Wood identification?

[Ava Firth]

Hi all
I am refinishing a drop leaf desk and wondered if anyone can identify the type of wood? Doesn’t seem like oak or pine to me.

It’s fairly old, all joints are mortise-and-tenon. And the front drop-down is all one slab of wood, no joins.

All input welcome! And if there an antique furniture aficionados out there, pls let me know what you think or what o should look for re approximate vintage, just out of curiosity. Haven’t found any furniture maker marks or stamps.

Thanks
Ava

[Stuart Common]

Hi Ava

Unfortunately it doesn't appear to be a wood I've used before so I wouldn't like to hazard a guess. I can say I think you're right that it's not oak, it doesn't look like either European or American oak. 

The wood species database at trada.co.uk is very handy though and includes examples of actual cut wood. 

As for re finishing, it definitely is stained darker but it's hard to tell from the pictures what the original finish was. My guess is that a piece of furniture like this was meant to be used, so probably not a shellac/French polished finish. There's a variety of options available depending on the amount of work you're looking to do. 

If you decide to go for a modern polyurethane varnish over whatever stain or oils you use, personally I'd look at one of the newer modified versions that give a less glossy finish, and are more satin. Reason being is that PU finishes can sometimes give a very glossy plastic like finish that may or may not be what you're looking for. 

Remember that if you use water based products like stains or dyes that you will need to de-nib the wood afterwards. The water will raise the grain causing a coarse surface. A very gentle sanding with minimum 400 grit paper will remove these nibs, and again when putting the final varnish on, thin layers with a gentle sanding in between will give you the best result. 

Oil based products don't raise the grain and don't require de-nibbing but still gentle sanding between layers for best results. Downside of oil based is the fumes which go from bad for consumer products to worse for professional use ones. If you do it indoors do it in a room you won't be using for the full duration until fully dry, ensure there is as much ventilation as possible and wear a face mask rated for the fumes (quite possibly a higher grade than a p3 mask) and make sure it fits properly. 

Sorry if you already know a lot of this, but even if you do it might give some information for others. It's a great feeling to look at a fully finished piece and think "I did that" 

Stuart

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[Malcolm Childs]

Hi Ava,

Looks remarkably like some rosewood ps system units we had but those were veneer.  Otherwise walnut seems to have been much used as solid wood and appears to be capable of looking like just about anything.

Agree about finishing.

MalcolmC

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[Ava]

Hi everyone, thanks for the input and advice!

I am sanding off all of the horrible dark varnish and will take some better pictures with better light. I'm leaning towards walnut also, that would fit with the wavy grain but also very solid and heavy. Maple, pine, oak, mahogany - it is none of those. 

I wasn't really planning to stain it, but @stuart maybe you can help me think about how best to bring out the grain before the satin finish?

I've refinished various pieces of furniture, especially as a kid - my mother thought it was a good way to keep me busy during the summer holidays! I bought this desk for £25, 2 years ago at the Arthur Johnson auction in the Cattle Market. It has clearly been well used, there were paper clips and rubber bands and other office debris in the drawers, and there are lots of chair-kick marks on the base. I can totally imagine some bank clerk wearing a green eyeshade working at it in the 1930's, and I take great delight in the fact that it is now home to a laptop and a 40-inch TV-as-monitor. :-)

Will keep you posted!

Thanks again

Ava

[Stuart Common]

Hi Ava, 

For bringing out the grain there's various oil based products, and grain fillers that will do the trick nicely. 

The easiest to use would be Danish oil, it's a blend of tung oil and varnish and leaves a satin sheen rather than gloss. The benefit of Danish is that it's relatively quick drying, normally within 24 hours (further coats may be added earlier, check the tin for times). 

To apply it just use an old but clean rag, you would generally leave it for a short time (again the tin will give you specifics, different brands will have slightly different formulations) then wipe off the excess. Usually about 3 coats is fine but as mentioned in my previous reply, sanding gently with a high grit sandpaper between coats generally gives the best finish. Sanding is definitely a recurring theme when it comes to wood! 

Although it has varnish in its mix it doesn't provide the thicker buildup for protecting the wood as much as an actual varnish would, so it can benefit from a coat or three of clear satin finish over the top once fully dry. With sanding in between of course lol. 

Couple of quick final points:

It does slightly darken the wood, you can try in an inconspicuous spot first to see exactly for yourself. 

It does require good ventilation and a mask.

And finally the very important part. The organic compounds in Danish oil can cause dry rags that have been used to apply it or wipe off the excess to self ignite. Never personally had this happen, but there is the risk of a bin fire or worse. Sounds bad but it's easily prevented. When finished always rinse out the rags in water before they go in the bin.

Hope that helps! 

Stuart 

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