I have accepted a job for a local factory owner and he wants his credenza re-worked.  Basically he wants to add 3 edged roll out shelves but these have to match even though they are behind a door.  This is a custom made, high end credenza that matches a custom made desk so I want it right but I'm not 100% percent sure what the wood is.  I originally thought cherry but the grain is too open.  Then I thought mahogany but it is too red.  It looks dyed.  The first picture is the existing shelf and the second is the interior of the door.

 

What is this species of wood

 

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well - - - - -  not to put too fine a point on it  - - - - but - - - - - - got any pix of a side that ain't stained and finished - preferably in a natural light? Underneath maybe?

 

As for names:  George?  Martha?

 

 

With that grain in that flatsawn configuration it could be oak or hickory - - It could even be American Chestnut - if it's old enough.

 

However from the look of those two knots I'm wondering if it is not veneer.

 

The lighting sure shows that there's plenty of mahogany-red in the stain. 

 

As to whether it is an Ex-Spend-O-Licious lumber like Mahogany - - I doubt it & mostly because  I wonder who would flat saw mahogany.   But my doubts about a stained piece of wood under unknown lighting  are no sure fire measure.

I wish I had an unstained section Cliff.  In fact, I was looking at the back of it for a label or any identifying mark and the owner of the piece said that only two people know for sure what the piece is made of.  The interior designer and the builder.  The dedigner has passed and I don't know who buit it.  It is about ten years old.  There is one existing shelf on a slide and I may remove it and take it to my lumber yard. 

 

John Moody and I thought it was either mahogany or sapele but It isn't veneered because the existing shelf has edge grain on the front.

WOOD! Sorry, had to go there.

I am working it Ron,

Take out one of the shelves and sand the back edge. That might help you identify it.

 

I can't tell from the pics, too much refracted light and not close enough but I sincerely doubt it's chestnut.

 

Mahogany is a better bet. Especially with the red in it. ( Minwax red mahogany stain.)

 

Course it may be red oak too.

I wish I had an unstained section Cliff.  In fact, I was looking at the back of it for a label or any identifying mark and the owner of the piece said that only two people know for sure what the piece is made of.  The interior designer and the builder.  The dedigner has passed and I don't know who buit it.  It is about ten years old.  There is one existing shelf on a slide and I may remove it and take it to my lumber yard. 

 

John Moody and I thought it was either mahogany or sapele but It isn't veneered because the existing shelf has edge grain on the front.

Ron that edge grain could be a strip of wood sandwiched between the veneers. That panel in your first image sure does look like a veneer with that book-matched figure.

I'm leaning toward veneer because of the surface texture.  It hasn't been heavily sanded and veneer doesn't get sanded if it is thin.  Question is, what to build them with?

That almost could be walnut with the long sweeping hourglass dark grain. I know, doesn't make sense to take walnut and cherry it up, but I've seen stranger use of wood.

i think too open a grain for walnut.

 

I've seen cherry stain on wood and that almost looks like minwax cherry over mahogany.

 

does the top of the door have end grain?

Ron

I copied the first photo onto Corel Photo paint. Changed the lighting and blew it up a bit. The open porous grains strongly suggests red oak as you can see into the grain pores. When you run your finger across it can you feel the grain? Highs and lows of the openness of the pores? Adding the red mahogany stain/dye to it. Just a thought.

Funny you said that Wayne.  We were at lunch and the restaurant had red oak benches stained a deep red.  Looked identical but a deeper red.

Get yourself some red oak and a chunk of mahogany and stain both with minwax cherry and red mahogany. that should clear it up.

 

 

as far as building them they sell 3/4 red oak plywood and a few strips of edge banding will do it.

Okay guys, I shot a picture of this to Bob Kloes for an opinion.  If you folks don't know Bob, he's a wood dealer in Wisconsin and really know all species of wood.  He believes it is South American Mahogany veneer probably on an MDF core.  He thinks that it has been dyed and then stained.  The plot thickens.

Okay guys, I shot a picture of this to Bob Kloes for an opinion.  If you folks don't know Bob, he's a wood dealer in Wisconsin and really know all species of wood.  He believes it is South American Mahogany veneer probably on an MDF core.  He thinks that it has been dyed and then stained.  The plot thickens.

 

 

I think I would go with Klose. You said it was heavy and that would explain the MDF core. I don't have any African Mahogany but I do have a piece of Honduras Mahogany and that was what I was comparing it to.

 South American Mahogany

 

Hmmm

http://www.irionlumber.com/index.php?page=products---mahogany

 

 

Mahogany huh?

I have always found the number of different timbers going by that name  to be a bit daunting.

It's rough on my dyslexic brain.