What wood is this?

[raynerd]

Hi guys, I’m making a brass clock and yet the barrel is 2.5” diameter and 3.5” longand therefore Wilding suggests hardwood. I believe I shouldn’t use Oak because it’ll corrode the steel bar going though the centre and I’m struggling to source anything else locally. I’d like to use applewood if I had an option as I know someone who has used this on their build of this clock. However, I’ve spent fortunes on materials already so looking in my limited wood stock, I’ve come across this piece. The rest of the pieces that would be similar are all oak but this seems to look different.

I’m not use to using wood so don’t know if this is an impossible question, but from the pictures, can you guess or suggest what this could be?


Chris

[chipenter]

Looks like sort wood but you won't know until it is planed to see the grain to identify it ,is it heavy ?

[raynerd]

It is pretty heavy. I’ll try not to waste my time and buy something suitable!

[Pete49]

Just a question....most fruitwoods wood be good but how much do you need? Keep in mind most wood will warp unless kiln dried and even then will move with some degree. One option is bit the bullet and buy from a reputable supplier of cabinet  wood as the work and time that will go into the clock deserves the wood be of quality as well.
Pete

[raynerd]

Hi Pete, just can’t find anything ...don’t know where to look!

[Fergus OMore]

From a glance, I wood call it Borneo Red Seraya.

That was used in the 1950' to re-deck the whale factory ships on the Tyne. The Southern Harvester and the Southern Venturer, if I recall.

We used it for the framing of canvas kayaks- PBK's

It was also used as dunnage

OK

Norman

[Buell]

Hi agreed with above to some degree cant really tell without planning etc.. to me it looks a little like sapele.. Its a mahogany sub...Dependant on size of piece you need you may find an offset on Fleabay...i had to find some Cocobolo a while back got it super cheap.. very rare timber sometimes to find. Its oily so use for burnishing leather edges.

[Fergus OMore]

Agreed with Buell, Could be sapele or any number of 'new' timbers. My opinion is that it is rotten to plane under hand or power and the grain often changes.

Coco bolo is one of those lovely woods to turn and i recall African Blackwood, Partridge wood, Kingswood and lignum vitae. African blackwood is the real thing for Northumbrian Small Pipes as well as 'half longs' of the Border bagpipes .  Blackwood is now so precious  that the turnings are mixed with plastic and re=machined. Ideal wood for musical instruments such as clarinets and oboes.

I had a B flat clarinet to the simple system made for the British Xylonite Co by Hawkes before they became Boosey( and Hawkes) and it was made from one of these exotics but stained to look like blackwood.

Sadly, I foolishly gave my stock of blackwood away. However probably the best information really is still "Holzapffel'
Bowls- for bowling are no longer lignum vitae but- I think Hensolite- well mine are

Norman

[Fergus OMore]

I was going through my cheque stubs following Storm Ali and realised that there was huge amounts of fallen English hardwoods of which my damaged horse chestnut was one. It's a bit like following the Lord Mayor's Show with a bucket and shovel.

There is no shortage of good hardwood to make casings and to add more exotic veneers.