Test Your Wood Knowledge

[John Hulett]

I need some help identifying the species of wood. As some background, LOML and I found this as a bunk bed and picked it up for $243. It was too good to pass up. Now, I'm charged with building some pieces (night stand, book case, etc.) around it. She would like me to match it as best as possible.

Your expertise is greatly appreciated!

- John

[Chris Padilla]

Paduak? Can you tell if it was stained? I bet it is stained cherry.

[John Hulett]

Definitely stained.

[Keith Christopher]

Splotchy staining in the pictures. I side with chris on this, stained cherry.



:D

[Mike Wenzloff]

Looks like cherry. I would imagine dye if it's a commercial piece. I would probably scratch the end of one of the bed rails or bottom of a leg with a knife and see what the color of the wood actually is.

Mike

[Andy London]

Looks like Maple or Birch with a cherry stain. Get a scrap piece of maple in any event, take a small piece of your wood and a bare piece of maple or birch along to your paint store and they will match the color for you. There is a couple of places where I live that do this, I'm amazed at the matches they can do.

[Roger Everett]

My first impression was to say Cherry, but looking at the grain more closely, I'm inclined to think it's Maple, with a Cherry stain or if a factory made pc. a Cherry dye mixed in with the finish coat over a sealer coat.
Roger

[scott spencer]

My first impression was to say Cherry, but looking at the grain more closely, I'm inclined to think it's Maple, with a Cherry stain or if a factory made pc. a Cherry dye mixed in with the finish coat over a sealer coat.
Roger ....ditto....(or maybe birch)

[John Hart]

A while back, I made a bathroom vanity out of maple but used birch ply for the sides (because it was such a close match). I just went up there to check and it and the grain on the birch matches your pics pretty darn close.

[Chris Barton]

It looks like a peeler cut cherry veneer over some sort of man made substrate. Finish is likely a toner or dye.

Chris

[John Hulett]

Wow, I never would have imagined so many varying opinions here. If it'll help, here's a picture of the bed - it's from Bombay Kids' web site.

The bed rails are a plywood - I can see the layers on the ends. When it was in the sunlight, I could defintely see a bit of figure (if that's the right term) in there - some light reflecting this way but not that way. I was quite pleased.

I can't say for sure on the headboard or footboard. The trundle is a bit different - it's some kind of veneer with a MDF core - not quite as nice.

The guy at the local lumbar yard suggested it may be cherry as well, but I find it difficult to believe that one could find a cherry bed from Bombay, and them not advertize that it's cherry. The description on their web site just says "solid hardwoods," which is a little misleading with the obvious plywood used.:eek:

So, I guess the bottom line is, I could use Birch, Maple, Cherry or Alder and just work on trying to match the color and I'd be okay. Would that be a safe assumption?

- John

[John Hart]

...So, I guess the bottom line is, I could use Birch, Maple, Cherry or Alder and just work on trying to match the color and I'd be okay. Would that be a safe assumption?..

I would think so...They say "solid hardwoods" so they can use whatever they want and just match the stain. Get the grain close and I think you're in bidness. :)

[Gail O'Rourke]

Ok, my guess is birch - you can also get a close grain with poplar...and try minwax red mahogany or red oak and I bet you will have a match.

Cute bed, it is tough to compete in this market. I also see a little trunk at the end of the bed.

[Scott Loven]

I guess none of the above. It is some unknown SE Asian wood that is classified as a hard wood and was made in China.

[Jay Fields]

"Monkey wood" - Is a name I've heard for cheap imported "hardwood" furniture from Bombay, Target, Pier 1, and all the high volume borg and box stores.
JF

[Butch Hayes]

I guess none of the above. It is some unknown SE Asian wood that is classified as a hard wood and was made in China.
I second Scott's comment, with the possible exception of the China part. We have a bunch of stuff from the Bombay company, and the finishes looks the same as your sample, but the wood grain/species seems to vary a little bit from piece to piece. While there may be some solid wood someplace, the vast majority of surfaces are veneers over something like MDF. The finish seems to be a toner made with dye, which accounts for the uniform coloring. It also allows them to use whichever wood is available to them at the best price.

As far a country of origin goes, I would guess it is more likely to be farther south or west than China. I would lean toward India, Thailand, or the Phillipines. I don't have any basis for that hunch other than maybe the name of the company. It also makes absolutely no difference in how you match it. What does matter, though, is that the color is almost certainly in the finish, not under it like a stain would be.

[Scott Loven]

I only said China because I have read that there has been a huge increase in the amount of the furniture sold in the USA that is made in China.
http://www.manufacturingnews.com/news/03/0703/art1.html
http://www.forestprod.org/04_November.pdf
Scott

[Steve Cox]

Alder. It is milled here, shipped there, and sent back as finished furniture. Give it the right stain and it looks just like cherry.

[Bob Wingard]

It is also possibly Alder .. .. .. it strongly resembles Cherry, but is a bit softer.

[Joe Blankshain]

My guess would have been a cherry veneer based on th eprevious post about a plywood substrate. I am inclined to go with that with an outside chance for a stained birch. The wood mentioned in the previous post (monkey wood (Monkey pod) has a different grain pattern and is unlikely. It is considered a hardwood, but not a good suspect in this case.

[Steve Clardy]

Alder. It is milled here, shipped there, and sent back as finished furniture. Give it the right stain and it looks just like cherry.

My thoughts exactly. I built some kitchen cabinets out of alder, dark cherry stain. Looks the same

[John Hulett]

Cute bed, it is tough to compete in this market. I also see a little trunk at the end of the bed.

I can't say the thought hadn't crossed my mind. Just trying to work out how I want to do it. Ideally, I would do it with hardwoord / dovetailed, etc., but budget might dictate MDF, pocket screws and paint. :(

- John