# Just picked up this Bench . Can anyone tell me what species of wood it is?



## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Trying to figure out if this is mahogany? If not what it is. Also based on what it is, the best way to finish it ?


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## lumbering_on (Jan 21, 2017)

You need to get a better photo of the boards. If you can get the end grain then that would help even more. It would also be of some help if you let us know where you got it from? Is it a park bench? If so, I really don't think it would be mahogany.


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Sorry I bought it from Craigslist from a guy in Quincy . Iron bench ends read "Titan" on them. I tried looking it up and found nothing? I'll try and get better pics in the am. It does appear to be a more commercial grade park bench. super solid piece.


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## Magnum (Feb 5, 2010)

I did the best I could to clean up this photo. I'm assuming this is the Bench, lying on it's back in the back of a truck but it seemed to show the boards the best. (I rotated it so the Truck is right side UP …..I Think.)
I'm not even going to Hazard a guess at what type of wood it is. I'll leave that to Our "Experts" lol….










Rick S. (Ontario, CANADA)


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## JCamp (Nov 22, 2016)

Some of the grain looks like oak to me but those are some rough pics to go off of.  I can't imagain any company using mahogany for what I'm assuming is a outdoor bench cause I'd think it would cost a fortune


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## lumbering_on (Jan 21, 2017)

> Some of the grain looks like oak to me but those are some rough pics to go off of. I can't imagain any company using mahogany for what I'm assuming is a outdoor bench cause I'd think it would cost a fortune
> 
> - JCamp


I was thinking he grain could be oak, elm, or maybe ash, but not mahogany. It's tough to tell though unless you see it close and know if there was a toner applied.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Or alder


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## JohnDi (Jun 23, 2014)

Grain looks like Oak to me also.


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## Jeff28078 (Aug 27, 2009)

White oak stained darker or aged. Would stand up to the outdoors.


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## Bunyon (Sep 4, 2017)

Grain does look like oak. Just re-finished a bench that was a combination oak and teak. Only identified the wood after I cleaned it up. I just used an exterior varnish


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Thank you everyone. I'm going to try and take some better pics today. it's raining and it may show grain better wet


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## GR8HUNTER (Jun 13, 2016)

bench wood alder :<))


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## lumbering_on (Jan 21, 2017)

> Or alder
> 
> - TheFridge


Oak alder, elm alder, or ash alder.


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Don't know if these help? Someone suggested that I clean it with wood cleaner and finish it with 70% teak oil and 30% helm spar urethane? Any thoughts on that?


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## CharlesinSEA (Sep 7, 2017)

I'd say it looks like an exotic, which would be a good choice for a bench sitting out in the elements. Likely Ipe. If you only ever clean it using deck/teak cleaner and then only oil it, it will look like new for decades. If you get in your head that varnish is a good idea it'll look great until water gets under the varnish in one spot, and then the only solution is to strip and refinish.

Couple hours of work every couple year to clean and oil is the way to go. It looks like the wood really isnt even that dirty.


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## lumbering_on (Jan 21, 2017)

The end grain looks very porous in the picture, which isn't typical of ipe, but is what you'd expect with a white oak that's been stained. It also makes sense from an economic standpoint as white oak is relatively cheap and won't rot.

If it's stained, like I think it is, then you should test out the teak oil on a hidden area. It's possible that the oil may cause issues with the stain.


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Thanks lumbering_on


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Brought a slat into a local wood shop. Turns out it's teak. Pretty good buy!


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## lumbering_on (Jan 21, 2017)

Nice find. Teak also has porous end grain and similar straight grain as white oak. It's is even more rot resistant than white oak. I just haven't seen too many bench around made of it because it is so expensive, so I went with what would be far more common. You definitely got a great deal with it.


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Traditionally those benches were seated with either Teak, or White Oak slats, both of which do well outdoors, especially not being in ground contact.

Nothing personal, but your pics suck. I can only see the endgrain is rough, and with either age or coloring the face grains are pretty muddled. Below you will find links to pics of first WO, then Teak. Look them over and compare them to what you have. If I had to say based on the pictures, you couldn't move me off WO. Only because Teak has a very distinguished end grain, and your pics though too far away look more like WO.

White Oak

Teak

Love you guys with your Alder. Other place it's always GUM, which at HH does tend to look like every wood.


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Cleaned it up with warm soapy water and stiff bristle brush. Maybe it's easier to identify this way but woodwork shop was sure it's teak. I bought some teak oil. After it fully dries I'll try a test spot


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)




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## Kazooman (Jan 20, 2013)

Very nice looking bench! It cleaned up very nicely. Only problem I can see is that all of the dirt is going to fall out of the planter box on the house.


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Very good kazooman!


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Before and after soapy water wash!


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## lumbering_on (Jan 21, 2017)

So this has now turned into a gloat thread?


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

Sorry not my intention… but it does feel good to finally be on the winning end of a craigslist deal! Lol!


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## lumbering_on (Jan 21, 2017)

> Sorry not my intention… but it does feel good to finally be on the winning end of a craigslist deal! Lol!
> 
> - Dubbs


If you can't gloat over a great find, then life isn't worth living.


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

The real test for teak is smell. Weathered teak can resemble other woods and vice versa but nothing smells like teak when cut. If the shop that identified it is familiar with teak and did a smell test they will be right … for sure.


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## Dubbs (Nov 1, 2018)

A light sanding, some teak oil, and
gloss paint on the ends and it's complete!


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