Mstery Wood

[Ron Bass]

I need to identify some wood I got when I bought this place in the country. The former owner had a shed full of the stuff all differet shapes but approximately the same size and thickness.See photo. They are about 6 to 8 inches by 1 to 2 inches thick. I believe it is redwood as some had been out in the weather for years but it would not rot. Some is cut into thin pieces as if to use for scroll material. The other wood pieces in the shed were slabs of walnut and cedar and were obviously intended for slab clocks. This may have been intended for some kind of desk clock or bowl turning or pen blanks. I have some ideas but would like to know if this looks like something a woodworker would recognize. It has a real pretty grain and is light weight.
I am wanting to know what it was cut for, as I said there is a shed full of this stuff and I have no idea what it was even created for.

[Keith Christopher]

Looks like some walnut and redwood to me.

[Scott Banbury]

I second the Walnut for sure.

I've never done much with Redwoods but sit in them or hike under them so I have no opinion on that--except that it's got a beautiful color/patina!

[Steve Clardy]

Well my first thought was walnut gunstock blanks. But the left one, shape is way off. Right one isn't right for a gun stock either. Hmmm
They are probably some kind of blank, maybe defect ones, that some woodworker drug home from work, or has a great time dumpster diving getting them.
Most gun stock blanks are cut 2 5/8" rough size. Soooo-----
Check around and see if there was some old wood factory around that made???

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Ron. I think I would call up the real estate person who sold you the property and ask them to find out from the seller. Let them continue to earn their commission

[Mark Singer]

Could be Bass wood or some other fishy wood like calamari wood...you need a dip to go with it

[Jim Young]

Huge marquetry pieces??

[Ray Moser]

When you say it is light weight, that would seem to rule out walnut. It isn't that easy to tell from the picture but the piece on the left resembles catalpa. I have 4 or 500 bf that has be drying for 5 years. I have used some of it for turning bowls and some for a wine rack (which won me a prize at the county fair). The wood is not all that heavy and finishes with a color of coffee with cream. Given the cross cut pieces, perhaps your's were intended for clock blanks.

[LT Dever]

The redwood has a little burl in it.

[Ron Bass]

Huge marquetry pieces??

Jim, I don't know what that means but there are some larger pieces, nothing big enough to make a coffee table but about half that size. I quess it is called burl, I have been on the internet auctions and looking at other peoples wood. Along with the replies here I am getting some ideas even if I don't know exactly what the stuff was originally intended for,from what I see if you have the wood the crafter will come up with a use for it. So far I am thinking knife and handgun handles and pen blanks. Would having it crosscut the way it is weaken it for use in either of those applications?
Thanks to everyone who replied.
Ron Bass

[Mark Stutz]

Ron,
Just a guess, but since we are in MO, I doubt that it's Redwood!?! If you can take a block plane and expose a little fresh wood, it may be easier to identify.

[Micheal Cobb]

I had a friend who made this stuff at one time. I believe what you have are patterns used in a two part sand mold used in foundrys.

The wood is shaped to confrom to very specfic engineering drawings. The pattern is then put in the middle of a mold (approx. 18" cube) filled with sand. The sand is machine compacted tightly in the mold. The top half of the mold is removed to take out the pattern, then put back into place. Molten metal is then poured into the mold through a hole which fills the void left by the pattern. After it has cooled the sand is knocked off and you have a casting.

The pattern is only used once or twice, and then a casting is used for other molds. This type of work is usually done on parts that weight 25lbs or less. They make all kinds of parts from auto brake parts to recreational horseshoes.

I don't know what kind of wood you have but it is common to use 8/4 Mahogany. Your wood appears to have a gray tint to it which could have come from the damp gray sand.

[Donnie Raines]

The one on the left looks like walnut, or the root section of a ash tree(they become discolored). The one on the right looks like redwood or the root section of sycamore. The root section of most trees will take on a diffrent color. The reason why I feel this is near the root is becuase of the really wild grain direction and becuase of the unusal shape of the wood.

[Mike Mastin]

Is it really light in weight? The one on the left could be walnut, but the grain is a dead ringer for Redwood to me.

[Jim Schmoll]

My guess wold be Walnut on the left and Redwood on the right. The walnut would make some great looking pens with the grain pattern in it. Redwood is to soft for pens unless it is hardened in some way.

Jim from Idyllwild CA