My son-in-law dropped off two slabs of wood for a project that will be two sitting/changing benches. They will be placed at the foot of each bed I have made for my China dolls.
The wood is marked as Tiger wood? Not to be mistaken as wood with ‘tiger’ grain. Attached are two poor pictures of what I have.
Sorry, but I have never heard of Tiger wood.
I have two each of this wood. They are both 18 inches wide, 114 inches long and 7/8 inches thick. It would appear they were sliced very close to each other in sequence because the grain is very similar to what I would call book matched.
It is very heavy and very hard! Just for fun I tried a ‘push’ type spring punch on the surface and it just sort of bounced off? OK, the punch left a small dent. A scraper dulls very quickly.
The color is a bit lighter in color than I see in the pictures. Depending on the light, the wood looks a medium sand color #with a yellow cast# background with darker brown grain pattern.
On a sample cut using a newly sharpened plane it had a tendency to tear out in some areas. Very much like Purpleheart will do. In fact, except for the patterns, thw wood reminds me very much like Purpleheart. Could it be Yellowheart? Just a thought on my part but I have never seen Yellowheart.
Thank a bunch for any information you can give me.
Replies
WillG,
My wood books identify Tigerwood as the US vernacular name for "African walnut" or lovoa trichiliodes. (It's not a true walniut though, according to the book). Your mention of the tear out also jibes with the book's description of this timber as having interlocked grain. Does it show sapele or iroko-like ribbon stripes on the quartersawn faces? Your pics also resemble the pics in the books.
In fact, I have a pile of what I took to be iroko that doesn't look unlike this tigerwood, being somewhat more yellow than most iroko but otherwise very similar. It does show stripes, though. Perhaps I have tigerwood! However, I also find "stones" (calcium carbonate precipitates) in this timber, which are generally associated with iroko and not mentioned in the tigerwood book-descriptions I have.
Also, the mechanical properties listed for tigerwood (low stiffness, low bending strength and SG of 0.55) don't jibe with the stuff I have, which is very durable, tough and a bit heavier than teak (SG 0.65).
So, there are a few parameters to consider. Its probably tigerwood but possibly iroko if its very tough on blades, heavier than white oak or similar; or shows signs of "stones" when cut (a bit like pitch pockets in pine but whitish and rock'ard - anything from tiny pebbles to great hard clumps up to 2" long).
Lataxe
Thanks.. A step forward. You alway come forward with good information.
I found this about Iroko
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/iroko/iroko%25205%2520s25%2520q60%2520plh.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/iroko.htm&usg=__5YDh_CS0FoyLDJHHvkk2quCqvhQ=&h=366&w=498&sz=27&hl=en&start=11&um=1&tbnid=6zf9f6sxaCjUUM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwood%2Biroko%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26rlz%3D1I7ADRA_en%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1
My wood looks like what is in the link above except I do not see the open wood cells I think I see in the endgrain. Maybe I'm just not sure what I am seeing.
I was going to send a picture of the endgrain but this old man forgot how to get my camera on Macro... Dang me anyway.... The end grain of my wood looks very 'tight grained'.
One of my first thoughts was this wood seems very much like some Santos mahogany I have except for the color and hardness.
Another link that is food for thought..
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.batplants.co.uk/irokotree3.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.batplants.co.uk/irokotreefinal.htm&usg=__cnzxN4330F3EquYsPDpUn8ulVa8=&h=550&w=374&sz=79&hl=en&start=204&um=1&tbnid=d0cWLkoiBQovQM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=90&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwood%2Biroko%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26rlz%3D1I7ADRA_en%26sa%3DN%26start%3D189%26um%3D1
That wood will cheat on its wife until she beats him up with a golf club! Sorry, I couldn't resist! I have no idea what it is. It looks very nice though!
"Seen Better, done worse!"
That wood will cheat on its wife until she beats him up with a golf club! .. LOL..
I had a real problem doing a net search for Tiger Wood!
Edited 12/13/2009 7:22 am by WillGeorge
Will .
Looks like Goncalo Alves.
BOTANICAL NAME: Astronium spp., mostly A. fraxinifolium and A. graveolens both of the family Anacardiaceae, the cashew family. The wood from the latter is reportedly more straight-grained, less dense, and slightly plainer in looks than the former. Also A. lecointei (trade name aroeira)
COMMON NAMES: aderno, almedro macho, arathanha, aroeira do campo, aroeira preta, batao, bauwana, bois de zebre, bosona, bossona, bototo, chibatao, ciruelillo, ciruelo, coubaril, cubatau, diomate, frijolillo, gateado (venezuela), gomavel, guarabozebra, guarabu bata, guarabu encirado, guarabu rajado, guarita (brazil), guasango (ecuador), gusanero (colombia), gusango, jejuira, jenjuira, jobillo, kingwood (not to be confused with the real kingwood), locustwood, maracatiara, masicaran, muira, muiracatiara, muiraquatiara, mura, ormigo, palo de cera, palo de cruz, palo de culebra (mexico), palo obero, potrico, quebracha, quebracho, rajado branco, red astronium, robel gateado, ron ron, ronron, roron, sangue, tibigaro, tigerwood, ubatin, urunday, urunday-para, vermezho, yoke, yomato, zebrawood (not to be confused with the real zebrawood),
Goncalo alves is commonly called tigerwood which underscores the wood�s often dramatic, contrasting color scheme, but many planks are very plain and not particularly attractive. Although it is also reportedly called zebrawood, I have never seen it referred to as such, and there is another very distinctive wood named zebrawood which is nothing like this wood. The name kingwood is often listed as a common name for this wood, but I have never seen that in actual use and there is a different and very distinctive wood that is normally referred to as kingwood.
