What type of wood is this? Cherry, Chestnut, something else?

looks like alder to me, but it could be old cherry. they do call alder the poor mans cherry.

-- Roper - Master of sawdust-www.coloradocustomworks.com

good find ,
i’m going with cherry .

how dense is it ?
alder is a little lighter than cherry , generaly .

but i’m no expert , except with pine , cheap pine !

welcome to LJ’s .

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

Beautiful grain…looks like cherry to me also…the test of course is how dense it is (heavy)....but it looks alot like the cherry I just resawed for a humidor….

-- Woodworking.....My small slice of heaven!

I agree with Roper, Looks like alder to me. In the first picture, third board where it is fresh cut. The color, grain and knots looks alot like alder. Just guessing though. Welcome to Lumber Jocks.

-- John @ http://www.thehuffordfurnituregroup.com

I go with Cherry also.

-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/

It looks more like alder then cherry, but it also resembles redwood.

-- ~ Inspiring those who inspire me ~

could it be Hickory? Not sure, but I don’t think it’s either cherry or alder

-- Childress Woodworks

I’m with Childress, I think it’s hickory.

-- "At its best, life is completely unpredictable." - Christopher Walken

Looks like cherry to me…I’m not real familiar with alder.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

Sort of looks like cherry and I don’t know enough about alder to say yes or no. However, cherry darkens with exposure to the sun while alder doesn’t.

Plane, sand and finish a piece of wood then tape a piece of thick paper over one half of it. Put it in the sun for a day or two and then remove the paper. If the exposed side is noticeably darker, it’s probably cherry.

-- Steve, Webster Groves, MO

wibbly beat me to is my 5 minutes. the sun will tell you whether it is cherry.

Hi everyone – thanks for all the replies.

I don’t know much about alder, but I don’t think it is a common tree in North Carolina.

I went out and took some pictures of the bark this morning. This bark is on one of the beams. Maybe this will help as we continue to unravel the mystery wood. Thanks again for your help!!!!! I’m thrilled with the response and was anxious to read your replies this morning.

Have a great day -
- the wife

Not cherry. My stab in the dark would be sweetgum.

-- http://nelsonwoodworks.biz/