Anyone know what this is ? Cherry ?

[unionworkeruk]

I used to pick up odd bits of wood from a local timber yard for a couple of quid which I used for shelving skirting and even lined walls with it.


I am now looking to replace the treads on some stairs and this looks interesting so any help in identifying it so I can check out if strong enough and where I can buy some planks of it.

Thanks

 

[Notch7]

Looks like yew to me

 

[KenGMac]

unionworkeruk, good evening.

The purist answer is that you would have to have a sample tested under a microscope to really determining what species of timber your image portrays.

The problem is that local timber yards, and indeed the more specialised "exotic" timber suppliers are a lot better at very accurately identifying timber species.

As an aside, I was assisting my son in sourcing "exotic" and "unusual" well figured timber of-cuts for various projects involving well figured and visually appealing timber.

The problem in identification then comes in, in that there can be several similarly coloured bits of timber on a shelf, but? they are all different, vastly different species of wood, from hugely diverse areas of the planet.

Bottom line is that there several thousand different timber species?

Ken

 

[unionworkeruk]

I think you have it

Looks like yew to me

Thanks for that !

 

[Notch7]

I think you have it

Thanks for that !

The pics you posted wasnt too clear, difficult to identify.

Yew has a batural lustre, so if a bit is hand planed, it will feel very smooth and a bit shiny.

It is a softwood, but has high density so your plank should be quite heavy.

Cherry is softer than yew.

Freshly machine yew is distinctive -its really quite bright yellow / orange.

Cherry will be light to darkish brown.

If its yew, dont make a chopping board.......

 

[unionworkeruk]

Found it here with some other wood grains which helps

http://www.jamesdawsonfurniture.co.uk/english_wood_James-Dawson-Furniture-Maker.html#

and a guy in Sherwood Forest who sells only fallen timber and Yew at "£55-75 for 1 cu/ft wjhich is equivalent to 2 boards @ 9" (225mm) wide x 1" (25mm) thick x 96" (2.4m) long" which would suit me as its a short staircase.

I have also found some Olive boards which look equally interesting

 

[blup]

.

 

[Mottie]

Looks like yew to me

Yew to me are everything, the sweetest song that I could sing, oh baby, oh baby......