Wood ID?

[alex grams]

Someone was making some natural edge plaques for deer mounts from some wood. They called it driftwood (which I think is just a fancy way of saying he didn't know what it was). It looks like they took a piece with some grain, roughed its shape to match the grain pattern and make it look natural edge, then sanded it down, though I cannot tell what kind of wood it is:

Maybe an ash, or a light colored cherry?

http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp66/jdwmidland/plaque1.jpg

http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp66/jdwmidland/plaque4.jpg

http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp66/jdwmidland/plaque2.jpg

[Don Buck]

My vote is cherry, complete with gum pockets.

[Matt Roth]

Another vote for cherry.

[Chip Lindley]

Something makes me want to say Walnut at first impression. There are some lighter-colored species exactly like this.

[Larry Fox]

Something makes me want to say Walnut at first impression. There are some lighter-colored species exactly like this.

+1 on this - I think maybe walnut as well. Is it an open-pore wood?

[Frank Drew]

The grain/figure and color (as rendered on my monitor, so no guarantee of accuracy) makes me think butternut, sometimes called white walnut; it doesn't look open pored, so that rules out ash, elm, chestnut, hickory, oak...., but, again, fine details are hard to see on my computer screen.

[John Coloccia]

+1 on this - I think maybe walnut as well. Is it an open-pore wood?


Something makes me want to say Walnut at first impression. There are some lighter-colored species exactly like this.

I don't know what it is, but my immediate first reaction when I saw the picture was, "Wow, that's some pale looking walnut".

Butternut should be easy to spot because it's so light, about the same density as spruce.

[Jim Summers]

When I saw the picture I thought Walnut. I can see where it could be a cherry though.

HTH

[Chris Padilla]

My vote is for walnut. I don't think those are gum pockets...could just be bark inclusions/knots. Walnut can have many colors from a deep chocolate to a very reddish brown to tan. Butternut is another one as already mentioned...often called walnut's blonde cousin. :)

[Steve Pippins]

Alex, I see that you are in Houston. Could it be mesquite?

Steve

[John Coloccia]

Alex, I see that you are in Houston. Could it be mesquite?

Steve

Oh, that's a good one too. Mesquite is nearly twice as dense as walnut. Something like 50lbs/cubic foot. Walnut's around 30. If it weighs a ton, I'd like to change my answer to mesquite!

[David Nelson1]

reminds me of a Siberian Elm

[Danny Hamsley]

I think that it might be sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua. In the old days, it was called red gum in the trade. It is a very common Southeast Texas wood.