Mystery Wood
 

Hi,

Of course it's probably only a mystery to me. I picked this up from a
guy who said it had been used as a science lab worktop, as it's the
type of wood that doesn't absorb the chemicals much.

a
href="http://picasaweb.google.com/stevesparrow/WoodTurningProjects/photo#4974713935401386002"Picture
here./a
http://picasaweb.google.com/stevespa...13935401386002

It feels a little like oak when carving, though it tears a little like
mahogany. I've asked the onyl two carvers I know, who both came up
blank. It cuts quite pale, and sands up like this, enhanced here with
danish oil.

Apols of this is a to oft asked question - I've searched similar
questions with no luck. Of cours eit's proably something very obvious!
As a carver I've seen a reasonable amount of wood, but as a new wood
turner I'm getting through wood much quicker now!

Kind regards

Steve

Mystery Wood
 

Hi Steve

This looks a lot like the Afzelia I have turned, there are several
Afzelias and the ones I am familiar with look like this, they were and
still are used a lot in home construction in my native Netherlands, for
stairways, doors, windows and frames, a good indoor and outdoor wood.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo


Steve S wrote:
Hi,

Of course it's probably only a mystery to me. I picked this up from a
guy who said it had been used as a science lab worktop, as it's the
type of wood that doesn't absorb the chemicals much.

a
href="http://picasaweb.google.com/stevesparrow/WoodTurningProjects/photo#4974713935401386002"Picture
here./a
http://picasaweb.google.com/stevespa...13935401386002

It feels a little like oak when carving, though it tears a little like
mahogany. I've asked the onyl two carvers I know, who both came up
blank. It cuts quite pale, and sands up like this, enhanced here with
danish oil.

Apols of this is a to oft asked question - I've searched similar
questions with no luck. Of cours eit's proably something very obvious!
As a carver I've seen a reasonable amount of wood, but as a new wood
turner I'm getting through wood much quicker now!

Kind regards

Steve

Mystery Wood
 

Steve S wrote:
Hi,

Of course it's probably only a mystery to me. I picked this up from a
guy who said it had been used as a science lab worktop, as it's the
type of wood that doesn't absorb the chemicals much.

a
href="http://picasaweb.google.com/stevesparrow/WoodTurningProjects/photo#4974713935401386002"Picture
here./a
http://picasaweb.google.com/stevespa...13935401386002

It feels a little like oak when carving, though it tears a little like
mahogany. I've asked the onyl two carvers I know, who both came up
blank. It cuts quite pale, and sands up like this, enhanced here with
danish oil.

Apols of this is a to oft asked question - I've searched similar
questions with no luck. Of cours eit's proably something very obvious!
As a carver I've seen a reasonable amount of wood, but as a new wood
turner I'm getting through wood much quicker now!

Looks like Meranti which has been long used as a cheap substitute for
teak, the traditional wood for lab benches. Meranti was used for dock
pilings as salt water worms and salt water have no effect on it what so
ever. Became a major source of rot resistant wood for replacement
window frames in Britain. It is like a hard oily mahogany.
Peter
Visit my site at:
http://www.oldtoolsshop.com/Galoots/pHyde/

Mystery Wood
 

In article . com,
Steve S wrote:

Hi,

Of course it's probably only a mystery to me. I picked this up from a
guy who said it had been used as a science lab worktop, as it's the
type of wood that doesn't absorb the chemicals much.

a

href="http://picasaweb.google.com/stevesparrow/WoodTurningProjects/photo#49747
13935401386002"Picture
here./a

http://picasaweb.google.com/stevespa...to#49747139354
01386002

It feels a little like oak when carving, though it tears a little like
mahogany. I've asked the onyl two carvers I know, who both came up
blank. It cuts quite pale, and sands up like this, enhanced here with
danish oil.

Apols of this is a to oft asked question - I've searched similar
questions with no luck. Of cours eit's proably something very obvious!
As a carver I've seen a reasonable amount of wood, but as a new wood
turner I'm getting through wood much quicker now!

Kind regards

Steve


Looks like "Odum" (from west Africa). I found the sawdust very
irritating.

"Guide to Useful Woods of the World" claims Odum is "Milicia excelsa",
but their picture looks nothing like the wood I had. Mine looked
exactly like yours.

luck,
-j

Mystery Wood
 

Hi Peter here's a link about Afzelia use, have look and see under
usage.
As for meranti, that name seems to be used for all kinds of topical
timbers.
I happen to have a bowl I turned from a to be piling that did not pass
inspection, for there was a big rotten part in it, the sawyer who was a
personal friend of mine, cut a large part off that piling for me, it
was quite purple in color I seem to remember, and it did split quite a
lot, which I was told was normal for that wood, all this goes back more
than 40 years, and the marine borer infestation was only resent at that
time I recall.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Canchippy wrote:
Steve S wrote:
Hi,

Of course it's probably only a mystery to me. I picked this up from a
guy who said it had been used as a science lab worktop, as it's the
type of wood that doesn't absorb the chemicals much.

a
href="http://picasaweb.google.com/stevesparrow/WoodTurningProjects/photo#4974713935401386002"Picture
here./a
http://picasaweb.google.com/stevespa...13935401386002

It feels a little like oak when carving, though it tears a little like
mahogany. I've asked the onyl two carvers I know, who both came up
blank. It cuts quite pale, and sands up like this, enhanced here with
danish oil.

