[governorsir]

Hello there,
Can anyone take a guess at what type of wood this is? last year i made this fake bar of soap as part of a larger sculpture. i now have to make another and cannot remember what type of wood i used. i have lots of scraps of wood in my studio and most likely just grabbed one because of the look of it's grain. i can guarantee that it isn't anything exotic, most likely a common wood from a lumber store like pine, poplar, or oak. however it doesn't look like any of these to me and could be some other species. what's confusing me is the pronounced grain mixed with it's light, and almost neutral color. However, i am no expert and it could just be common pine.
Thanks in advance!

(wood pictured is raw, not painted or sealed)

 

[cabinetman]

We have an introduction section where you can say a few words about yourself. If you fill out your profile in your "User Control Panel", you can list any hobbies, experience or other facts. You can also list your general geographical location which would be a help in answering some questions.

Looks like Ash.

.

 

[Brian T.]

All the ashes (Fraxinus sp.) are strongly ring porous, I don't see that.
The growth rings are wide/rapid growth.
Hybrid aspen/poplar looks like that = quite white.
Without sections for my microscope, it's just a guess.

 

[governorsir]

thanks cabinetman and robson!

is ash commonly sold at a lumber store? i have no recollection of ever buying a piece of ash but it is possible.

as for poplar, i have many pieces in my studio and was looking at them yesterday. if it is poplar i most likely would have used one of these pieces.
the grain however is very faint and wood also has areas of greenish color. also, poplar is quite pulpy. i remember it being more smooth and dense.
any more suggestions????

much appreciated!

 

[MatthewEOD]

I would guess ash as well. Looks very similar to allt he ash bodies teles that i have seen.

 

[Hammer1]

The brown color looks a lot like ash but that is from a very fast growing tree. The thin dark brown lines are winter growth, the area between them is spring and summer growth, going from tan to white. You can tell most softwoods from hard by the weight. Many species can have variations in grain appearance and color, it's hard to judge just on that criteria. There are some species that have unique characteristics and are easy to identify but not so with others. Your ordinary lumber yards don't normally carry many species in 2" thickness other than construction lumber. That can be spruce, fir, pine but there are dozens of types of each. In unusual cases, some of the 2x4s in big boxes may occasionally come from a foreign source. There are also regional differences, I don't see a lot of western US lumber here in New England, for example.

I wouldn't guess at the species, I would take the piece to the lumber yard. Go around and lay it on some 2x4s. Look for a close match.

 

[Treeoflifestairs.com]

My guess would be poplar too.

 

[patternboy]

I would guess ash as well. Looks very similar to allt he ash bodies teles that i have seen.

+1 on ash.

 

[robert421960]

could be poplar
it does not always have the green or brown steaks in it

 

[phinds]

How about you post a close-up so we can actually see the grain lines and pores?

 

[governorsir]

How about you post a close-up so we can actually see the grain lines and pores?

i no longer have it because the sculpture was sold. all i am am going on is the photo.

i have made the same post on another website and the verdict between the two seems to be either pine, poplar or ash.

i am very familiar with poplar and, of course pine, and have many pieces in my studio, so that's very likely.

as for ash, i don't remember ever buying a piece. would it be easy to come by 2" piece of ash at a lumber store in the nyc area?

thank you all for your help. it is much appreciated. i didn't realize how tricky it is to determine a wood species! i naively thought it would be cut and dry.

i will go to the lumber store i frequent and see what wood they have there, maybe show them this pic too.
in any case, i will find something suitable. thanks again!!

 

[phinds]

i no longer have it because the sculpture was sold. all i am am going on is the photo.

i have made the same post on another website and the verdict between the two seems to be either pine, poplar or ash.

i am very familiar with poplar and, of course pine, and have many pieces in my studio, so that's very likely.

as for ash, i don't remember ever buying a piece. would it be easy to come by 2" piece of ash at a lumber store in the nyc area?

thank you all for your help. it is much appreciated. i didn't realize how tricky it is to determine a wood species! i naively thought it would be cut and dry.

i will go to the lumber store i frequent and see what wood they have there, maybe show them this pic too.
in any case, i will find something suitable. thanks again!!

I agree w/ those who say ash is the most likely based on what we can see from that pic. Pine is, to my mind, only remotely likely. Black cottonwood is another possibility based on looks but not something you would be as likely to find at a local lumber store.

Yes, ash is very commonly available.

 

[Hawkeye1434]

I think it's poplar and very common at the big box stores

 

[SkySkrape]

I believe it's pine. I live in Utah and often see that grain pattern in construction woods from big box stores.

 

[SeanStuart]

My first thought was pressure treated - spruce or pine?

It seems like if you are just trying to replicate, pine, ash, spruce or poplar would all work for you. Because there is so much variety, even within the same wood type, you might just go to the store and pick out a piece that matches best.

I'd be interested in seeing more pictures of your work.

 

[SkySkrape]

Here is some maple I bought today from a local lumber supply store (not a big box store). It somewhat resembles your soap bar wood, no? Could it have been maple, though you likely wouldn't have picked it up at a HD or a Lowe's

 

[tewitt1949]

Could it be cotton wood?

 

[phinds]

Could it be cotton wood?

Gee, why didn't I think of that?

 

[Mayor]

I'm going with poplar as my first choice....but it could be white pine!. Do you remember how it sanded?

 

[governorsir]

hey
so i figured out the piece of wood i used.
my job is done! however, still don't know what kind of wood this is.
thought i'd share
it's definitely not pine or poplar (at least from my experience). heavier and darker than both.
when cut into and sanded down the color becomes what is pictured in my first post.