Thread: What timber is this?

I don't think it's an oak at all, there should be some medullary rays evident near the centre where the cut is slightly radial if it's a Quercus sp. Compare yours with the sample in the wood database....

However, I could be out to lunch, it's a species I'm not familiar with & exotic trees grown in habitats way different from their home range can sometimes look very different from their "normal" selves, for several potential reasons....

Cheers,

SANY0344.jpgThanks for your reply. I just added an end-grain shot to help I.D.

I took more photos of a finished project of that same species that might shed some light on the presence of rays in the timber. If possible can you take a look and SANY0342.jpgSANY0341.jpgtell me more please?

CRaatz

To myself lol

This is my Pin Oak and it looks nothing like the mystery timber. I understand what is meant by 'medullary rays' now! Thanks IanW for your help.SANY0343.jpg

CRaatz

How hard is it?

Now that does look like a Quercus sp.! You can clearly see the ends of the rays in the bottom piece & the scale-like sides of the rays on the adjacent side (they are in shadow, but still clearly visible on an enlarged pic).

The second lot of pics you put up, I have no idea. It's a ring-porous wood of which we don't have many in native woodland trees, but it could be an exotic. As BobL said, give us a few clues, is it a dense wood? was it a street tree? The more info you can provide the better chance we have of making a reasonable suggestion or two.....
Cheers,

Hi
Thanks for your reply

I can make a very small impression in the piece using my thumbnail. And I would bet it was a street or garden tree (Back story - I was recently given one half split-round piece ~600mm long x 300 diameter by a 90 year old gentlemen who harvested it decades ago, hence the clear resin-filled wide checking in the photos. I showed him the dressed pieces and he still couldn't I.D. it or remember clearly where he sourced it. He wished he had of keep records, he said)

Regards
CRaatz

Well, if it's soft enough to dent with a thumbnail, and given that porous-looking grain, plus the ring-porous end-grain, & that it's likely exotic, one thought I had was Chestnut, i.e. sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa). It looks quite like oak on the tangential surface, but doesn't have the medullary rays of oaks. have a sample of chestnut somewhere, but it would probably take me a week to find it. That's just a suggestion....

Cheers,

From a quick look at the wood it looks like an Ash to me (Fraxinus sp)

Originally Posted by Euge

From a quick look at the wood it looks like an Ash to me (Fraxinus sp)

I think you are on the money, Euge. I let myself be mis-led by the "thumbnail" test (chestnut is quite soft), but taking a second look at the wood, it does look a lot like the desert ash I've had. It's a common street tree in the southern climes too, whereas chestnut is not very common. I remember seeing a few farm groves somewhere (King valley?), but haven't seen it planted as a street tree....

Cheers,
Ian

+1 for Ash. US White Ash has a very similar grain pattern to White Oak, just without the pronounced rays.

Here is some Claret Ash I milled some time ago. Looks close to it, also a street tree and very nice to work with. Very little but pleasant smell to the timber as it’s worked.

By the looks of the Claret Ash I reckon I've got one of its near relatives for sure.

The timber piece in question has no distinct fragrance, even when cut.

I'd love to see a length of Chestnut to totally rule it out...

Thanks for all your help.

CRaatz, "Claret" & "Golden" ash are just cultivars of 'desert ash' (Fraxinus oxycarpa or F. angustifolia depending on which text you consult). From my limited experience, the wood is the same for all: easy to dry & turns nicely, but unlike its cousins from more temperate climates it tends to be brittle & not so suitable for wagon wheels & chair parts....

Originally Posted by CRaatz

..... I'd love to see a length of Chestnut to totally rule it out....

I can't find any atm, must've used it or just buried it deep in the pile. I'll keep looking, but check out the wood database for a pic. It's not that great a picture I'm afraid, but in any case, there isn't that much that sets it apart from many similar woods in a photo. What does set it apart, is that it's quite soft - much softer than claret ash, which is why I was swayed by your fingernail test - I guess I should've taken more notice that you said you could "just" dent it. Chestnut is quite easily dented by the fingernail test - what I had was almost as easy to mark as red cedar (Toona)...

Cheers,