Thread: Wood Identification Assistance

Have no idea what it is, but it looks nice

looks like rain tree to me i got a heap of it and it looks like that

That,s the sort of salvage we all dream of!!!

Nice work!!

Don't know about Raintree being easy to turn and finish - not if it's the one grown in northern Qld. I have turned pieces from around Mossman and it was very cranky grained stuphph. Finished up looking great after some hand sanding.


I would have said Leopard Tree. It has very dark heartwood and very white sapwood.

I was thinking Raintree (albizia lebbeck) but the bit about "fine grained, turns easily and finished very nicely off the chisel" killed that idea . Haven't tried the other Raintree (albizia saman) that is likely to be planted around your way so maybe it's a better working timber - you'd better send me a chunk to test for you

Blackbean perhaps?

I don't think it is raintree,as it would have a much greater sap margain for a branch that size.Maybe Cassia Brewsteri (leichhardt bean) ? I milled a log with identical grain that was growing along roadside,at Woodford on the Sunshine Coast, not long ago.Incidently,Raintree is light in weight when seasoned!

Thanks for the assistanceand comments. I'd roughed another one and posted another pic which gives a better perspective of the end grain. Quite a narrow and uneven band of sapwood.

TTIT, I've saved a piece fo you.

Jeff

Mapleman is right about the sap margin for the albizia's - I was guessing you had removed most of the sapwood on the bowl .
After seeing the roughed out piece, I'm now thinking PennyLeaf / Indian Rosewood (dalbergia latifolia) - an introduced 'weed' that is popping up along the coast. The colour,bark and sapwood looks right and your account of how well it works fits too. Lots of it around Mackay but I'm not sure if it has made it as far south as you guy's - yet!

My thoughts about Leopard ree are way off line!

Had another squizz at the photos and nothing about Leopard Tree fits.

And Mapleman is right. Raintree is quite lght when dry.

Indian Rosewood seems to fit the bill. I picked up another attribute on Google that also fitted. It is said to cause skin irritation - no problems when using the chisel, however a different matter when sanding - immediate sneezing, instant copius mucus and thus lots of nose-blowing . .

So, I'll call this lot 'Indian Rosewood' - and who could argue!

Thanks to all who for your collective wisdom.

Jeff

Just finished another from the same score of wood (which I'm now happy to call Indian Rosewood) and it came up a treat. I'm going to get over to the dump every week now just in case I can score some more.

Jeff

Originally Posted by ogato

Indian Rosewood seems to fit the bill. I picked up another attribute on Google that also fitted. It is said to cause skin irritation - no problems when using the chisel, however a different matter when sanding - immediate sneezing, instant copius mucus and thus lots of nose-blowing . .

So, I'll call this lot 'Indian Rosewood' - and who could argue!

Thanks to all who for your collective wisdom.

Jeff

It shares that attribute with blackbean, although you can add blood to the mucus!