It belongs to the Sumac and Cashew (Anacardiaceae) family, which includes some 600 species around the world. Relatives of the tree include the tropical cashew, pepper trees, mangoes and pistachio trees.
TYPE: hardwood
COLOR: ranges in color from light to orangish/reddish brown to deep mahogany red-brown with a striking figure in some pieces created by beautiful, bold, brown to nearly black irregular markings or striping. The sapwood is very light. The heartwood exhibits a large degree of color change over long exposure, with a pronounced darkening of the background under the stripes from an orangey tan to a deep reddish brown color, which then in turn makes the striping less contrasting and more subtle. It sometimes happens, but not commonly, that some areas on a plank of this wood will bear a striking resemblance to macassar ebony, being a creamy tan with black streaking.
GRAIN: fine, varying from straight to interlocked and wavy.
TEXTURE: fine to medium and uniform. My experience is on the fine side, and many reports warn against coarse sandpaper because of the fine texture. One report recomments scraping rather than sanding, for that reason. Natural luster is moderate.
PROPERTIES / WORKABILITY: very stong and durable with strength values considerably higher than any well-known U.S. species. In spite of its high density, it turns readily, carves well. It can be finished very easily and polishes very well due to the fine texture. No grain filling is required, also due to the fine texture. The wood�s density and interlocked grain can make it difficult to work and cause moderate to severe blunting of cutting tools but straight-grained pieces are a pleasure to work with. Cutting edges should be kept sharp. Preboring recommended for nails and screws but holding of nails and screws is good. Several reports mention tearout/chipping as a potential problem especially when boring with twist drill bits. When ripping, a low-tooth-count blade is highly recommended. Sands very well, turns well (although interlocked-grain pieces can be a problem), and reportedly carves reasonably well, although reports on carving are mixed --- some say it's pretty difficult to carve.
At least one expert says the wood is very oily, which causes problems with gluing. Personally, I have found it to be just a tiny bit oily, but I have had absolutely no problem glueing it, perhaps because I only glue freshly rough-sanded pieces. See the web quote below on glueing veneer. Several reports do recommend pre-treatment to reduce oils before gluing.
Gum and resin pockets and streaks are occasionally reported as potential problems.
DURABILITY: highly durable, unaffected by moisture, insect and fungal attack, but extremely resistant to preservatives. Very durable mechanically and sometimes used for flooring because of that.
FINISH: Wood finishes well and takes a high natural polish because it is so dense. A clear finish will enhance the beauty of the wood.
STABILITY: small movement in service
BENDING: not suitable for steam bending
ODOR: no distinctive odor or taste
SOURCES: Central and Latin America; Brazil is a major exporter of the wood, but it also comes from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Columbia, Costa rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
USES: accent wood, archery bows, bedroom suites, billiard cue butts, boat building, bobbins, bows, bridge construction, brush backs, building construction, cabin construction, cabinetmaking, cabinetry, carving, chairs, chests, construction, dampers in grand pianos, decorative veneer, desks, dining-room furniture, exterior joinery. factory construction, figured veneer, fine furniture, flooring, fuelwood, furniture, handles, heavy construction, jewelry boxes, joinery, joinery (external with ground contact), knife handles, ladders, light construction, living-room suites, marquetry, mine timbers, musical instruments, paneling, piling, plywood, posts, railroad ties, shafts/handles, shutters, specialty items, sporting goods, tool handles, toys, turnery, vehicle parts, wardrobes, wheel spokes, wheels
TREE: a large canopy tree, sometimes with heights to 150 feet reported, although 120 is more normally reported as the maximum. Trunk diameters of 4.5 feet have been reported, but but 3 to 3.5 is the normally reported maximum. The tree has a clear, straight cylindrical bole for two-thirds or more of its height, above a buttress that can rise as much as 6 feet (usually less). The logs are typically sound throughout.
WEIGHT: reports range from 53 to 80 pounds per cubic foot which is quite a range, but the upper end is highly suspect, I believe. My own experience has been in the 60 lbs/ft3 range and most reports are in the low 60's.
DRYING: Can be difficult to dry --- slow air drying is recommended. Drying problems include warping (crooking and bowing), checking, and a slight tendency to twist. Rapid air-drying rates may cause excessive warping and checking.
