# Identify wood smell??



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I was firewooding some pallets today. One of the hardwood boards I cut smelled like sweet like candy. Bazooka bubble gum is about as close as I can come to a specific item, but not quite that sweet and definitely not exactly it. Any ideas??


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BTW, it was a meduim brown color with a tighter grain than walnut. Not purpleheart.


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## Crushgroovin (May 24, 2010)

Could very well be mold or mildew if they have ever been wet. They didn't by chance hold a pallet of Bazooka Joe Bubble Gum because that would really explain it! 

Take a look at CL when you have a sec, there are couple woodworking mag collections in there under tools. Search for magazines should do the trick. I know you were looking for some before.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

They are dry, some dust, but no mold.

I have too much "stuff" to deal with. ;-(( The only WW mags I'm interested in any more are electronic versions. They don't take much room )


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

Gum?


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## wmodavis (Aug 28, 2007)

Can you post a scratch-n-sniff picture.

A wood that is used on pallets here in the Philippines, some of which might be shipped internationally, is a very light colored almost white wood that has a fragerance possibly meeting that description. Might be Gmelina but not sure.


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## Lenny (Sep 28, 2008)

As *bentlyj* commented, rosewood smells sort of like candy. To me, it is sort of like licorice. If one of your Stanley planes is not in tip top condition, lightly sand the tote or knob and see if it mimics what you smelled. Although as *bentlyj* alluded to, rosewood for a pallet???


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## Hopdevil (Dec 13, 2009)

Be very careful!
It could be wood preservative and/or insecticide! There was a recent major recall of over the counter medications due to smell from the pallets. Pallets that are made to be used repeatedly are treated in some manor. In some areas chemicals are used. The method of choice is now to heat treat them to kill anything in the wood. Pallets that have been heat treated are branded accordingly. I would definitely take precautions breathing / inhaling the dust (or smoke) until you are sure!


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## sludge2 (Feb 5, 2011)

I work in pharmaceutical manufacturing and I am very familiar with the pallet recall issue (but I don't work for that company). You do have to be very careful about pallets. We received chemicals from India and one of the pallets had such an odor (it was sweet smelling also, like candy), and one employee who was allergic to strawberries had to be treated for a swollen tongue. Our suppliers do not re-use pallets, but they can be stored next to other nasty things also. After investigating with the supplier, the pallets were part of a shipment that contained concentrated artificial strawberry flavoring.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

It's funny you should bring that up, because this weekend I was working with some of that padauk my friend gave me, and I noticed an aroma very similar to what you describe, but maybe with a hint of cinnamon. Obviously your wood is something else because padauk is bright reddish orange when cut.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

Just. as an FYI, lignum vitae releases a very strong and very beautiful aroma when cut. I've never smelled anything like it.


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## Nomad62 (Apr 20, 2010)

I was slicing up some lightly spalted "silver leaf" maple from a friends back yard, and it smelled exactly like bazooka Joe; no kidding, that was exactly my thoughts! Was quite a joy, really, but I didn't test it to see how big a bubble I could blow.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Thanks for the responses guys.

*Nomad62* Now we'll never know ;-))

*SergioC* Never thougjht about chemical treatment. I did have a basic mask on ;-) It was just one 2x in a pallet about 7 feet long.

I'll look through the fire wood and see if i can find it.


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## JuniorJoiner (Dec 24, 2008)

verawood kinda smells like candy to me. would meet the particulars you mentioned, it is usually green when fresh cut though,


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