Name This Wood?

[Gary in Texas]

I've had a few 8/4 rough boards for most likely 12+ years, and finally decided to run one through my jointer and planer.  I want to say it is mahogany, alternative is Ipe?  I think this was one of a few boards I put aside back then because of what appeared to be some checking/cracking in the board due possibly from being kiln dried too quickly, and didn't want to use it in a good project....  Note you can see this cracking to the right of the bolt in the photo....  So, is it mahogany or????

Thanks,

Gary

 

[tiralie]

The top picture looks like black walnut, the second picture...hard to tell but it's not Ipe

 

[Gary in Texas]

Tim,

Thank you, but I know it's not walnut....  That is the same board in the first two pics.

Here are two more photos and I've included some walnut on the left, mystery wood on the right.  I'm guessing mahogany, hard to tell in the photo maybe but there is a red tint to the wood .....

 

[live4ever]

I'd say mahogany

 

[jacko9]

Looks like Honduras Mahogany to me.  The flat sawn and rift sawn have a very different appearance (more so than other woods I work with).  I have a lot of mahogany that looks like your pictures.

Jack

 

[wow]

I'd name it Elmer - but that's just me?

[thumbs up] [popcorn]

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

Yeah, Honduras Mahogany.

 

[awil66]

Yes mahogany. Looks just like some sapele boards i have.

 

[Scott B.]

Mahogany or Brazilian cherry

 

[Gary in Texas]

Thanks guys, you've confirmed what I thought, it is mahogany.  Just needed some confirmation...  Thanks again!

Gary

 

[jacko9]

OK Gary, now that you know what is is, what are you going to make with it?  Show us your project with photos [wink]

Jack

 

[Gary in Texas]

Hi Jack,

Now that I know the origin of this wood (purchase lot), I probably won't even use it......  If you note the first photo, you will see the wood fibers have broken down and the wood is splitting.  As mentioned above, I think this was probably due to being dried too quickly.  I made a table top years ago with some of this same wood and really had a hard time working the wood.  It was very brittle......  The top came out nice, and is still good today, but I don't think I want to bother with it again.

Gary

 

[JBag09]

Yep definitely Mahogany, see it everyday. Even see some of the mineral in it (white specs) that most of ours have. Couldn't tell you for sure if it's from Honduras, but I'd have to say that's probably correct.

 

[jacko9]

Gary,

I haven't had any problems with Honduras mahogany being brittle or cracking?  I read in some book that there are many trees in the same family and some wood I got from my supplier looked like Honduras mahogany but it was much less expensive and it was brittle.  I used it to make moulding around wood windows so I was using it in narrow strips but I did keep it seperate from my Honduras mahogany wood storage.

Jack

 

[Ed Bray]

Personally I think it looks more like iroko than mahogany, it also has the white chalky deposits and the grain is much more brittle especially in the sapwood. I've used a lot of iroko and it often passes for mahogany.