Help to identify the wood species.

[Y.T.]

Hi. I found this old table thrown away. It is very heavy so it’s made of solid wood. Even the top is solid piece probably at least half inch thick. Please look at the pictures. What wood species is this? Can some of it be useful for modeling or just throw it away?

 

[Y.T.]

Surely no use of this wood? I hear any type of solid wood is useful and expensive to buy if you suddenly need it.

 

[Bryian]

Are you restoring the table, or cutting it up for planking material ?

 

[Y.T.]

Cutting up

 

[Y.T.]

Trying to find the useful wood in it for modeling of scaled ships. Strips for planking or miniature blocks manufacturing.

 

[Y.T.]

Well. Looks like it’s too much work to get any wood from this table for ship modelling. I am afraid that it is oak board . Not useful for us. Will throw table away.

 

[Roger Pellett]

The table leg looks like it could be Mahogany. If the old Cuban mahogany it’s nice wood. If you have a bandsaw cut a slice and see.

Roger

 

[Bob Cleek]

It's often hard to call a species from pictures on the internet. My guess is that it is possibly poplar with a lot of veneering on it. The legs may be something else again. I see mahogany and possibly walnut veneering on it. The veneer isn't worth squat, but if you've got a solid top of half inch poplar, it's good model building stock, although not for finishing bright. It's for painted work.
Everybody should have the Wood Database on their "favorites" list. It is the Bible of wood species. See: https://www.wood-database.com/ and https://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-identification-guide/

 

[Dave Stevens (Lumberyard)]

this looks like Mahogany i have an old book case that looks just like it

 

[Roger Pellett]

The three photos are of wood that I salvaged from thwart of an Old Town square sterned canoe that was too far gone to repair.

Although some species of softwood it appears to be nice stuff; straight, close grain and appears to mill nicely. I thought maybe a white pine. No warping or twisting during its long life so maybe good for masts for an upcoming project.

Thoughts?

 

[Bob Cleek]

If you can remember where it came from on the canoe, this list below may be of some help. It sort of looks like white cedar or Stika spruce, but the picture isn't a whole lot of help and lots of woods like those two.

Wood Species Used in Old Town Canoes

Old Town canoes, especially the traditional wooden models, are built using a combination of northern white cedar, western red cedar, spruce, ash, cherry, and mahogany, depending on the grade and model.

Primary woods:

• Northern white cedar – Used for ribs, valued for its straight grain, light weight, and natural resistance to rot.
• Western red cedar – Used for planking, offering durability and a smooth finish.

Inwales and outwales:

• Spruce – Commonly used for inwales (the vertical sides of the canoe).
• Ash – Also used for inwales and outwales in some models.

Seats, thwarts, and decks:

• Ash – Used in lower grades for seats, thwarts, and decks.
• Maple – Used in higher grades for seats, thwarts, and decks.

Gunwales, decks, thwarts, and seats (higher grades):

• Cherry – Used in AA-grade canoes for gunwales, decks, thwarts, and seats.
• Mahogany – Also used in AA-grade canoes for the same components

 

[Roger Pellett]

Thanks Bob. I used a lot of White Cedar back when I was restoring canoes. It used to be harvested locally here in MN. I may still have a piece in my stash to compare. It seems, however, to be much harder.

Maybe spruce?

Roger