Wood ID please

[ole1]

Hi all,


I found this board at the Brisbane woodworking expo, found it quite striking. It's well on its way to becoming a coffee table, but I have no idea what it is, nor did the bloke who sold it to me.

Anyone able to help a noob?

Thank you.

s

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[pjt]

Camphour Laurel by the look of it, Does it have a strong smell to it like moth balls?



Pete

[ole1]

Yes it does Pete, thanks for your reply.

I'm only just at the experience level where I'm diverting from cheap pine, so I can now go ahead and figure out the best way to work with and finish this board.

Thanks again.

[Avery]

Certainly looks like camphor laurel. If as Pete says , it smells like mothballs when you cut it or sand it , then it is almost certainly camphor laurel.

A good timber to work with and it finishes well. It should make a fine coffee table.

WIP pics please.

[artme]

Plus 1 for Camphor..

Nice score!!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

[ole1]

Certainly looks like camphor laurel. If as Pete says , it smells like mothballs when you cut it or sand it , then it is almost certainly camphor laurel.

A good timber to work with and it finishes well. It should make a fine coffee table.

WIP pics please.

Thanks Avery, the mothball smell is (now) unmistakable, even just from rubbing it with my fingers.

I understand there are some toxicity/allergen issues with this stuff, so good masks remain essential.

Here's a WIP pic of the base, which I knocked together today. It's based on a free plan I found online:

http://www.buildeazy.com/coffee_lounge.html

My next step is to find some suitable legs, chisel a flat edge out of the top of each one, and carriage bolt them in through the corner supports. Then, when my dayjob allows, I'll move onto sanding and finishing the top. Good fun. :)

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Thanks again guys!

[pjt]

Just a word of caution on your method of fixing, from the pic it looks like the top is well screwed down, it is normal practice to allow for movement of the top relative to the base with the emphasis being on allowing for cross grain movement, a quick fix for your design would be to slot the screw holes on each long side apron in the width direction, 2 or 3mm will do and then just nip the screws up when you replace, this then allows the top to move, the two center ones should be right.

I made a couple of small cabinets with CL infill panels, I just finished with Linseed Oil, every time I open the door I get a wiff of CL aroma :2tsup:, with your table you might not get much of an aroma in the room and moreso if you finish with a film finish.

I'm a bit surprised the bloke you bought it from at the show didn't know what it was:? not that I'm any sort of expert:B:;


Pete