Thread: What Timber is this????

I agree it doesn't look like Merbau, I don't think it's Walnut either. The last pic looks like a Eucalypt of some sort, I don't think it's the same as the other 2 boards

Jay's been a bit too generous with his assessment of me...

The timber is heavy and hard [dense], it has a beautiful grain and figure....


IMG_3683.jpg

It does look a lot like Black Bean, but you say it's denser than Blackbutt (average A.D. density 0.9), whereas B.Bean is given as 0.75, so it's less likely to be Bean, though average air-dry densities are only a guide & can vary considerably. I can usually pick bean pretty quickly if I saw it 'cos I sensitised myself to it years ago, machining a heap of it up without respiratory protection. It can be nasty stuff..

Trouble with id-ing wood by 'looks' is that so many look alike...

Cheers,

I am a long way from being expert, but I do know that the end gain is far better for identifying timber. The trouble is getting reliable comparison material or photographs.

One good source is the wood database (link below), which has very good images for comparison - except that Aussie timbers are poorly covered.

You need to look at a clean cut action and if possible use magnification. The key telltale for Merbou, for me at least, is the presence of yellow flecks in the endgrain. These flecks may or may not show in the endgrain.

Merbau | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)

The fact that these are old decking boards would probably make Merbau the most likely suspect, but I have not checked the other timbers mentioned because that is better done by someone who can compare the endgrain pics.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I don't think it's merbau. Some sort of eucalyptus, I would guess. Perhaps tallowood?

I have recently clad a home in tallowood and think your piece is too dark and red for that and the grain structure does not look like Merbau to me either

Definitely not tallowood.

I've seen similar grain and colour in Ironbark, although I'm hesitant to put that forward as an ID because it's not typical.

Still... the weight sounds right... how did the thicknesser survive the experience? If 'twas Ironbark, the thicky would need sharpening by now...

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

I've seen similar grain and colour in Ironbark, although I'm hesitant to put that forward as an ID because it's not typical.

Still... the weight sounds right... how did the thicknesser survive the experience? If 'twas Ironbark, the thicky would need sharpening by now...

The Dewalt DW735 with a Byrd Shelix Cutterhead ran like a top with no issues Skew.....

Very different timber to the iron bark tree I had milled from my front yard!! Cheers, crowie

This is all very fascinating reading, and some very well educated guesses. The other thing that could lead it to being Backbean is that it certainly had an interesting smell, didn’t it Crowie when we were putting through the Thicky? But I really noticed it when I was pre-drilling some holes. The bloke I spoke to Tim Spittle from WA and helped me build my own Ukulele is also an Australian Timber Exporter and said the strong smell would certainly make it BlackBean. So I don’t know

Ian, it really did have a strong smell. That’s for sure. Where can you get BlackBean and how much is it per L/M?

This is what I’ve done with some of it but still have quite a few lineal metres left! Used it for screening on the right hand side and framed around the Garage Door Cavity. It really complimented the Weathertex really well, in my opinion

C40D2D8F-33C8-4FB3-AB29-6053D87AE6F8.jpg

024DAF7C-23C4-408B-9B97-743654E67D22.jpg

Originally Posted by nzhorsey

Ian, it really did have a strong smell. That’s for sure. Where can you get BlackBean and how much is it per L/M?

Hmm, been a while since I worked any Black Bean, as I said, I avoid it because the dust is truly nasty stuff. It's a pity, because it can be quite a spectacular wood, and it's not hard to work, apart from being very easy to split if you aren't careful. I don't remember a particularly characteristic odour, but it can sure provoke a good reaction from the mucosa of your respiratory system if you become sensitised, as most do. I've got several bits of BB somewhere in my stash, so out of curiosity, I'll see if I can find a piece later, & run it over the saw, have a quick sniff, then get the heck out of the shed for an hour or two 'til the dust has completely dispersed!


BB was used quite a bit for flooring up North a generation ago, and quite a bit round where I grew up was chopped up for for fenceposts. Then it had a huge run as face veneer on plywood & particle board, and as a substitute for Teak in "Scandinavian" style furniture, back in the sixties. Given the skimpy dimensions of that style, the joints tended to be very skimpy too, which, combined with the poor glueing characteristics of BB has ensured not many examples of the style survive today.

This mob advertise it, but say supplies are limited....

Cheers,

Not Blackbean, nor Walnut or Kwilla.

At a guess I'd say Red Ironbark, or possibly a dark Spotty (we get them very dark sometimes around here very similar to Red Ironbark)