Need Help identifying some shipwreck wood

When I looked at the first photo, my first thought was mahogany of some sort.

The second photo, just by appearances, looks like the same as the first, but with these pieces containing more sapwood. However, from your description I take it they have different weight and aroma characteristics, so I guess that leaves me stumped.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

By the way, I forgot to mention…. I hate you for living in the Bahamas. :-)

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

Welcome to Lumberjocks!

My initial impression was as Charlie’s, the color and grain resemble various mahogany species.

Sorry I can’t help…

-- Randy "You are judged as much by the questions you ask as the answers you give..."

Thanks for your responses. My initial reaction when I felt the weight of the wood was “mahogany or lignum vitae” and I know for a fact now it is not lignum vitae.

No matter what kind of wood it is… It will be beautiful when I use it on a project

definitely mahog..

-- Kyle Edwards, http://www.sawmillnc.com, Iron Station , NC (near Charlotte)

If it was floating it wasn’t lignum vitae as it is a very dense wood and I believe it either completely sinks or just barely floats.

-- "Checking for square? What madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2

@jusfine, thanks for the welcome. I personally have never seen mahog. look like that, although I suppose it could be a young mahogany.

@mark I’m very familiar with Lignum Vitae since it is the national tree of The Bahamas and it does indeed sink.

I did not know where it grew! Thanks for the information.

-- "Checking for square? What madness is this! The cabinet is square because I will it to be so!" Jeremy Greiner LJ Topic#20953 2011 Feb 2

I’m still trying to get the fact the you live on the BEACH in the Bahama’s!!!

-- Doug...

I can vouch for Lignum Vitae being a sinker. Something about finishing some new deadeyes I had just made. working on the float beside my boat… I remember a wake rocking the float and some quiet little plopping sounds. They would have beaten a crescent wrench in a race to the bottom.

Paul M

-- Paul M ..............the early bird may get the worm but it’s the second mouse that gets the cheese! http://thecanadianschooloffrenchmarquetry.com/

Can’t positively identify it, but it appears to be a piece of ship…

Just remember folks, half of all Atlantic hurricanes also cross Exuma’s beach. I recommend you build your house out of that stuff and dig it in deep, Exuma.

-- Steven.......Random Orbital Nailer

@atom – Down here we tend to build our homes out of concrete. It did come from a ship, the boom from a haitian sloop to be exact.

@camp – Lol! I don’t live on the beach. but close enough.

I think i’ve found a candidate for what the mystery wood is in the second photo. drumroll KAPOK. “The wood is a pinkish white to ashy brown in color, with a straight grain.” – taken from http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/kapok.htm

I also asked the haitian man who works for me if he knew what kind of tree it is and he said “Kapob”