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What variety of wood is this?

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2K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  comboprof 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I picked up the 4 by 4 3 foot post below for ~$6. (Part of $25 deal with 6 chunks of Hop Hornbeam and 2 chunks of curly maple.), I was told it came on a pallet. Its very very heavy. I don't think its Wenge. Is it Itin? Would it good for mallets? Chisel handles?

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#4 · (Edited by Moderator)
I cut a piece that was the same as a piece of wenge that I have. This wood feels heavier I ruled out wenge, but I could be wrong. I checked a wood data base and to me it looked like Itin. Given how it got here I think it more likely to come from South America, then from Africa, but I don't really know.

Is there a test I can do or a different picture I can send that would help identify it?

It looks black or very dark brown on the sides but when I cut off the slice to revel the end-grain it had the red-ish purple tint that you see. The guy at sole operator sawmill said he hated working with it. It cut some what slowly with my CSM saw, using a thin kerf cross cut diablo freud blade.
 
#5 ·
You could take a better picture of the end grain. Straight down on it with good lighting and as close as you can get while keeping it focused. That is always helpful.

You can also weigh it and calculate the pounds per cubic foot. That can get us in the ballpark although there is enough variation that it isn't going to nail it.

You can tell us whether it has a distinct smell when cut.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
Here are two photos straight down on it with the best lighting I have.
The first is as close as I can with out it going out of focus.

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The second is digital magnification of about 2.5.

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The mystery post measures in inches 3.75 by 3.75 by 32.5 and is thus 457.03125 cubic inches which is
475.03125/(121212) = .26448567708333333333 cubic feet.

It weighs in on my bathroom scale at 17 pounds. So Thats 17*(1/.26448567708333333333) = 64.27569230769230769304 pounds per cubic foot.

It has no oder when cut. It is not oily, feel very dry. Definitely dark brown and not black. End grain looks to me to have a faint red/purple tint, but this does not show up in the last photos.

Now I think it could indeed be Ipe or Texas Ebony or Katalox?
 

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#8 ·
I think your weight rules out Itin which would get down to 61 pounds/cu ft. if it was dry as a bone. At average moisture it's closer to 80. Ipe is listed as 69 pounds which is much closer to your weight. After googling I found you can, indeed, get it in posts for decking. I have a deck of Cumaru (an Ipe substitute) and an occasional piece is that dark.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
It feels very dry.

Of course the bathroom scale is not very accurate and I could be easily off by a few pounds. I wonder if I could take it up to the hospital or a doctor's office or to the university to get a better weight. (light bulb) I could take it to the Forestry department and they might just identify it. To distinguish Ipe from Cumaru it looks like I need a black light. I wonder where I can get one of those locally.
 
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