Wood Species assistance

[Jayman72]

Hey IAP people, I have a question that I am hoping someone might have an answer to.

I recently purchased a bunch of wood from a widow who's husband was a wood worker.

I bought a bunch of figured maple (Both soft and Rock) and its all beautiful.

In the bunch there was one board that was covered in Moss and dirt and algae (all dried up) When I planed it clean it was obvious that this is not maple.

No one in my local wood working community has ever seen anything like this before and we are at a loss to what it is.

The entire board is about 7 feet long and it pretty much looks like this throughout. (I added 2 shots of the board where there isn't as much of the "movement" but it shows the actual wood grain.)

Anyone have an idea?

Thanks in advance
Jay
Tampa, FL

 

[Gary Beasley]

Could simply be a maple board that has started spalting.

 

[Jayman72]

Could simply be a maple board that has started spalting.

I wondered that but I have never seen spalting that looks like this.

 

[henry1164]

Not even close to an expert but I have recently seen boards like the second and last photo that were from a magnolia tree. In any case nice looking grain.

 

[carlmorrell]

in two of the pics, I would have guessed cherry.

 

[GaryMGg]

The 2nd and 3rd pics look just like Ambrosia Maple.

 

[Jolly Red]

Looks like soft maple which is rotting and getting a fungal stain. See the staining a lot in pine, where it is known as blue pine.
Tom

 

[Jayman72]

Looks like soft maple which is rotting and getting a fungal stain. See the staining a lot in pine, where it is known as blue pine.
Tom

I was wondering that at first but there are no punky spots anywhere on the board.

 

[robutacion]

Sometimes is not an easy job to identify a piece of old (or new) wood, one thing is for sure whatever it is, it is spalted and from the wide grain pattern I would say is a fast-growing tree such as Ash, possibly.

Cheers
George

 

[danhoke]

My guess is western maple with some insect damage and possible incipient spalting.

 

[sbwertz]

That is a common species...commonly known as "pretty wood." One of my trainers at the blind center tells the turners that if he doesn't know what kind of wood it is. It's pretty wood.

 

[Jayman72]

That is a common species...commonly known as "pretty wood." One of my trainers at the blind center tells the turners that if he doesn't know what kind of wood it is. It's pretty wood.

I like to use "Mystery Wood" but when making something, especially with a rare wood, I like to be able to tell my client what it is.

 

[maxwell_smart007]

Looks like maple. It has some nice quilt in it in some places. The colours on the surface of the clean sections look like you got it just before it went punky, and before it spalted. Nice looking wood! Wear a respirator!

 

[howsitwork]

not sure but wear a respirator. Hospital respiratory area is not a good place to visit especially at the moment.