question: kind of wood in 60's stereo console

[Gordon]

We just returned from Southern Lumber in San Jose, where three experts couldn't decide between Teak, Walnut and Mahogany ("low probability"). There's a 40-year old varnish over the wood that makes id difficult. (The miller said he could tell by the smell if he cut the piece in half. "No, thanks.")

The following are links to three photos, two of the top and one of the bottom.

anyone knows for sure what the kind is, please share the id and the decisive clues.

Many thanks, Gordon

P.S. The photos will remain until October.

[Duane Bozarth]

Too big to try to open w/ slow dialup.

Bound to be some way to get to an area under the top or somewhere that isn't finished.

Would be surprised if it were anything more than a veneer at best or, more likely, something like one of the tropicals stained to look like walnut or somesuch. Even then there was little really fine wood used in such pieces although there were exceptions.

[bridger]

looks like walnut to me.

["<<<]

Looks kinda like Pecan to me.

Gord> We just returned from Southern Lumber in San Jose,

[Gordon Slishman]

Veneer it is. For sure. Thanks, Gordon

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Doubt it is teak. I'm not a wood expert, but back in the 60's it was common to find furniture with genuine veneer or veneer stained to look like something else. Walnut was popular then. Is there an area you can strip and get to the actual color?

[RonB]

I am guessing Walnut veneer.

Not Teak. Some Mahogony can be finished to do a fairly good Walnut impression but I'm sticking with Walnut.

RonB

[dadiOH]

Doesn't look like any of them to me. I doubt that any of the three would be stained and - if not - it certainly isn't teak or mahogany. Doesn't look like walnut either. Possibly one of the Phillipine mahoganies stained...?

-- dadiOH ____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[Dave Hall]

Looks like walnut to me. Looks a lot like a couple of 1960s era TV cabinets my dad converted by taking out the innards and installing walnut doors and drawers. There must be at least three of these in different rooms in my mom's house.

Dave Hall

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." -- G.B. Shaw

[SonomaProducts.com]

That is mahogany, probably Honduran. From a distance I could see why people said Walnut but if you zoom in you can see the "dashes" in the grain that are either Teak or Mahogany and this aint Teak.

Since you are in San Jose you could go see some work I was involved in at Vintage Wine Merchants in Santana Row. All Mahogany. Lots of it.

100's of thousands of $'s worth (labor included of course). We did the entire place in Mohagany, all the case/rack work, the bar back (I think someone else did the actual bar) and even wrapped the entry way columns and beams with furred out Mahog. Over the few months it took to do it I became very familair with this wood. We used an oil varnish finish on lots of the stuff (no stain) and it looks just like the piece you are showing.

Look at

and click on the picture showing the bar. Make sure to click on the MORE button at the bottom for much MORE of this same site. All Mahogany.

BW

[Robatoy]

The rotary cut walnut veneers tended to go that colour. Confidence level... 95%

[SonomaProducts.com]

Apologies. In all my typical bluster I spouted opinion as fact. I came across a pile o' Walnut in the shop last night and sanded down a piece and layed some lacquer on it. I was still wondering why so many thought your pics were Walnut. I hate admitting when I'm wrong but I think I was. I am right now however!

I agree with the others that say Walnut. The damned stuff has dashes just like Mahog.

BW

[Robatoy]

It does have those beech-like dashes, eh? I have seen walnut go that orang-y colour many times.

Walnut... . . . . . I think.

[TomWoodman]

I took apart an old TELEFUNKEN (European) stereo cabinet last year. All K3 board!. They did an excellent job on the veneering. No way to tell until you cut into it. Except maybe by weight? Anyone actually weigh a piece of k3 board to compare against a piece of walnut, say? In any case... I'm sure the stereo cabinet mfrs would have preffered K3 board for reasons of stability. What would happen to speakers if they sttart opening up a crack?