# Mystery wood



## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

A while back a friend gave me a fair amount of lumber just to get it out of his way and I was happy to take it! :wink:

To my knowledge it was Walnut, African and Honduras Mahogany, Maple, and Cherry. Yesterday I cut into a board that I thought was African Mahogany. But when I cut into it the shop filled with an acrid odor almost like pesticide. So now I'm not certain what this wood is but it looks like African Mahogany. 

It weighs slightly less than Walnut, maybe 10% less, machines well, and is stable. 

Any ideas?

Face grain, sanded - 








End grain - 








Skip planed, no idea what the oil looking spots are - 
















David


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

mahogany that has been chemically treated...


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Honestly, Stick, it looks like African Mahogany but I have no idea what it might have been dipped in or what might have gotten on it. If chemically treated, why, I wonder...?

David


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

difalkner said:


> Honestly, Stick, it looks like African Mahogany but I have no idea what it might have been dipped in or what might have gotten on it. If chemically treated, why, I wonder...?
> 
> David



I thought it looked like aged Mahogany too..
mostly it's insecticides/pesticides, many of which are banned in this country, to control infestations of something....
treat it as hazardous waste..


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Never mind. I just got a call from the guy who gave me all the wood and he said it's Spanish Cedar and that every piece he's ever worked smells like that and he can't stand it. That's the reason he gave it to me! LOL!

David


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## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

So is it toxic to you? I’ve gotten some Spanish Cedar from the local Woodcraft and it has no odor...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Bstrom said:


> So is it toxic to you? *I’ve gotten some Spanish Cedar from the local Woodcraft and it has no odor..*.


same here...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

that's not Spanish cedar...

Common Name(s): Spanish Cedar, Cedro
Scientific Name: Cedrela odorata
Distribution: Native to Central and South America and the Caribbean;
also grown on plantations
Tree Size: 65-100 ft (20-30 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter
Average Dried Weight: 29 lbs/ft3 (470 kg/m3)
Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .38, .47
Janka Hardness: 600 lbf (2,670 N)
Modulus of Rupture: 10,260 lbf/in2 (70.8 MPa)
Elastic Modulus: 1,323,000 lbf/in2 (9.12 GPa)
Crushing Strength: 5,860 lbf/in2 (40.4 MPa)
Shrinkage: Radial: 4.1%, Tangential: 6.2%, Volumetric: 10.2%, T/R Ratio: 1.5

*Color/Appearance:* Heartwood is a relatively uniform light pinkish to reddish brown; colors tend to darken with age. Random pockets of gum and natural oils are commonly present. Grain patterning and figure tends to be somewhat bland.

*Grain/Texture:* Grain is straight or shallowly interlocked. Medium texture and moderate natural luster.

*Endgrain:* Can range from ring-porous to diffuse-porous; medium-large earlywood pores, small-medium latewood pores; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; mineral deposits (red gum) occasionally present; growth rings distinct due to terminal parenchyma in diffuse-porous samples, or lines of larger pores in ring-porous samples; rays usually visible without lens; parenchyma banded (terminal), apotracheal parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates, paratracheal parenchyma vasicentric.

*Rot Resistance:* Spanish Cedar ranges from durable to moderately durable regarding decay resistance, and is also resistant to termite attack; the wood is also reported to have excellent weathering characteristics. Older, slower-growing trees from the wild tend to produce wood that is more durable than wood from younger, plantation-grown trees.

*Workability:* Spanish Cedar is easy to work with both hand and machine tools. However, due to its low density and softness, Spanish Cedar tends to leave fuzzy surfaces if not machined with sharp cutters; extra sanding up to finer grits may be required to obtain a smooth wood surface. Also, natural gum pockets can remain wet and may ooze out onto the surrounding surface, which can clog and gum up saw blades, and make finishing the wood a challenge.

* Odor:* *Has a distinct, lingering, cedar-like scent; this characteristic of the wood makes it a favorite for cigar boxes.*

*Allergies/Toxicity:* Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Spanish Cedar wood dust has been reported as a respiratory irritant. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

* Common Uses:* Veneer, plywood, cabinetry, musical instruments, (flamenco and classical guitars), humidors, and boatbuilding.

