Yellow Wood

[AlexS]

I've been given a piece of wood described as 'Yellow wood', which came up very nicely as a small box. Does anyone know anything about a wood of this name? Interested in where it grows, other uses etc.

PS I glued it up using yellow glue - just getting in before doorstop!

[Jamin]

Hi Alex,

I have looked it up in a book called "World Woods in Colour" by William A. Lincoln (Linden Publishing, California, 1997 ed). This is very good reference and it provides three possibilities. I will do my best to take the key information and desribe each wood (from the photographs given):

1. Fustic, which comes from the West Indies & South America. It is reasonably constant in colour, ranging from honey to a very light brown, with a beech like spotting (faint, not strong like beech). It is very dense 800kg /m3, and is commonly used for carpentry and civil / marine purposes.

2. Podo, from East & South Africa. Very constant rich honey colour, with minimal (if any variation). You can see the grain, but only just. It is a soft wood 510kg/m3, used for plywood manufacture and cheaper grades of furniture.

3. Vinhatico, principally found in Brazil, also in Argentina and Columbia. This is heavily streaked wood, with really dark brown (almost black) markings throughout. It's principle colour is honey. It weighs 600kg/m3 and is in high demand (according to the author) for furniture and cabinetmaking. This stuff seems to be used for everything, it even notes vehicle bodywork as a use!!!

There is a heap more information in the book, ranging from resistance to insects and mechanical properties. The book is very thorough to say the least, so if you want any more information just reply to this thread and I will see what it says.

I hope this helps.

cheers Jamin

[ubeaut]

Hi Alex

Is the timber bright rich yellow with a deep lustre and beautiful refracted light when it is polished? Does it have a smell like a weed or milk thistle when you turned it?

If so it would appear that what you may have could be Osage Orange (sometimes called mock orange)

There is a timber called "Yellowood" which I think might come from somewhere in South America or Africa, it was used extensively years ago as a dye for timber and cloth. The powdered Yellowood extract produced an array of yellows, browns, olive, bronze and chestnut colours. To my knowledge it was never really available in Australia and would be pretty rare piece to have.

Cheers
Neil

PS if it is Osage Orange there is a heap of info I can give you.

Where are all the International Wood Collectors. They should have more info on this one. COME ON GUYS & GALLS, LETS HEAR FROM YOU!!

[Shane Watson]

Found this site through another B.B. thought it might be worth a look for you.

http://northstarlumber.com/woodpics/

I see that it has a pic of that osage orange too Neil.

Cheers
Shane..

[AlexS]

Thanks everyone. It sounds like Vinhatico, Jamin, so any other info would be appreciated. It realy is a nice timber, both in appearance and to work with.

[ubeaut]

Good one Shane. What a great resource.

Only one minor problem. Have a look for a timber you know well and see if it even vaguely resembles what you remember.

I looked up 10 timbers and not one of the photos looked anything like the timbers I know. I did not look for common woods like pine of oak but things like Osage Orange (well you did say it was on there) red gum, kwila, Australian Cedar, etc.

Try it for yourselves. It's like they have got a thousand photos and thrown them into the air then named them as they fell. Maybe I am just used to having nice pieces of timber, and maybe the photos lose something in the scanning. Who knows.

Strange ! ! !

Cheers
Neil

[Jamin]

Hi Alex,

As I am taking a complete quote directly out of the book, I better respect the author and publisher properly. Taken from page 272, of World Woods in Colour, William Lincoln, Linden Publishing , California, 1997:

"Vinhatico (H) Playthymenia reticulata, Benth. (principally)
Family: Leguminosae

Other Names: vinhatico castanho, vinhatico algodas, vinhatico amarello, vinhatico espinho, angiko (Brazil); tatare, jaruma (Argentina); Brazilian mahogany, jellow mahogany, gold wood, yellow wood (USA).

Distribution: Principally Brazil, also Argentina and Columbia.

General description: The heartwood is a lustrous, yellow orange with verigated streaks or stripes of lighter of darker shades. The grain is straight to roey, with a medium to slightly coarse texture. Wieght 600 kg/m3 (37 lb/ft3); specific gravity .60.

Mechanical properties: This is a tough and strong wood in relation to its weight, with medium bending strength, low stiffness and resistance to shock loads, and high crushing strength. It has a moderate steam bending classification.

Seasoning: Dries readily and well with no tendency to twist or check. It is a stable wood with small movement in service.

Working properties: Vinhatico works well with hand or machine tools and produces a clean finish. Holds nails or screwed joints well; glues, stains and polishes, when filled, to a high finish.

Durability: The timber is moderately durable and fairly resistant to inscet and fungal decay. Moderately resistant to preservative treatment, but the sapwood is permeable.

Uses: It is in great demand for furniture and cabinetmaking, superior joinery and turnery; also used for shoe heels, domestic flooring, shopfitting, shipbuilding, and the denser specimens for vehicle bodywork. the timber peels and slices easily and is used for plywood and decorative veneers for cabinets, panelling and marquetry.

Note: The name Vinhatico is applied to several genera which have similar coloured wood in weight range 560 - 640 kg/m3 (35-40 lb/ft3)"

Also a small plug for the book as I am using it to make me appear knowledgable: it is really thorough, it missing a few of the local woods, but has more than any other like book I have discovered.

cheers Jamin

PS I am busy all of a sudden but I will try to match it a wood on the site recommend by Shane (? Can't remember who wrote that note).

PPS Sorry for any spelling errors (to the reader and the author).

[AlexS]

Thanks Jamin, I'll see if I can lay hands on a copy of the book.

[Jamin]

Hi Alex,

The cheapest I could find it Australia was $78 from "The Woods Works Book & Tool Co" (they are on the Internet, www.thewoodworks.com.au, I think). It was $92 from Dymocks! I bought mine from the US cost A$66 including postage (USD$32.95 + USD$8.99 postage), but it did take 11 weeks to arrive (I only got it a week ago). Even though it is expensive it is a good reference.

cheers Jamin

[paul snape]

yellowwood could be an australian timber flindersia xanthoxyia called yellowwood .it is found on the far north coast of nsw and up to gympie in queensland .mostly found in coastal rainforests .it is used mainly for furniture ,veneer, boatbuilding ,handles, carvery, turnery ,etc

[AlexS]

Thanks everyone. It is indeed Flindersia Xanthoxia, according to Richard Parsons who kindly gave it to me.