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Can anyone identify this wood?

Slab 2.jpg Slab 1.jpg

Hi all, I was recently gifted this slab of wood which I'd like to make into a coffee table. I don't know what type of wood it is - can anyone give me a clue or advise how I could find out? I'd also like to ask what product would be recommended to fill some of the small splits that are in the slab prior to planing and sanding. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

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JoeAzza

Hi @Smithrj

I found this app on line, however, it's not free to download. there may be other similar apps that are free.

I agree with .@Ericl re resins to use, if the splits are big , you may want to insert a contrasting timber bow tie, this will prevent further splitting of the timber. See You tube video below. Nice piece of timber, just make sure the timber is completely dry, no moisture content, to prevent cupping of the timber.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuqCQpQ4a8A

All comments

EricL

Hello @Smithrj

Thank you for sharing your question about trying to identify the wood for your coffee table.

Looking at the wood grain and the knots on the timber it looks like BlackButt. If the knots were darker and more spread out I would hazard a guess and say, Cypress. I recommend using Protite 500g Clear Casting Embedding Fibreglass Resin to fill the knots in the wood. Using this timber would make a fantastic looking coffee table, any updates you can provide once you start building it would be much appreciated.

Let me tag some of our experienced members @LePallet, @Brad, @tom_builds, and @JoeAzza to see if they can identify your timber.

If you need further assistance with this project, please let us know.

Eric

JoeAzza

Hi @Smithrj

I found this app on line, however, it's not free to download. there may be other similar apps that are free.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuqCQpQ4a8A

Smithrj

Hi Eric,

Many thanks for your reply. I'd also be interested in your thoughts as to a final finish for the wood. I'm thinking a nice shiny estapol to bring out the grain but wonder whether another product such as beeswax or some other polish may work as well or better. Thanks.

Smithrj

Hi @JoeAzza,

Thanks for the information and the YouTube link. The timber has been used indoors as a bookshelf for some years, so should be dry enough. It is a little cupped but I've just invested in a power plane to try and flatten it out a bit before sanding it back. Will post some photos as the work progresses. Thanks again.

StevieB

Hi @Smithrj.

Great to see that you've received helpful advice from @JoeAzza.

@EricL will be happy to offer suggestions for the final finish when he's back on the site on Friday.

Stevie

EricL

Hello @Smithrj

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @JoeAzza. Timber, when sealed, has its own unique reaction when Clear Varnish is applied. For me personally, I've used Cabot's 1L Satin Clear Benchtop Timber Finish as it provides excellent protection and is formulated for benchtop use. The satin finish gives you just enough shine but does not detract you from the finish of the wood.

I suggest having a visit to your local store and have a look at the various varnish finishes on the sample board and see which one you prefer. Which Power Planer did you purchase? It would be fantastic if you could provide us with a review of the tool and how it performs while building your coffee table. Have you considered what type of legs you will be putting on? Any updates you can provide during the build would be much appreciated. I'm sure our members are very keen to see the start of this build.

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to restore wooden furniture

If you need more advice or information, please let us know.

Eric

Smithrj

Hi all, thank you for all your advice. As this project was also going to be a learning experience, I decided to keep it fairly simple. I cut the timber down into a more manageable size, which also eliminated the most warped section, and planed and sanded back the best surface for the top. I found some discarded lengths of rough-cut pine at a building site, and planed them down which revealed some nice grain. These I then cut in half to make the table legs. I made some rails underneath with some 30mm x 30mm dressed pine, and attached the legs using two Pryda 88 x 63 x 36mm angle brackets (2 each leg - found this idea in the December Bunnings magazine), then drilled through the rails into the legs with 12 gauge x 60mm countersunk screws to eliminate any wobble, then filled over the tops of the screws with wood putty before sanding smooth. Now I just need to decide upon the right finish for the wood.

MitchellMc

Lovely work, @Smithrj. That's come out looking sensational!

Those lengths of rough-cut timber are what we commonly call gluts. They're used to separate timber packs whilst transporting them. I never even considered that they could be quite nice and solid pieces of finished timber. Perfect for table legs.

Many thanks for sharing your finished project.

Mitchell

Tinawillow81

Looks to me like camphor laurel, does it have a smell?

EricL

@Hello @Tinawillow81

Thank you so much for sharing your insight into the kind of wood @Smithrj has. It could possibly be camphor laurel. However, there was no mention of smell or aroma coming from the timber piece. I'm not sure if it will still be possible to smell the wood as a sealer has been applied to it.

If you have any projects you would like to share in the house or garden, please don't hesitate to post them. I'm sure our members are keen to see what you're working on.

Eric

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