wood id help

[sam upton]

Hi all, I'm not too sure if this is the correct forum for the question or not, so I'll not post a picture until I know for sure. I have some wood that was id'd as Desert Ironwood along with some other that turned out to be Bocote. The seller is long gone to Mexico City.
Thanks, Sam

[sam upton]

I've been trying to upload pictures of this wood, but have not figured out how to do so.

[Brian Effinger]

I've been trying to upload pictures of this wood, but have not figured out how to do so.
Is it a .jpg file, and is it smaller than 107kb? If it is, go to the paperclip icon above the typing area of your response and a window will pop up. Select one of the "browse" buttons, and search for your file on your hard drive. Select it. Then hit the "upload" button, that is next to the browse buttons. That should work.

I hope I could help.

[Norris Randall]

Sam,
I'll try to help post picture.
Click on the "gem clip" at the top of the message screen. When you move cursor over the spot a little window [attachment] will appear.
When you open that you have a choice to browse and find the picture you want. It has to be small enough to qualify.
After download you can go back to the same place and insert into the post.
Hope this is clear as mud.:D

[David E Keller]

I've turned a fair bit of both, Sam. Looking forward to the pics.

[sam upton]

I hope I finally got this right.
Thanks for the instructions, Sam

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[David E Keller]

I suppose that could be desert ironwood, but it's very different from the pieces I've turned. There seems to be a lot of bug activity in the sapwood there which I've not seen before. Also, the heartwood seems pretty lightly colored in the top photo, but some ironwood that I've seen is more blond in color. When turned, ironwood is fairly dusty. I tend to get dust rather than shavings when turning it.

Ironwood is extremely dense and heavy, but I can't judge that from the photos. If I'm not mistaken, it should sink in water rather than floating... You could fill the bathtub and give it a go.

I'd like to see a photo of that bottom piece from the other side... If you could plane or sand an area that might be helpful also.

[sam upton]

Thanks David. It is a very heavy piece of wood, & yes there has been a lot of bug axtivity in the sapwood, which is also nicely spalted. I will sand the flat surface & take more pics. Sam

[Sean Ackerman NY]

Have any of you ever tried the iphone wood id app? Is it any good or just more of a novelty item?

[sam upton]

This another piece ifn the same wood......I broke 3 belts for my sander trying to sand that first chunk. Sam 147714

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[Richard Madison]

Might be mesquite, but hard to tell from the pictures. The bug activity is typical of mesquite.

[Jason Clark2]

I turn a lot of Mesquite and Desert Ironwood and I'm leaning towards Mesquite too. The sapwood on Desert Ironwood is bright yellow and isn't as prone to insects or spalting as Mesquite is.

Both also have fairly distinct smells but they're difficult to describe in print. Very difficult to confuse the two if you've ever worked with both before.

[sam upton]

I, too am now thinking that it probably is Mesquite for a few reasons. 1. Most of you have way more experience than I. 2. It failed the water test.......it floats. 3. I have some very large Mesquite timbers that I got from the same source.

[sam upton]

Photo only

[Frank Van Atta]

It's Mesquite.

[David E Keller]

It's pretty. I hope you didn't pay ironwood prices for mesquite, but it's a nice looking chunk of wood.