AVAILABILITY: readily available
COST: readily available under $10/BF, but I assume that this is for the more plain planks. Figured pieces go for much higher prices, with highly figured pieces regularly commanding $20/BF, though you might get lucky and find terrific pieces for $12 to $15/BF. I've never gotten lucky.
I have found Gancalo Alves to be less interesting than the more figured pieces I've seen pictures of would suggest, but I assume that that's BECAUSE the pieces I've owned were not the more figured pieces. Most of the pieces I've owned were quite bland compared to what this wood is apparently capable of, although one of my samples is, as you can see from the pics, quite variagated in color.
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Goncalo alves has been heavily exploited because of its great beauty. It is now rare outside of the protection of national parks, and is listed as threatened in "Arboles Maderables en Peligro de Extinci�n en Costa Rica."
The wood has a natural luster. The right piece can be very dramatic. Non-figured goncalo alves is very bland. People usually buy it for the distinctive figure.
According to Wood Handbook Wood as an Engineering Material, published by the USDA, The high density of the wood is accompanied by equally high strength values, which are considerably higher in most respects than those of any well-known United States species. However, the wood is not imported for its strength. In the U.S. market, goncalo alves is usually prized for its beauty.
Jim Dumas, president of Certainly Wood in East Aurora, NY, describes goncalo alves as extremely heavy. Of the 300 or so commercial woods sold, it is one of the heaviest, he says.
We sell it with a disclaimer and tell people who plan to glue the veneers that other customers have reported problems, Dumas says. I think if it weren�t for the difficulties in gluing, it would be a much more popular wood because it is very dramatic. It is a cross between ebony and teak with broad black lines. Some novices mistake it for marble wood because it has that look.
Goncalo alves is sometimes referred to as zebrawood or tigerwood which underscores the wood�s often dramatic, contrasting colors. While the clearly demarcated sapwood is light colored (generally a dirty grey or brownish-white), the heartwood is a mix of deep red and brown, often with dark streaks and colorations that give it a unique look that some compare to rosewood. The wood�s color deepens with exposure and age and develops a patina, particularly if left unfinished, due to the exudation of natural oils in the wood. Many planks are, in my experience, and based on wide examination of pictures on the Internet, merely a nice honey-brown with mottled black streaking, which is a far cry from the beauty that is sometimes found in the wood. Not a good wood to buy sight-unseen.
Tom.
Tom-This is execellent info, can you link me to your source? It is most certainly Jobillo, Goncalo Alves, zebra/tigerwood, ect..
I am very interested in your source, I spend so much time researching the woods I turn with, and this looks like a copied webpage (maybe?) and I would love to acess this site, it has all the info I need in one place, unless of course I am mistaken and this is compiled info.
Thanks much,
Mike
Mike, the source was easy to find here: http://www.ccwmi.com/goncola-alvestigerwood.html
If you ever want to do a similar search for what is obviously text lifted wholesale from another source, quite possibly on the internet just highlight, copy and paste all the text from a sentence or paragraph in a post (or from elsewhere) into a search engine window and hit the search button. The chances are the search engine will take you pretty much straight to the original.
This wholesale lifting of text is actually something of a problem in educational, scientific, research and academic circles nowadays as plagiarism is so tempting for lazy and dishonest students, and possibly even serious researchers. Plagiarism is easy to accomplish with computers and the internet, and the source may not be a credible one, although that isn't necessarily the case here. Slainte.
Heres a link to some pics. View Image
Will,
I have some tiger wood that was sold under the botanical name goncalo alves.
My supply looks much like your photo tiger 013.jpg.
Not as hard on the tools as teak, but I think some planks may have a high mineral content that results in the shimmer you will find throughout the wood.
You will enjoy the results.
Don
To Mr. Gofiggure and Mr. Don..
Arlington Texas! As I recall that is near Fort Hood. I may have visited a local roadhouse back in 1960 or so there! Never had any issues with thew local police so I guess I was a bit tame compared to the locals!
Whatever this wood is, it is very heavy. I cut my rough blanks last night for two 'Treasure Chests/Sitting/Dressing benches' I will make for my grandbaby little ladies..
At the center of each, my so called junk saw/blade, had a bit of a hard time cutting it. As in it burnt the edges and I had to push much harder to cut this area. I have no idea what to call it, but it was like running into stone!
I will let it sit for a week or two and see if this burned area splits or whatever. Or any other part splits or warps.
I let the wood sit for about week in my unheated shop first. Unheated.. is where I have to work in winter..
I will wait untill after New Years and then plane one edge on my small 8 inch jointer and wait to see the outcome
after some time...
I can wait! I was given a very large Doll House to put together and paint. That my take me several years to finish!
I just love making things for little girls.. They get so excited, My grandson just breaks them?
I do have a question. The wood is sort of on the yellow side and my two China style canopy beds are on the brown side. I think a perfect contrast!
I have tested a bit, and this wood does NOT drink up any stain. Period! No open grain except for the end grain..
I mostly use oil and then wax..
Any suggestions?
I have set aside
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