Mystery wood identification help please

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Last night I cut, drilled and glued up some pen blanks. As I drilled 2 sets of blanks I noticed that the wood smelled just like Vicks VapoRub. You know...the stuff your Mom smeared on your chest when you were a kid and had a cold. I quit smoking some months ago and just got my sense of smell back .....not trusting my regained sense.....I got my wife's opinion......Yup smells just like Vicks to her too...........The wood is almost white with just a slight tan grain lines and not too many at that.............Any ideas on the type of wood that might be?

[Ian Gillis]

Sounds like camphor wood. Comes from some sort of laurel tree, I think. Camphor is the principal ingredient in Vicks.

Here are some pics of the wood:

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/camphor.htm

Cheers
IG

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ian.....You are probably correct. I looked down through the pictures and found one that was almost identical to the wood that I have. I must admit though I wished the stuff I had was like some of that spectacular burl! Very pretty stuff that burl!

[Dennis Peacock]

Yew wood has the same type camphor smell to it.