Apols of this is a to oft asked question - I've searched similar
questions with no luck. Of cours eit's proably something very obvious!
As a carver I've seen a reasonable amount of wood, but as a new wood
turner I'm getting through wood much quicker now!

Looks like Meranti which has been long used as a cheap substitute for
teak, the traditional wood for lab benches. Meranti was used for dock
pilings as salt water worms and salt water have no effect on it what so
ever. Became a major source of rot resistant wood for replacement
window frames in Britain. It is like a hard oily mahogany.
Peter
Visit my site at:
http://www.oldtoolsshop.com/Galoots/pHyde/

Mystery Wood
 

The computer didn't send it Ha

http://www.iswonline.com/wwp/wom/afzelia.cfm

Have fun
Leo Van Der Loo

Mystery Wood
 

Hi guys,
Thanks for the suggestions - it's very interesting. It seems to split
easily, (even though old and stable) so that's also very interesting.

Cheers - Steve


wrote:

The computer didn't send it Ha

http://www.iswonline.com/wwp/wom/afzelia.cfm

Have fun
Leo Van Der Loo

Mystery Wood
 

Looks like "Odum" (from west Africa). I found the sawdust very
irritating.

"Guide to Useful Woods of the World" claims Odum is "Milicia excelsa",
but their picture looks nothing like the wood I had. Mine looked
exactly like yours.

luck,
-j
Odum,( or Iroko, or Mvule) is very different...I have a large chunk
of "Milicia excelsa" cut in Uganda

I'd 'almost' be willing to bet this is Panga Panga "Milettia
stuhlmannii"...a 1st cousin to Wenge "Milettia laurenti"....I have a
large table & chairs made from Panga Panga. The color in the photo is
a bit off, and different samples will fool you, but that's the only
thing I know of that comes close.

Mystery Wood
 

One wood that I saw that reminds me of this is Apitong. It was used to
make the wood beds for trucks in the LA area. Has a nice spicy smell to
it. Very hard.
robo hippy
Odin wrote:

Looks like "Odum" (from west Africa). I found the sawdust very
irritating.

"Guide to Useful Woods of the World" claims Odum is "Milicia excelsa",
but their picture looks nothing like the wood I had. Mine looked
exactly like yours.

luck,
-j
Odum,( or Iroko, or Mvule) is very different...I have a large chunk
of "Milicia excelsa" cut in Uganda

I'd 'almost' be willing to bet this is Panga Panga "Milettia
stuhlmannii"...a 1st cousin to Wenge "Milettia laurenti"....I have a
large table & chairs made from Panga Panga. The color in the photo is
a bit off, and different samples will fool you, but that's the only
thing I know of that comes close.

Mystery Wood
 

In article . com, robo
hippy wrote:

One wood that I saw that reminds me of this is Apitong. It was used to
make the wood beds for trucks in the LA area. Has a nice spicy smell to
it. Very hard.
robo hippy
Odin wrote:

Looks like "Odum" (from west Africa). I found the sawdust very
irritating.

"Guide to Useful Woods of the World" claims Odum is "Milicia excelsa",
but their picture looks nothing like the wood I had. Mine looked
exactly like yours.

luck,
-j
Odum,( or Iroko, or Mvule) is very different...I have a large chunk
of "Milicia excelsa" cut in Uganda

I'd 'almost' be willing to bet this is Panga Panga "Milettia
stuhlmannii"...a 1st cousin to Wenge "Milettia laurenti"....I have a
large table & chairs made from Panga Panga. The color in the photo is
a bit off, and different samples will fool you, but that's the only
thing I know of that comes close.

I'm just calling it Odum, because the cabinet maker in Fulton, MS who
sold it to me 30 years ago called it that, and said it came from West
Africa. I believe you are correct however-- it's probably something
else.

If I wasn't so damn lazy, I'd take the camera out to the workshop, and
find that chunk of wood, and post a pic. Reddish brown with lightning
bolt pale streaks... IIRC.

luck,
-j

Mystery Wood
 

I second the vote for panga panga. I've worked with it before and it
had the same figuring as the wood in your pic and it was prone to
splitting. My pieces were a little more brown and a bit less mauve than
the wood in you pictures, but of course there can certainly be color
variations between pieces as odin mentioned.

You can see a pic of a hairpin I made out of panga panga he

http://www.blueheronwoods.com/pictur...ga%20Panga.jpg

The pieces I had came from East Africa.

Emily

Mystery Wood
 

On 17 Sep 2006 11:32:50 -0700, "Emily P" wrote:

Emily

Hey! My granddaughter's name is Emily P.

One of my high school classmates, with whom I'm still friends, is
named Emily.

When my son called me when Emily was born, she told me her name was
Emily Leslie (Leslie is my first name). I immediatly called my friend
and told her we were now linked for life--her name and mine.

I just had to tell you that.

--
LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

http://www.woodbutcher.net

Proud participant of rec.woodworking since February, 1997

email addy de-spam-ified due to 1,000 spams per month.
If you can't figure out how to use it, I probably wouldn't
care to correspond with you anyway.