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  1. 3rd May 2014, 12:00 AM #1
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    Default Jarrah or Merbau

    I have some wood scraps, and I had thought I got some Jarrah, but I'm really not sure if it's actually merbau. I certainly have some pieces of Merbau, as it's quite distinctive with the little yellow spots of mineral deposits, and also has a bit of a black spotty look in other places. But I found some different pieces, and I thought they were Jarrah - much redder in colour, and doesn't have the yellow mineral deposit specks. However, after turning up some of the pieces on the lathe, I noticed that there were a few little whitish specks on one of the boards. Does Jarrah get little white spots at all? I also noticed when cutting the boards that the inside of the 'jarrah' boards was much less red than the outside.

    Anyone with jarrah experience, who could say whether it might be Jarrah? My wife has just told me to post a photo, so I'll go and get one.
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  3. 5th May 2014, 12:10 PM #2
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    Hmm, no photo. I've decided in the end that it is all Merbau. It has a distinctive smell when cut like Merbau, and Jarrah is not supposed to have any real smell. Oh well.
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  4. 5th May 2014, 04:42 PM #3
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    You're probably right, if it has a smell.

    FWIW, I've quite a stack of Merbau offcuts here that don't have the yellow flecks. (In fact, it's why I've kept 'em. I find they're more usable for inlays, etc. than the flecky stuff.)
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  5. 5th May 2014, 04:48 PM #4
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    If Merbau is clear of flecks, it's actually quite a nice looking timber. I've used it for tool handles, with a Jarrah stain, and brass rings. Looks fabulous. However, I'm a bit put off after building a really stylish knife block out of it, and friend came around, took one look and commented "Used decking timber for that, did you?". I've been reluctant to use it ever since.
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