Garage sale finds

That is a beautiful piece of wood. BTW, I bet that the antlers should read as being from Modoc County. It is in the high desert in Northern California. We used to hunt up there, nice big mulies up that way.
 
Interesting comments so far. Thanks for the replies. To follow up...

Cutting the piece (with my portaband using a 14 TPI band) did not ruin the blade. It was slow going, but no real problem.

Likewise, sanding it wasn't too difficult either.

I haven't had a chance to burn a piece to see if it gives off the distinctive mesquite smell. I might do so this weekend, if I remember. Somehow, I doubt it will.

Not sure if there are any other tests that might confirm or refute any of the ideas, but if you think of any I'll be happy to try some out, assuming I have the tools, resources or talent needed.

As an aside, the first picture I posted was an image of the way I received it from the "pretty" side (no sanding involved). If I'd flipped the piece over and shown you the other side it looks similar, but kind of "washed out" (as if it sat in a small pool of water or something). When I cut and sanded the two pieces I made, that "washed out" look proved very superficial. Not sure if that gives anyone an additional clue.

- Greg
 
The easiest thing is to do a comparison. If you have a piece if desert ironwood compare the smell. With the fact that it sinks in water you have eliminated most if the suggestions. I just tried a piece of mesquite and it floats. So it is probably in the rosewood family. I still think it is ironwood, I have a piece that has the white sapwood still visible. It looks a lot like some of the log sections I cut from logs. Also lignum vitae would have turned green.
 
I don't think I have any ironwood to compare to, and if I do I probably sent it off to get stabilized. At the moment about the only unstabilized wood I have is this stuff and some small scraps of maple and cedar. I'll check with The Board Hoarder next time I meet with him.
 
Tryppyr,

If you PM me your address I will mail you a slice of Ironwood for comparison. It will fit into an envelope and good for comparison only. If you want to pay shipping I would more than gladly give you a block to play with.
 
The mystery continues...

I just compared the scent of this wood to mesquite, ironwood, a known piece of lignum vitae, and blackwood... none came close to the stale urine scent of the mystery wood when sanded.

I'm just not sure what to make of this.

One thing I did learn in my investigation of the wood is that there are several types of wood that go by the common name "lignum vitae". They are not all the same genus, let alone the same species, so the fact that this one doesn't smell or look like the known sample may not be relevant.

- Greg
 
There are also many different woods called ironwood. Not in the same genus either. Any really heavy wood can receive the name by local peoples and cause all sorts of havoc. Good luck.
 
I visited "the Board Hoarder" again and had him look at and smell the wood. He confirmed his original assessment that the wood is Lignum Vitae (guiacum officional). He said that this is pretty rare wood these days as it is no long legal to import it. He also confirmed that it will turn green over time, but that it does so MUCH more slowly than other species that come under the same general description as "lignum vitae".

As noted in another thread I have used the first block I cut from this chunk to make the handle for the revisited Project 1 knife.

- Greg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top