What kind of wood is this"

[Richard McComas]

A friend want a couple cabinet built to match these, nobody can identify the wood.

What kind of wood do you think it is?

Even if I get the right kind of wood will the cabinet match considering the patina on the old ones?

<img src="http://www.fototime.com/FD2FCB83E627BA0/standard.jpg" border=0>

<img src="http://www.fototime.com/FCFA1CE74E5A0E6/standard.jpg" border=0>

[Todd Burch]

That looks like birch my friend. The dark heartwood streaks and the occasional flame figuring leads me to think so. Todd.

[Mike Mastin]

Looks Like Maple too me.

[Todd Burch]

Yea, it kinda looks like maple, but I'm sticking with birch:

1) a heckava lot more birch grows in Alaska than maple. A heckava lot more.

2) Most curly maple that I have seen has a much more tight curl, versus the undulating roll of those cabinets (not to say that maple won't have that "slow" curl).

Anyway, that's my story and I'm stickin' with it! (And, I am human and have been wrong a time or two - more if you ask my wife).

As far as matching the finish - an oil based polyurethane, all by itself, should get you very close to that finish right off the bat.

[Peter Lyon]

is my guess. I've seen it with red flame lots of times. It is very common in the Pacific Northwest.

[Richard Gillespie]

A friend want a couple cabinet built to match these, nobody can identify the wood.

What kind of wood do you think it is?

Even if I get the right kind of wood will the cabinet match considering the patina on the old ones?

<img src="http://www.fototime.com/FD2FCB83E627BA0/standard.jpg" border=0>

<img src="http://www.fototime.com/FCFA1CE74E5A0E6/standard.jpg" border=0>

I'm going to suggest something ot. I think someone liked contrasting woods. The rails sure look like maple to me. However, the raised panels and stiles look like birch.

In the shop I used to work at we had people mix the two woods up. Someone may not have wanted to eat the cost and shipped them that way.

I'm no expert so I could be dead wrong.

[Richard McComas]

Thanks everone, I think I'll just walk away from this one.