Author Topic: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.  (Read 3109 times)

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Offline youngbowyer33

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Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« on: May 22, 2018, 05:46:56 pm »
I got this piece of wood for free a long time ago and wasn't sure what it was, and still am not sure. Its a perfect size for a longbow. I think it might be padauk or sapele, but I don't think its red enough to be bloodwood. It does look more dark red/orange in person though. If someone is pretty sure what it is, will it be okay for a elb, backed with hickory, or maybe bamboo if I can find some? Thanks for checking it out



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Offline Hrothgar

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #1 on: May 22, 2018, 07:10:37 pm »
Being tropical can make it hard to see the rings. Does it seem comparatively heavy or dense?
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Offline youngbowyer33

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2018, 07:40:14 pm »
 Yes it is definitely a heavy dense wood
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Offline Hamish

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2018, 08:45:44 pm »
Sapele is light/medium in weight, paduak is more a medium weight. Neither of them would be a good choice for a longbow

Hard to tell from the photo's what kind of wood it is.

Can you get an end grain photo?

Offline youngbowyer33

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2018, 09:08:49 pm »
hows this? I could maybe clean it up


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Offline youngbowyer33

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2018, 09:52:04 pm »
hmmm could it be a dark rosewood?
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Offline Mounter

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2018, 10:05:03 pm »
PRetty sure it’s not padauk... looks like some goncol alves I have... aka, tiger wood

Offline youngbowyer33

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2018, 10:12:28 pm »
huh that may be what I thought it was closer to when I got it. But I thought it was too red
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Offline Mounter

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2018, 10:51:38 pm »
I have serveral pieces. It can vary.. if I can figure out how to post picks again I’ll try tomorrow.


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Offline Msturm

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2018, 10:59:51 pm »
That looks a lot like some of the sapele I have worked with. I used to make spearguns out of it frequently. It looks like a dense piece. I think it would make great riser material but I wouldn't chance making a bow from it.

Msturm

Offline mullet

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2018, 06:20:33 am »
I've seen Ipe that had a reddish look to it, especially if it has dried enough to lose some of the oils in it.
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Offline bushboy

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2018, 06:40:23 am »
Mahogany?
Some like motorboats,I like kayaks,some like guns,I like bows,but not the wheelie type.

Offline Bayou Ben

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #12 on: May 23, 2018, 10:00:10 am »
I've seen ipe that looks just like that.  I've never seen rosewood or paduak that looks like that.  I don't know about the other species mentioned. 

Offline youngbowyer33

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2018, 07:51:02 pm »
Hmm, sounds and looks like maybe ipe or goncalo alves. Thanks, I'll see what I can do with it
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Offline Hamish

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Re: Orange/Red/Brown Tropical Wood I.D.
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2018, 08:24:14 pm »
Apart from not being purple, it looks like purpleheart, in terms of end grain, long grain figure.
If you can't easily dent it with a fingernail, it might be usable.  Goncalo Alves is one of those woods where there can be a great deal of difference depending on the actual tree it is cut from. Some is stripey, some isn't.
I would probably go with a flat cross section on the belly, as it will have less likelihood to chrysal.