Comments: A historically valuable Latin-American timber, Spanish Cedar has been exploited in many regions, and the species is now considered to be vulnerable according to the IUCN. It’s also listed on the CITES Appendix III for the countries of Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, Guatemala, and Peru. (It’s listing in Appendix III simply means that the countries listed have voluntarily chosen to control the exporting of the wood, and have sought the cooperation of other countries to help in enforcing these restrictions.) Spanish Cedar may still be freely exported from other Latin American countries not listed in Appendix III.

Not a true cedar, *Spanish Cedar is actually more closely related to true Mahoganies * (Swietenia and Khaya genera), as both are in the Meliaceae family. Density and mechanical properties can vary widely depending on country of origin and growing conditions; (specific gravity can vary from .30 to as high as .60 in some instances). Some of the wood available at present comes from plantations: where younger, faster-growing trees, produce wood that is lower in density, and paler in color than wood cut from trees taken from forests in the wild.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

It looks like the center photo, Stick. But it has a horrific odor, truly like pesticides. Either way it's outside and I'll give it to our mailman tomorrow. Sandy can't stand the odor so I don't need it here.

David


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

difalkner said:


> It looks like the center photo, Stick. But it has a horrific odor, truly like pesticides. Either way it's outside and I'll give it to our mailman tomorrow. Sandy can't stand the odor so I don't need it here.
> 
> David


does the mailman know how well you like him???


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

I've hinted... :wink:

We're in a woodworking club together and he seriously will take about anything!

David


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

difalkner said:


> I've hinted... :wink:
> 
> We're in a woodworking club together and he seriously will take about anything!
> 
> David


you just may have a dangerous piece of wood...
play it safe...
toss it...


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Stick486 said:


> you just may have a dangerous piece of wood...
> play it safe...
> toss it...


Exactly. Only be sure you toss it where no one else will get it.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

There are some legal requirements some countries have about treating wood that gets shipped in from other countries. Usually it has to be kiln dried to a certain temperature for a given period of time but maybe fumigation is acceptable too. At one time the fear was spreading nematodes but there may be some other pests they are worried about too.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

difalkner said:


> I've hinted... :wink:
> 
> We're in a woodworking club together and he seriously will take about anything!
> 
> David


I figured you were sore at him...


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> I figured you were sore at him...


That has happened when he came into my shop and started picking stuff up without asking, moving a fence I had set up for a cut, etc. My shop has rules, and one of them is 'don't touch anything without asking' but he's not too good about that. Or at least he wasn't - now he is. His hands go in his pockets when he visits now. :wink:

He came by and we looked at the boards, both deciding they need to be trashed. So that's where they are now - gone!

David


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

difalkner said:


> That has happened when he came into my shop and started picking stuff up without asking, moving a fence I had set up for a cut, etc. My shop has rules, and one of them is 'don't touch anything without asking' but he's not too good about that. Or at least he wasn't - now he is. His hands go in his pockets when he visits now. :wink:
> 
> He came by and we looked at the boards, both deciding they need to be trashed. So that's where they are now - gone!
> 
> David


ahhhhh...
getting even w/ his touchy/feely issues... eh...
this I understand...


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## RiovistaAndy (Feb 20, 2019)

Send it all to me and I'll get analytical run on it. If it's dangerous I'll dispose of it properly with a haz-Waste company I retired from. I have all the proper PPE to wear and a proper space to hold it pending analysis.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

difalkner said:


> That has happened when he came into my shop and started picking stuff up without asking, moving a fence I had set up for a cut, etc. My shop has rules, and one of them is 'don't touch anything without asking' but he's not too good about that. Or at least he wasn't - now he is. His hands go in his pockets when he visits now. :wink:
> 
> He came by and we looked at the boards, both deciding they need to be trashed. So that's where they are now - gone!
> 
> David


Is his name Scott? If it is he is in our club too,knows everything,never does any thing wood wise, has no cell phone,computer,or tools,has done everything, nothing he doesn't know about woodworking. We are privileged to have him as a member.
Herb


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Herb Stoops said:


> Is his name Scott? If it is he is in our club too,knows everything,never does any thing wood wise, has no cell phone,computer,or tools,has done everything, nothing he doesn't know about woodworking. We are privileged to have him as a member.
> Herb


Cousins, of that I am certain!

David


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