Can anyone positively idenifty this wood species?

[Michael Costa]

396556

I have an idea of what it is but would like others opinions and keen eye.

Also, what do you think the stain color is?

Thank you!

[Jim Becker]

Photo is way too small to look closely, but this appears to be a commercial piece so it's not likely "expensive" wood. It could be pine, poplar, alder, etc., or something "foreign", depending on where the piece was made. It may even be veneered product...

[Andrew Seemann]

Hard to say without a close up and some pictures of end grain, but a light close grained wood (soft maple, poplar, tulip popular, birch, cherry sapwood, maybe even a harder softwood) and Watco medium or dark walnut with a satin finish over it would make a pretty close match.

[John K Jordan]

You or the US Gov lab can do it. Especially read section 7 and the "Still stumped?" box.

https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-identification-guide/

Everything else is a guess. I'll guess rosewood, no wait, poplar, no MDF, no... :)

[Michael Costa]

I've seen the wood database before but never this page. Good info, thanks. It's not important enough to know exactly what it is. Something close (and hopefully on the cheaper side, if there is such a thing these days) will work. If I had access to any small piece of unknown wood I would simply find the density of it and go from there. I've always wondered about anyone selling teak anything.

[John K Jordan]

...If I had access to any small piece of unknown wood I would simply find the density of it and go from there.

Density is good (if the wood is not green). So is smell. Some are obvious with 365 nm ultraviolet light (on the wood or after a water or alcohol wipe).

I started the hobby of wood ID after two things: one, seeing a show-and-tell piece passed around the turning club labeled "cherry" when it was obviously a ring porous wood, and two, getting R. Bruce Hoadley's book "Identifying Wood". Hoadley has great photos and a logical system to ID many US domestic woods. All that is needed is a lens and razor blade but he has lots of tips too, such as soaking hard, dry wood in water before slicing it. I have several loupes but I am fortunate to have a high quality low-power true stereo microscope which makes the end grain SO easy to see. For comparisons, I keep small samples of known woods as I cut them.

The microscope is great, but the magnifier below is almost as good. It has a large quality lens and built-in LED lighting and is inexpensive (AND comes with a great carrying case. :) I think I have six of them, one for end grain and others around the shop and house. My wife even has one it the kitchen for reading tiny print.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMDIOBK

396593

JKJ

[Frank Pratt]

I think any of the cheap white woods would be a close enough match. Stain color will have to be by trial & error. The good news is that the original staining job is pretty bad, so you won't need to be too fussy.

Go to a lumber yard & get some 2x12s, rip the pith out of the center & then glue into the sizes needed. Be sure to give the lumber a couple of months to dry out first though before doing any milling.. Wider lumber will get you better quality than 2x4s.

[Michael Costa]

Very interesting Frank. My problem... I don't have patience to wait. Lol.

[Frank Pratt]

Well, I know the big box stores around here sell S4S pine that is very good quality, & it seems to be properly dried. It's more expensive than construction lumber, but you can use it sooner & there's way less milling involved.

[Michael Costa]

Frank, I've been considering this and think it would make more sense (for me) to use 2x6 stock. That way I can use my jointer. However, as an early Xmas present I'll take the Dewalt planer and use 2x12s.

"Gimme gimme. I need. I need." - Bill Murray, What about Bob.

[Frank Pratt]

But remember if you use construction lumber (2x6), the kiln drying is to a much higher percentage moisture that the S4S lumber will be, so you'll need to let them dry out before using. Otherwise you never know what way the wood will move.

[Michael Costa]

Oh, you were.referring the good 2x12 lumber they have. I thought you were referring to milling down construction grade 2x12s. My bad.

Still want the planer though.

[Earl McLain]

At the local contractor lumber yard in our town, the 2 x 12 stock is all Douglas Fir, everything narrower is SPF (spruce/pine/fir). When I have to use soft wood, I do as suggested--buy the Doug Fir 2 x 12, rip the pith out, sticker & stack, air dry--then mill & join what I need. Takes a little time, but it's the only way i'll work with the stuff. Way too resinous for my taste.
earl