What species wood is this?

[Todd Hoppe]

Does it give you nasty splinters? If so, I vote for ash.

[Shawn Christ]

Well I was thinking ash too, the grain is very ash like. But the photos with a flash seem to show kind of a pink-ish cast so that would seem to rule out ash.

---Does it have any smell, if you plan off a shaving do you get an aroma? Maybe that's another clue we can use.

The best way to identify it is to take a very sharp block plane, clean up a bit of end grain, then go to hobbithouseinc and check everyone's suggestions against his woodpics there.

Dan

Maybe a very SLIGHT pinkish tone to the heartwood... haven't noticed much of an aroma...

Hobbithouseinc is an EXCELLENT resource!! Thanks for that - wasn't aware it was out there.

I'm going to break with the pack and throw out a wild idea. How about red mulberry? Search for images on Google. Looks pretty good to me, but I haven't seen it in person.

Well, I was leaning toward ash until you threw this out, Corey. Who knows, you could be on to something here. Looking at Hobbithouse, as suggested above, there are distinct similarities!

Does it give you nasty splinters? If so, I vote for ash.

Don't know, haven't worked with it. It's still green, and heavy stuff. I agreed to take it because I thought maybe I could use it for drawer sides.

Well, so far, the top choices are 1) ash, 2) chestnut, 3) elm, and 4) red mulberry.

Any other suggestions on how to ID this, or will it remain a mystery until I find someone who is smarter than me nearby? If there is a better way to post pictures let me know.

Thanks all for your help.

[Chris Padilla]

Any chance the guy you got it from still has trees like this on his farm? It looks like ash to me....

[Fred Voorhees]

I'm going with ash, but the color seems a bit off.

[Larry Edgerton]

If you look at the single board, top right, in the first series of pictures the growth rings are way too large for ash. The first picture top left looks like it could be two different species. Is the wood stringy? Bamagalia maybe. The growth is too much for most hard woods I can think of.

[Jim Kilburg]

Looks a lot like some red elm that I have. Red elm does have a distinct odor and is very stringy when you work it if that helps. Bellevue is in my neighborhood, as I live in Springbrook which is seven miles away. Jim

[Chip Lindley]

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Osage Orange/Hedge Apple yet. If it is very heavy and hard, perhaps that yellow belongs to *IT*

Errr...viewing the flash photos, not nearly as yellowish, but osage orange does turn brownish with age/oxidation. I will stand by that one for now.

Hackberry is out--it has weird interlocked grain. How about sassafrass?? If it is light weight and has that peculiar *medicine* fragrance! ...hmmm

[Kevin Barnett]

Kentucky Coffee Bean. Slight pinkish tint is a clue. KCB will turn pinkish with friction/heat/sawing/sanding.
http://www.vtonly.com/salad_servers_green_inbowl.jpg

[Tony Bilello]

Looks like wild cherry to me