# What type of wood?



## Sawdustmaker115 (Sep 8, 2013)

Ok, i got this wood sometime ago from a pallet, I'm going to be making some stuff that I'm going to sell out of my stock of this, So i need to know what species of wood this is.
It is pretty light(not really that dense), it is slightly redish brown, mostly just brown though, it has very large open pores(kinda like oak). If i had to guess what type of wood this is I would say it's Tornillo(going off of what i found at The Wood Data Base) but I'm asking here cause i want to be sure of this. 
Thanks in advanced!


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## richardwootton (Jan 17, 2013)

It kind of looks like Spanish cedar. Is it easy to make an indent with you're thumbnail?


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## Sawdustmaker115 (Sep 8, 2013)

kinda sorta, the density of it reminds me of poplar


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## Sawdustmaker115 (Sep 8, 2013)

just looked at what The Wood Data Base says about Spanish cedar, and it says quote ''Odor: Has a distinct, lingering, cedar-like scent; this characteristic of the wood makes it a favorite for cigar boxes.'' This has no order that i can smell.


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## johnstoneb (Jun 14, 2012)

Probably some type of mahogany. The grain, open pores and color all look like a mahogany. Some mahogany's will brown with exposure to weather and pallets get plenty of that


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## freddy1962 (Feb 27, 2014)

I agree with Bruce, some type of mahogany. Kind of Honduranish


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## Sawdustmaker115 (Sep 8, 2013)

Do you think tornillo is even in the ball park
or do you guys think more of mahogany then tornillo?


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## Yonak (Mar 27, 2014)

Boy, it sure looks like walnut to me.


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## exelectrician (Oct 3, 2011)

Looks like a mahogany from a free C/L dining table I sawed up, I found it to be a little on the soft side, still trying to find a project to use it on.


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## exelectrician (Oct 3, 2011)

Looks like mahogany from a free C/L dining table I sawed up, I found it to be a little on the soft side, still trying to find a project to use it on.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Luan.


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## Sawdustmaker115 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yeah, i guess it could be a type of Lauan, 
light red meranti maybe?


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## panamawayne (May 28, 2014)

It's not Spanish cedar, in the bottom photo it looks like Espave.???


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## Sawdustmaker115 (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't think I'll ever know what it is for sure. To many choices, i just found a book that i have which has a bunch of hard woods in it and what i found there was Utile and maybe even Iroko. So now I'm lost i think I'll just call it Meranti or Philippine Mahogany, does that seem to make sense though, being that it came from a shipping pallet i would assume that it wouldn't be made of something of high value?


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

Actually, people use whatever wood they can get locally for all kinds of purposes-like pallets-be it teak, walnut, oak, or luan. If it's soft, it's not iroko. Luan, aka Philippine mahogany, is quite soft, has open pores, and varies a lot in color, even in the same board.


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## reelman65 (Jan 24, 2011)

You guys probably already know this but:
It is my understanding that .gov will identify 5 pieces per household per year.

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/research/centers/woodanatomy/wood_idfactsheet.php

Send your samples to:
Center for Wood Anatomy Research
USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory
One Gifford Pinchot Dr.
Madison, WI 53726-2398

I just sent five samples a few weeks ago…..waiting on the results….
Just an FYI.


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## Yonak (Mar 27, 2014)

Thanks, reelman. That's a great resource.


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## Sawdustmaker115 (Sep 8, 2013)

I never knew about that reelman, so you just cut a sample to size and stick it in the mail?


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## reelman65 (Jan 24, 2011)

SDM115,

yea, there are instructions on the site, but you would number them if more than one. send it off and in 4-8weeks. you get the result. I will post a follow up when I get my answers from them.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

no, it's definately in the mahogany family, Lumberyards will use wood that fails inspections for pallets so occaisionally you will get something like mahogany, but usually pallets are just the least expensive thing laying around.


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## Sawdustmaker115 (Sep 8, 2013)

That makes sense TCCcabinetmaker, yeah i'm going to call it Philippine Mahogany, just seems to make the most sense. Thank you

@ reelman: so if i had more then one i would number them, as in put a label on it or just take a good marker and wright the number directly on the wood? And should i take a hand plane and clean up the surfaces of the sample?


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

Sapele ! Alistair


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## reelman65 (Jan 24, 2011)

"""@ reelman: so if i had more then one i would number them, as in put a label on it or just take a good marker and wright the number directly on the wood? And should i take a hand plane and clean up the surfaces of the sample?"""

Correct on the labeling. I think they do DNA or chemical analysis, so I don't think the surfacing is necessary. I believe they wanted a minimum of 3" samples if possible, but they would accept a sliver in the case of antique furniture etc. I sent 4 3-inch samples and a smaller piece of what I am hoping is a big plank of pink ivory.

I would definitely check out the instructions in the link in previous post though.


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