Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: Gsulfridge on October 23, 2013, 07:57:21 pm

Title: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Gsulfridge on October 23, 2013, 07:57:21 pm
Here is some wood I found on a pallet at work. I can't ID it. It's darker than walnut and fairly dense.
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y406/Gsulfridge/D329BD7C-C6F0-4184-B474-B4A3834DB6EC-4896-00000BB7CF51660B_zps2453471a.jpg)
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y406/Gsulfridge/957BF914-3619-47DC-9554-273A04DF88ED-4896-00000BB7FC6C0001_zpsde6dccd8.jpg)
(http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y406/Gsulfridge/756100D3-454A-4570-BCE8-F6805240D6CF-4896-00000BB7DCA8AAA6_zps697916ad.jpg)
Any ideas?
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: TimPotter on October 23, 2013, 08:02:59 pm
Was it part of the pallet?

I once made a nice long bow from a tree stake. The kind you get to keep new trees straight. It was in a bundle of over 150 oak stakes. But like the one you show it was darker and way heavier than the rest. I thought it may have been from the heart of an old tree. Although it could very well have been an un expected gift from the lumber yard. :)
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Gsulfridge on October 23, 2013, 08:06:35 pm
Yes, it was part of the pallet. It really stood out because it was the only board that dark.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: TimPotter on October 23, 2013, 08:09:54 pm
I'm thinking some sore of really dense oak. The side profile looks very much like the one I had.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Don Case on October 23, 2013, 08:11:33 pm
Does it float? I got my metal lathe from China and the pallet was made out of a wood that sank. A boatbuilder told me it was probably lignum vitae
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Pat B on October 23, 2013, 08:28:08 pm
looks kind of like ipe but it is hard to tell. Does it have a scent to it if you scrape it?
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Gsulfridge on October 23, 2013, 08:37:03 pm
It does not float. 
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Gsulfridge on October 23, 2013, 08:40:49 pm
I thought it might be ipe, but I have never worked it before. It has a faint spice smell, maybe, but very subtle. Not a strong smell at all.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Don Case on October 23, 2013, 08:59:01 pm
http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/how-to-tell-genuine-lignum-vitae-from-argentine-lignum-vitae/

Down  the page it mentions a scent
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: beetlebailey1977 on October 23, 2013, 09:36:44 pm
I am thinking ipe.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Gsulfridge on October 23, 2013, 09:43:16 pm
It does not float.
Correction! I meant to say that it does not sink. It does float. Don't think its lignum vitae.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: PatM on October 23, 2013, 09:45:21 pm
It either is or isn't bow wood, so make a bow and find out.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Joec123able on October 23, 2013, 09:50:14 pm
Well if it floats its not ipe neither because I beleive ipe sinks
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Gsulfridge on October 23, 2013, 09:53:33 pm
I wish it were a large enough piece to try, but it's only a half inch thick and two pieces 10" long. Overlays maybe.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Blaflair2 on October 23, 2013, 10:25:07 pm
The end grain looks like it has black dots?
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: caveman2533 on October 23, 2013, 10:36:03 pm
Looks like Palm wood to me.
I salvage wood from skids too when I see a cool piece.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Blaflair2 on October 23, 2013, 11:04:26 pm
I was thinking black palm. That's why I asked about the dots.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Gsulfridge on October 24, 2013, 06:42:10 am
May be palm. Hadn't thought of that. I'll check online and do a little more research. Thanks for the help everyone.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: DarkSoul on October 24, 2013, 07:12:39 am
I'm thinking some sore of really dense oak. The side profile looks very much like the one I had.
No oak for sure. This wood does not have rays, while oak always has radial rays.

Does it float? I got my metal lathe from China and the pallet was made out of a wood that sank. A boatbuilder told me it was probably lignum vitae
Definitely NOT lignum vitae. That wood is wayyyy too expensive to even consider it for making a pallet from it! There is many more woods that sink in water, not only lignum vitae.

looks kind of like ipe but it is hard to tell. Does it have a scent to it if you scrape it?
The grain appears to be too course for ipé. That wood has a much finer texture, and usually (but not always) sinks in water, while this piece does not.

Looks like Palm wood to me.
I salvage wood from skids too when I see a cool piece.
It could be palm 'wood', but I'm not sure. The end grain picture appears to show annular growth rings, while palm does not have growth rings. But these could also be circular saw grooves in the end grain? A clearer picture of the end grain will help, because these fuzzy pictures with too little light are not of much help. Palm wood is easy to confirm or rule out by yourself.

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Pallet are usually made from the cheapest wood locally available. Try to find out where this pallets (or the products that it was carrying) was coming from. South America? Africa? Asia? This will help you a LOT if you want to find out the wood species. But then again: why would it matter? You have the wood already, it was for free, and it is too short to make any load bearing bow limb from it. You don't need to know the physical and technical properties if you use it for handles and overlays. If you insist on a Wood ID, post some better pictures, taken outside in daylight, with the camera in 'macro' mode. But I think this is a typical pallet wood that is not traded in Western countries, and may only have a Thai or Brazilian name.
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Gsulfridge on October 24, 2013, 07:49:59 am
I work at an automotive parts casting facility.  We, being global, get pallets from all over the world everyday.  However, this is the only time I have ever saw this particular wood used on a skid.  I don't think it is "common" pallet material.  But like DarkSoul said, it's not long enough for a bow, so its kind of a mute point I guess.  I was just curious.  The poor photos were due to the pics being taken with an iphone.  Anyway, thanks all!! ;)
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Blaflair2 on October 24, 2013, 10:42:56 am
Palm wood does have growth rings, and the black dots on end grain and black streaks through it. Pallets r usually made with whatever wood the pallet company has. If they come across cheap walnut cherry or whatever they use it. Still going with black palm
Title: Re: Wood ID. Mystery wood
Post by: Josh B on October 24, 2013, 01:35:48 pm
Palm wood does have growth rings
 

Well not so much.  It grows completely different than what we think of as normal trees.  The complete absence of growth rings is a key characteristic of ID'ng black palm. Aside from that, it does resemble black palm in appearance.   Josh