# Wood ID



## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

I was given about 300 BF of walnut (Don't be too jealous - Only so far about 60 feet is usable, the rest destroyed by termites)

Along with the walnut I got this board. Its pretty heavy. I'm thinking mahogany? I put some mineral spirits on one half to see the grain.


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

Quarter sawn sycamore


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## Lenny (Sep 28, 2008)

What Shane said.


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## SYPUCK (May 1, 2013)

I don't think that is mahogany. m Mahogany is much darker and has a lot more straighter grains in the wood then that piece. It is a very nice piece of wood though.


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## Mip (Sep 16, 2012)

I didn't know sycamore got that dark. Nice looking stuff, though.


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## Buckethead (Apr 14, 2013)

I can't say, but I would use it for something. Perhaps resaw it extensively, to expose more of that lovely grain.


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## Tony_S (Dec 16, 2009)

What Shane said x2.


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## cmaxnavy (Dec 23, 2007)

It has distinctive swirling figures of sycamore.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Never saw sycamore that dark. But whatever it is it definately appears quartersawn.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

I am leaning more towards quartersawn cherry. Sycamore generally has a more pronounced ray fleck, more like this.










The color is more like cherry than sycamore.


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

I have some of that, it's old cherry I have some thats black and beautiful CHERRY CHERRY


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

Sycamore can be somewhat dark. The OP pic is a bit red compared to what I have seen in QS Sycamore. However, the QS cherry I have seen tends to have "rays" more in line with QS maple. This boards looks to have the "snake like" rays I associate w/QS Sycamore. The weight of the board would be pretty light, if it were sycamore, and it would cut more easy than cherry. No matter what it is, it is good looking.


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

sycamore has a little differ grain pattern than cherry when qt sawn a little coarser you mite say


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## ErikF (Apr 3, 2012)

Cherry


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## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

It's very dark and heavy. I looked at qs sycamore pics. Very similar to what I have but in the descriptions sycamore seems to be light. This is very dark, reddish and heavy.

Can sycamore be dense like that it is that more a characteristic of cherry?

The rough sawn side is VERY dark.


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## ShaneA (Apr 15, 2011)

To me, sycamore is pretty light and soft stuff. Cuts real easy compared to most hard woods. The grain is a dead ringer to QS sycamore, but I now have doubts on the color and redness of the piece. As I stated above the grain looks a bit different from the QS cherry I have seen. But honestly, I have not seen a lot of QS cherry.


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

It looks exactly like many pieces of sipo mahogany that I have in the shop.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

It is definitely quartersawn cherry…............


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## TravisH (Feb 6, 2013)

No doubt it is quartersawn cherry. Snapped a quick pick on the fish tank stand I built a few years ago.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v302/TravisH/DSC_0487-1_zpse4f67c1f.jpg


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

Cherry is hands down my favorite wood. I use it all the time, I cast my vote to quartersawn cherry as well. If you post close up pics of the end grain I believe we'd know for certain.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Travis,

Excellent photo.


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## BrandonR (Feb 14, 2012)

It looks just like the mahogany I have bought at my local mill.

Similar to these pictures too…. http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/african-mahogany/


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

Have you considered it might be Sapele?


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## RECOBKLYN (May 8, 2013)

I don't think that's sycamore, the flecks are similar but the color is off. I've seen quartered cherry with similar grain and if exposed to the sun long enough it'll darken like that. But I also have some old reclaimed mahogany that is dense and heavy and has a similar grain on the quartered face. I'd lean towards the mahogany. I'll try to post a pic tomorrow of some similar mahogany at the shop.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

My first thought was that it is Sapele, but the color seems a little off. 
Sapele seems more Orange to me. (Not that I even have an idea what this sample is here.)


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## RWAARM (Apr 2, 2013)

cherry


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## DaddyZ (Jan 28, 2010)

Cherry !!!


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

I am voting mahogany again…. from my shop supply.










could be twins!!


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## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

Wow so many different options! I will take a pic of endgrain.


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## Willeh (Dec 30, 2011)

This will be interesting to see how it ends up… good argument from both the Cherry and the Sycamore camps..


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## BrandonR (Feb 14, 2012)

Here is a piece of mahogany from my shop…. 1st picture is a piece that is planed and then partially rubbed with mineral spirits…. The second is a piece of cherry (next to the mahogany) that is also partially rubbed with mineral spirits.

Looks just about the same as your picture!


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Cherry has a very distinctive smell when milled so that may help answer the question.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

Darn, I wont be back in the studio until MOnday, but I have a board of black cherry that matches exactly. YOU are confusing interlocked grain from the Mahogany (which if you look closely are all at angles to each other.. they cross over both ways making a wavy pattern that switches from early wood to late wood.

The board, is quarter sawn into the ray parenchyma cells… which all cross parallel to and in between the early wood and late wood grain… like I said if you post end grain we will know for sure.. and monday I will post a picture that will convince you all that it is cherry wood.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

EPJartisan is dead on the money about the interlocked grain and vertical striping effect in mahogany, and the sample wood does not have that. The wood in question is definitely cherry. Like some others have said, I have some that matches exactly. The dark color is typical of cherry that has been exposed to light. This darkening of cherry is a distinctive feature.


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

I understand what all are saying about the grain, but I don't see it…. I might need a new prescription (actually I do) I look forward to seeing both the matching cherry, and the end grain pics!! How exciting.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

I realized I wrote the parenchyma were parallel, but they are perpendicular to the growth rings.
I found some pictures from HobbotHouse




























Soon as my camera is back up I can take samples from around my house.. and like I said next monday I will make it concrete that this is black cherry.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

Here are some small snap shot of areas I use quarter sawn cherry in my condo. I like putting it where people will see it in unexpected places… bookshelf trim, door frame edges, shelf edges and brackets.. etc… it is too busy and costly to use everywhere, so I choose it, along with the fire figure also found in cherry wood.. or what some crassly call blotching.


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## WoodYard (Feb 26, 2010)

Is this it?
http://woodfinder.com/woods/khaya.php


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## mcgyver (Apr 11, 2013)

cherry this is a picture of some in my airstream cabinets im building wild black cherry from louisiana


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Rick,

No, that is not it. The mahogany has interlocked grain. That shows up in your pic as horizontal bands. Cherry does not have this striped effect.


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

its cherry


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## Flocktothewall (Jan 16, 2011)

Finally I cut the end grain.



















I think it is Cherry, I was milling a board in which I thought to be 40 year old walnut (like everything else and it also is quartered cherry)


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## bold1 (May 5, 2013)

I've only seen a couple pieces, but it looks like red or dark, however you rate it, Teak.


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