Thread: spotting different species in recycled HW

It is highly likely that there will be a variety of species. You could take a chisel and try and get an idea from the colour but the yard owner won't appreciate it. An experienced timber person will be able to name most varieties fairly accurately but scientific help would be required to name all with 100% accuracy. It's pretty hard to classify recycled timber unless it's an obvious variety.
Why not just buy a few sticks to take home and try to classify them. Keep samples that will help name future purchases.

cheers
Steve

hey steve,
im mainly looking for something like messmate or blackbutt... or whatever really, i just want to be able to spot the difference between vic ash and something else.

bear in mind that all these timbers are grey and weathered.

thanks daniel

Originally Posted by mrtayls

hey steve,
im mainly looking for something like messmate or blackbutt... or whatever really, i just want to be able to spot the difference between vic ash and something else.

bear in mind that all these timbers are grey and weathered.

thanks daniel

Bloke,
In all due respect, Vic Ash is not a specie as such....
It is a generic name given to a few different species sold and marketed as Vic Ash. Messmate is one of those species sold as Vic Ash.
Suggest you won't see much recycled Blackbutt in Melbourne either.

If you want to see what different species look like, go to a flooring showroom.
Offcuts

i thought that was true for tassie oak...

Hi mrtays, I use quite a bit of recycled hardwood, most of which up this way is Blackbutt but as you say when its 50 years old grey and weathered its almost impossible to tell. I take a block plane with me and shave off as much as I want to find what I want. I haven't had any trouble with the sellers they seem to understand. Generaly its more a colour issue, the difference between Blackbutt, Vic Ash, Messermate etc is purely technical if that and most of them are very similar in colour, grain, strength etc so just pick as much of the same colour as you can find, get a couple of extra sticks so you can mix and match and you should be good to go.

You can also stick to house or job lots as they come in to the yard. They will mostly be the same delivered in ack lots to the old construction .Colour is the best reds, creams and brown . I had and small axe and was happy to chip the end and see what was in side .