Can anyone identify this wood?
#1
12-17-14, 11:55 AM
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Can anyone identify this wood?
Can anyone identify this wood? Not familiar with it. It's used for window sills/under sill trim in my house (1962 Seattle area). Refinishing them and want to know what I'm dealing with. Thanks!
#3
12-17-14, 01:10 PM
The grain in the top pic looks like oak but not so much in the bottom pic. The color is a little off for most oaks used in the east. I'm wondering if it might be a wood that is more specific to the northwest ??
#4
12-17-14, 01:20 PM
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I agree, the top looks like oak, but the bottom seems a little tight grained for that.
Weight tells a lot. If you took those pieces to a lumber yard (not a box store) or custom cabinet shop they could probably smell it and tell you.
Nice looking wood though.
Though really...why does it matter? It's either a hard or soft wood and should be treated as such and you can always do finishing tests on non-visible areas.
Remember that saying about curiosity and the cat.
Weight tells a lot. If you took those pieces to a lumber yard (not a box store) or custom cabinet shop they could probably smell it and tell you.
Nice looking wood though.
Though really...why does it matter? It's either a hard or soft wood and should be treated as such and you can always do finishing tests on non-visible areas.
Remember that saying about curiosity and the cat.
#7
12-17-14, 06:35 PM
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Hmm thought it wasn't oak but I'm no expert. To clarify the top pic of the window sill I had just sanded. The other pic of the trim piece still has finish on it.
#8
12-17-14, 06:41 PM
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Even cheap mahogany (which mostly isn't true mahogany) would probably cost more than oak from what I know. Thats pretty surprising to see just top coated, but I bet it looks good.
I would poly it and put it back unless you are looking for a color change of some sort?
I would poly it and put it back unless you are looking for a color change of some sort?
#10
12-17-14, 09:53 PM
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Top picture is Mahogany. Philippine Mahogany is often referred to as Luan. It's not a high grade of Mahogany, used for door skins and the like. With a proper finish though, it looks very nice.
About 20 years ago I had a house full of Philippine Mahogany. I refinished a lot of it and eventually just got rid of it all.
It's an open pore wood so depending on how nice you want it to look, the pores will need to be filled or sealed.
To fill, you can use the old fashioned paste wood filler, works excellent.
For me, I used both paste filler and orange shellac. I had the wood looking like glass, but you don't really need that for trim work.
Maybe Mark can offer an easier way to seal the pores than using paste or shellac.
About 20 years ago I had a house full of Philippine Mahogany. I refinished a lot of it and eventually just got rid of it all.
It's an open pore wood so depending on how nice you want it to look, the pores will need to be filled or sealed.
To fill, you can use the old fashioned paste wood filler, works excellent.
For me, I used both paste filler and orange shellac. I had the wood looking like glass, but you don't really need that for trim work.
Maybe Mark can offer an easier way to seal the pores than using paste or shellac.
#11
12-17-14, 09:59 PM
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There ya go...good to have a West Coaster around. Sorry if I forgot anyone else thats Left Coast.
#13
12-18-14, 11:10 AM
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