brown Daytime Property Photograph Light

See less See more

KJS3

Discussion Starter · #17 · May 17, 2014

Thanks again everyone. Now I am curious about how to glue it up into a tabletop and even if that would be a good idea. The wood database says it can be difficult to glue. If I use alcohol on the edges before I glue will that give me a strong enough joint?

Thanks,

Kyle

KJS3

Discussion Starter · #18 · May 17, 2014

Liveedge that looks exactly the same as mine. I am trying to build a tabletop so I will let you know how that goes.

1 - 18 of 18 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.