Wood ID

[Vareck Walla]

383704
Can anyone help ID this wood. I am making a reproduction of Stephen F Austin’s desk (pic is the original).

Trying to get as as close as possible. it’s pine, just not sure which one. Thanks.

[Lee Schierer]

It looks like #2 pine from any lumber yard.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, looks like pine to me, too.

[Vareck Walla]

Thanks. That’s what I was thinking as well.

[Dan Hahr]

Easter white pine. Not yellow pine.

Dan

[Peter Christensen]

What pines grow in the area it was made in? One of them would likely have been used.

[Steve Demuth]

Can anyone help ID this wood. I am making a reproduction of Stephen F Austin’s desk (pic is the original).

Trying to get as as close as possible. it’s pine, just not sure which one. Thanks.

The museum that has the desk says it was made from long leaf pine, which is certainly consistent with it being made in Eastern Texas or Louisiana.

[Vareck Walla]

Which museum did you contact? Just curious as when I measured it out, it was in San Felipe, TX (near Sealy).

[Vareck Walla]

I see where you got that info. https://www.thestoryoftexas.com/discover/artifacts/stephen-f-austins-desk

Closest match would prob be eastern white. He does not want it to look old, but new (what it would look like when it was first made). Thanks

[Steve Demuth]

Closest match would prob be eastern white. He does not want it to look old, but new (what it would look like when it was first made). Thanks

Eastern White Pine is significantly less resinous than longleaf pine, but I agree that it would otherwise be a pretty close match. If you can find it and in wide enough boards, Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) might be a better match. Bugger to work with though - it'll gum up every blade and cutter that touches it. And, if your customer wants it truly authentic, you may be able to find oversized reclaimed longleaf that would "look" new when planed to size. Reclaimed longleaf isn't common, but it's not impossible to find, either.

[Vareck Walla]

Thanks Steve!

[Scott T Smith]

Long leaf pine is a member of the southern yellow pine family. This is commonly available, and a different species than eastern white pine.

[Bob Bouis]

Longleaf pine used to be a dominant species in the deep south but it's been pared back a lot by logging. Nobody plants it anymore because it grows slowly. There's still a lot of the trees around, though, but I don't know how you'd get it for sure since when it's cut it's just mixed in with the other pine lumber.

That being said if you find a dense and heavy SYP board at the home center, it might be longleaf, or it could probably pass for it.

[Vareck Walla]

Thanks Bob. I'll take note. Hopefully I will find something close and get approval from my customer.

[Marshall Harrison]

The museum that has the desk says it was made from long leaf pine, which is certainly consistent with it being made in Eastern Texas or Louisiana.

Do you know for sure where it was made?

Austin also livd in southeastern Missouri, the Arkansas Territory and Louisiana. The desk is something that he could have brought with him so the local source might be from some other locale.

[Roger Nair]

By the apparent softness of look of the annual rings, I would guess for white pine. Yellow and red pine have strong distinct rings by contrast but other photos would certainly be helpful. While examining the desk try to get a ring count and determine old growth or second growth.

[Danny Hamsley]

I agree with the others. Certainly looks like white pine, not SYP. Longleaf has dense, very dark latewood.