# How do I identify the species of a board I bought?



## rrrun (Jan 1, 2010)

I recently bought 19x boards from a guy that was selling lumber that his Dad had bought. The seller was not a woodworker, and based on the dirt on the boards, they had been in storage for a while.

Most of the boards were labeled on their edge, but there a few boards labeled "mohogany" that are very different looks. One has great figure, and then a few are almost uniformly cherry colored, with a few sap extrusions (?) on the face of the boards.

Can you tell me which is what?


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## JustJoe (Oct 26, 2012)

I vote cherry for the 2nd pic, only because it looks exactly like the common cherry boards I was working on today. 
Edit: Is that first one kind of light-weight and stringy? The look reminds me of that mahogany they make the doorskins out of.


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## Bobmedic (Sep 24, 2010)

Looks like possibly maple or Sycamore in the first pic


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## Chris208 (Mar 8, 2012)

The first picture looks like a mahogany species to me. I have some "red mahogany" that looks identical.

The second pic looks like cherry.


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## dshort824 (Jan 12, 2011)

My vote is mahogany and cherry


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

#1. Sapele ?? (it's not Honduran mahogany)

#2. Cherry


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

1st board I would say is QS Sycamore. 2nd board I would say is cherry.


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## Danal (Apr 21, 2012)

The first board is indicative of mahogany and second is cherry


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## Woodendeavor (Apr 7, 2011)

I have worked with it a few times, the first picture is Quarter sawn Sycamore IMHO


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

first is possibly mahogany and second is most likely cherry


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## hydro (Aug 9, 2013)

The top board is one of the pacific "mahogany" species. You can tell by the top of the board with its open grain structure. That also indicates that it is not sycamore.


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## kaerlighedsbamsen (Sep 16, 2013)

2. could also be pear


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## marcuscraft (Nov 14, 2012)

1. Qsawn something, doesn't look like mahogany to me.
2. Another vote for cherry.


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## rrrun (Jan 1, 2010)

I should also mention that I'm in southern California. Quartersawn sycamore seems unlikely to me; I've never seen it for sale here. I think the 2nd picture is cherry … that's the first thought I had when I bought it.

The first board is clearly labeled "mohogany." The grain flecks are rectanglular … the sycamore photos I've seen have flecks that are more rounded than this board presents. I think.

Unfortunately, I've never worked with cherry or mahogany, so I'm unfamiliar with both.

I mean, FORTUNATELY, I'm getting more experience with more wood!


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## RogerM (Oct 31, 2011)

Second board cherry. First board could be soft maple.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

I am going with quartersawn sycamore and cherry, too.


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## larryw (Feb 10, 2011)

Henry, I agree with you and RogerM., The second board without a doubt is cherry , and the first one Is definately not sycamore. I use a lot of quatersawn sycamore. It could be mahogany, but really does resemble soft maple when it has been quartersawn.


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## John1 (Aug 3, 2008)

First board looks like Meranti to me - it is a relative of Mahogany. A shot of the end grain would help. Meranti end grain has what looks like round tubules running lengthwise up the board. 
Second board is definitely cherry.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

After thinking about and looking at the pics again, I agree that the first board is probably red maple.


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

How you guys look at that and think sycamore or maple is a mystery to me.


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## kimballd (Jul 27, 2013)

That first one looks like that 'Sande wood' that they used to sell at Hope Depot about ten years ago. I believeit was actually Luan.


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## jap (Oct 10, 2012)

quartersawn maple for the first, and cherry for the second


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

I'd say sapele, it can range from rust red to fawn to salmon pink


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## Wolfdaddy (May 18, 2013)

Second one is 100% cherry. First one is some variant or relative of mahogany. Spanish cedar comes to mind as another possibility.


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## Woodmaster1 (Apr 26, 2011)

Mahogany and cherry go with the labels. I am sure the guy's dad knew what he bought.


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