Help me identify this wood.
- Thread starter dryvah
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nickao
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What color the face when sanded clean.
It's definitely NOT the species called Genuine Mahogany. I have a piece right here and looking under a 10X loupe the end grain appears different than what you are showing.
Ill go through my book of end grains later and look for a match.
Is that piece very heavy? Genuine mahogany is light weight.
It's definitely NOT the species called Genuine Mahogany. I have a piece right here and looking under a 10X loupe the end grain appears different than what you are showing.
Ill go through my book of end grains later and look for a match.
Is that piece very heavy? Genuine mahogany is light weight.
bkharman
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Looks like Purple Heart. Same type of grain in that pic. Either it was weathered or stained in the past.
Look here for some more info:
http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/purpleheart/
Cheers. Bryan.
Look here for some more info:
http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/purpleheart/
Cheers. Bryan.
nickao
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That's what I was thinking as well, that's why I asked to see the sanded face to see if the brownish went away and become purple.
I have also seen Paduak, Red Heart and even some African Mahoganies of that color though, so matching the end grain is the only definitive way to know.
If the face sands to a purple it's an easier call.
Get a 10x loupe I think the purple heart call may be correct, your picture really does look like this as bkharman pointed out:
[attachimg=1]
I love collecting woods, I have over 1000 in my collection to date. You have motivated me to get back into it.
I have also seen Paduak, Red Heart and even some African Mahoganies of that color though, so matching the end grain is the only definitive way to know.
If the face sands to a purple it's an easier call.
Get a 10x loupe I think the purple heart call may be correct, your picture really does look like this as bkharman pointed out:
[attachimg=1]
I love collecting woods, I have over 1000 in my collection to date. You have motivated me to get back into it.
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nickao
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No, the purple doesn't come back until sanded again and it will turn brownish grey after a few years if not sooner. If I cut through a piece laying in my shop right now the purple would come right out of it. The OP's sample piece is purplish in the center and that's exatly how purple heart works.
Looking at the end of grain of the OP's piece, for me and without having it in hand, purple heart is the best bet.
A lot of purple heart isn't truly purple to begin with, that's why I have to hand pick it. And looking at that sample further sanding of the face(to much unless you ruin it) may be needed to get to that color. That particular piece may have been sitting a long, long while or it is a poor choice of the purple heart species to get the purple color. But the end grain, which is the thumb print of wood and how wood is identified sure looks closest to the purple heart. Pictures only tell us so much though. SO exact identification is tough.
Honduras and genuine Mahogany both look like this and its very light in weight, this exact end grain is the Honduras I believe. There are at least 10 wood species retailers call Mahogany that are not Mahogany at all, not even in the same family:
[attachimg=1]
Looking at the end of grain of the OP's piece, for me and without having it in hand, purple heart is the best bet.
A lot of purple heart isn't truly purple to begin with, that's why I have to hand pick it. And looking at that sample further sanding of the face(to much unless you ruin it) may be needed to get to that color. That particular piece may have been sitting a long, long while or it is a poor choice of the purple heart species to get the purple color. But the end grain, which is the thumb print of wood and how wood is identified sure looks closest to the purple heart. Pictures only tell us so much though. SO exact identification is tough.
Honduras and genuine Mahogany both look like this and its very light in weight, this exact end grain is the Honduras I believe. There are at least 10 wood species retailers call Mahogany that are not Mahogany at all, not even in the same family:
[attachimg=1]
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birchwoodwerks
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Bubinga? looks a little similar...Maybe too much purple but I have bubinga in front of me that has that same shade
I'm going with Purpleheart-
I saw a lot of end cuts when I recovered our deck in with it. It was about 1/2 the cost of Ipe and as the OP said it aged to a nice brownish red in about 6-8 weeks at which point I sealed it with oil.
Interestingly the spare planks I kept in the basement never turned brown.
I saw a lot of end cuts when I recovered our deck in with it. It was about 1/2 the cost of Ipe and as the OP said it aged to a nice brownish red in about 6-8 weeks at which point I sealed it with oil.
Interestingly the spare planks I kept in the basement never turned brown.
