Help Identifying Type of Wood

[apwitt]

Hello All.  A definite newb here and just getting started kicking off a woodworking hobby.  I made my first Festool purchase a month or so ago, picked up a couple of others and have been searching high and low for projects to get started.  I came across the table shown in the following pics on Craigslist and picked it up for $10.00.  My wife thinks I'm nuts and time will tell who is right  [wink].  There are no markings on the table other than "Made in Thailand 165 97".  The prior owner said he picked it up in a locker storage sale.  I am hoping to use my RO 125 to refinish this table this Thanksgiving weekend.  It's solid wood of some sort and I was hoping to get some help identifying it.  I am thinking maple, but that is an uneducated guess.  Any thoughts are appreciated and I would also welcome advice on what finish to apply.  I plan on starting by sanding with with an 80 grit granat, moving up to 120 and then 150 (because that is what I have).  Thanks in advance to any replies and best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving holiday!  Tony

 

[Rollin22Petes]

Looks like beech but coming from Taiwan could also possibly be rubberwood.

 

[apwitt]

Sorry about the first two pics not enlarging.  Here are a couple of the top that should work. 

 

[apwitt]

Thanks Rollin22Petes.  That helps.  I will post some pictures on how it turns out. 

 

[crsowa]

Not maple for sure.  Beech is a good guess, I've also seen white oak look like that with the lesser grain texture.

 

[mouppe]

That looks like avodire to me. It has similar properties to mahogany, and is lovely to work. Quite soft actually, so you may want to skip 80 grit and start at 100 or 120.

The frame on this chest is avodire in its raw state (not the centre panel which is pine)- I think when you sand yours it may look similar.

It takes a gel stain well, shellac and wax too. Oil finishes can be a little blotchy.

 

[gippy]

It says Thailand, not Taiwan and it is certainly rubber wood. I have found it hard to stain due to blotching so perhaps sand to 180 and then a clear finish.

 

[monstrol]

You can use a stain conditioner first if you are worried about blotches.  I like the  minwax water based.

 

[apwitt]

Thank you for the responses and advice.  I ended up sanding the table throughout with the RO 125 using 120 Granat followed by 150.  I was amazed at what was beneath the years of use of the table. It sanded up beautifully.  I then stained the top with General Finishes latex stain in Antique Cherry and painted the legs with General Finishes Lamp Black Milk Paint.  I think it came out pretty good for my first effort, and more importantly the wife was even impressed.  [big grin] Thanks again to the board for being a great resource!