Wood smells like machine oil...

Hi. I'm a hobbyist woodworker and am new to the forum. I like to use recycled wood in my projects where possible for the sake of the environment as well as expense. I've just come across something strange though. I have salvaged a piece of Australian Blackwood (I assume) from a dumped kitchen cupboard door. Not only does it feel sticky and oily when cut and sanded but smells like sewing machine oil. What the...??? I know some woods are naturally oilier than others and I know drying and non-drying oils are both used as wood finishes and undercoats (I use them myself) but this goes ALL the way through the wood and smells like machine oil. Is vacuum impregnating wood with machine oil a thing??? On the other hand, I've never used blackwood before. Does it just co-incidentally smell like machine oil? The door's original finish was intact when I found it so I know it isn't just something that has seeped in. Anyone's advice who knows anything about what might be going on with this weird wood would be greatly appreciated. :)

Doesn't sound like any Blackwood I've seen before, a picture of it would help a lot.

There are treatments that impregnate timber with preservatives, but I think it's unlikely to be that as it's generally only used for construction timber, not for furniture timber.

Doesn't sound like Blackwood to me, either. :no:

Although I wouldn't describe the smell as 'like machine oil,' it sounds to me as though you've managed to score yourself a nice piece of Teak or similar...

Hi thanks to both of you for your responses. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Doesn't sound like any Blackwood I've seen before, a picture of it would help a lot.

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In response to your request for images:

End Grain View:Attachment 460415
Plain Sawn Side: Attachment 460416
Quarter Sawn Side:Attachment 460417
With Original Finish:Attachment 460418

Do these help at all to ID it at all? :) I can take better images if needs be. :)

I think Skew might be on the money with Teak. I haven't done much work with it before so I'm not confident enough to say that it is, but it's definitely not Blackwood.

Thanks. You just saved me from throwing it out!! What a waste THAT would have been! It's really a very nice wood but I thought it might be toxic. (Yes, I know many if not all woods are toxic... but you know what I mean). I guess the strange smell and the tallowy oiliness make sense then... I would not have thought it normal to have treated the wood for a kitchen cupboard door with anything but wood finishing products but I just had not had the good fortune to stumble across such a type of wood before. All makes more sense now. Thankyou for your input. Greatly appreciated. :)

Welcome to the forum.

Thankyou, old1955. :)