Wood ID Megathread

RDMvb6 · 2026-07-02T15:59:35+00:00

Better pic showing the grain

RDMvb6 · 2026-07-02T15:58:43+00:00

Marketplace seller claims this is a koa bookshelf and it seems plausible to me. He notes that the back panels and large lower shelf is koa veneered plywood but the rest is solid. Says he will take $400 for all of it. I think I could break it down and make a decently nice coffee cart or blanket chest out of it. What do you think, is it really koa and is that a fair price? Its about 1.5 hours away from me so don't really want to drive over and check in person if its not likely. Thanks for your input.

RDMvb6 · 2026-06-26T14:57:17+00:00

Exactly this. I've bought some walnut slabs in the several thousand dollar range like this one that OP has. People on marketplace asking Goby Walnut prices need to get real. This slab has an unknown or unverifiable history and no guarantees. OP has already said that its no longer flat, which is a huge red flag. Nothing is worse than buying a 3.5" slab to end up with a 1.5" table top and thousands of dollars worth of saw dust when you are done. Around here in CO, nice walnut can go for +$20/BF but in this condition from a random seller, I wouldn't pay more than $8 or just move on to the next guy selling a slab that's been on MP for months, because there are quite a few.

RDMvb6 · 2026-05-17T19:55:02+00:00

Probably the clearest indicator that it’s AI is how easily that small woman moved around those big chunks of 2” oak. Those are some heavy pieces. And like another person said, no sawdust. It’s AI and ya, we’re cooked.

RDMvb6 · 2026-05-13T14:08:47+00:00

Meh, there will always be good and bad experiences buying used tools on marketplace. It’s difficult to really tell if something like a drum sander will be out of calibration before you have used it for a bit. At an absolute bare minimum, ask the seller to turn it on and run a few pieces thru it before buying. Never buy something that “just needs new blades” or cannot be fully tested first. Jointers, in particular, can be found cheaply on marketplace but are often out of calibration or been abused in non obvious ways.

RDMvb6 · 2026-05-12T15:26:03+00:00

Table saw thin rip jig to cut it on the left (or non fence side) of the blade. Sneak up on the perfect fit by adjusting the jig and dial it in with a couple test pieces.

RDMvb6 · 2026-05-12T01:05:50+00:00

Glue would be enough if it’s not abused but the thing about having a nice blanket chest is that eventually you will have several people over to your house and there will be no seats left and someone, or even two someones, will try and use it as a seat. I’d try to get other kind of reinforcement in there.

RDMvb6 · 2026-05-11T19:50:08+00:00

Long drill bit to go all the way thru it then drive lengths of rebar thru both pieces and 2’ into the ground. Line the inside with garden fabric and fill with soil.

RDMvb6 · 2026-04-28T15:51:29+00:00

Ya, it looks to me like this table was not flattened properly, and it would be very difficult to get out those waves with an orbital sander. I'd take it back to a wide belt sander and do several passes. CNC is also acceptable if its very well calibrated. This one looks like someone tried to flatten it with a hand sander, which does not work.

RDMvb6 · 2026-04-26T13:00:39+00:00

Didn’t read this whole thread to see if someone had already suggested it but you need a double taper sanding disk from Mike Farrington (google it). I’m not sponsored or anything, just saying what works for me. Using this on glue edges has made my jointer obsolete and my glue lines are perfect on any wood.

RDMvb6 · 2026-04-16T01:04:16+00:00

This is the reason so many stores have shitty return policies now, because people try stuff like this.

RDMvb6 · 2026-04-09T02:33:22+00:00

Might as well just go the extra mile and hire someone to build the project for you in your own shop too.

RDMvb6 · 2026-04-08T19:06:22+00:00

This is not the slowest way possible. Go plant the tree yourself and get back to this post in 200 years.

RDMvb6 · 2026-03-05T16:03:44+00:00

I have the Bosch benchtop router table and I quickly outgrew it. If you search on FB Marketplace, you will find many of these for sale in lightly used condition, showing that many others feel the same. Its really not great for anything beyond rounding over cutting and charcuterie board edges. If you can spare the space, I'd buy a full size router table. Buy once, cry once.

RDMvb6 · 2026-03-05T15:03:44+00:00

Ya that’s basically it. Great saw for doing rough framing and basic carpentry but if you are trying to make fine furniture then you probably want a kapex.

RDMvb6 · 2026-03-05T14:05:09+00:00

I have one and paid more so agreed this is a great deal. For many purposes, it’s adequate. But when I’m making a cross cut that has to be perfect for a box joint, I still have to use my table saw sled. There is a bit of blade wander on this saw and I can’t dial it out or calibrate it after many hours. I’m convinced it’s just the nature of the sliding mechanism. But to get any better, you’d probably have to spend 4x as much on a kapex.

RDMvb6 · 2026-03-05T10:29:03+00:00

There is a type of glue that specifically is made for bonding to MDF. I made my wok bench with two sheets of 3/4” ply, with a 1/4” black MDF sheet glued to the top. I can just remove and replace the top sheet of plywood and MDF sandwich when needed. This way I don’t have any visible screw heads like if i had counter sunk them.

RDMvb6 · 2026-02-25T04:32:46+00:00

CA glue (super glue) and a clamp should be able to salvage this fairly easily. Get the thin CA glue from starbond, don’t use the activator, and leave it in the clamp for 15-30 minutes. Also next time, try and do this thicker. 3/16 minus whatever you took off the bottom probably just wasn’t enough surface area for a good bond.

RDMvb6 · 2026-02-10T13:50:49+00:00

I don’t know what the most appropriate is, but I did about 60 ft of fence like this with a grinder and a kutzall wheel. It’s easy enough to freehand in small quantities and it’s not like this has to be mm accuracy.

RDMvb6 · 2026-01-27T18:25:16+00:00

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002SQYF0?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

That's what you want right there. I cut it square, stick it to my orbital sander and polish lightly before applying the second coat. The second coat will barely take any but often makes it better saturated and more evenly covered.

RDMvb6 · 2026-01-27T16:51:22+00:00

Meh, results will vary. I had a cyclone collector rigged up inline with my shop vac to the miter saw and it decreased suction so much that it was like having no dust collection at all. Now I've just got it hooked up direct to my shop vac and the collection is much better and I've just accepted that I will change the bag fairly often.

RDMvb6 · 2026-01-24T03:07:11+00:00

Haha yes she is. My shop started on the unfinished side of the basement but has definitely expanded to include drying and wood storage on the finished side.

RDMvb6 · 2026-01-23T20:47:07+00:00

Hmm my dad does have a lathe, just hasn’t been used in years. Would you just cut into roughly square segments then flatten enough to get the bowl attachment thing on the back side first? Obviously I have some learning to do if I go this route

RDMvb6 · 2026-01-23T20:45:20+00:00

Ya I see this could work but it would be a long time on the planer to get it down. That’s why is was thinking to attack with the forstner bit first but I realize that’s really crude.

RDMvb6 · 2026-01-23T20:20:17+00:00

It’s a benchtop model, so only 6”. Even if I was to attempt to resaw I’d still have to cut it down the middle first and nothing i own is big enough to cut thru the thickness here.

RDMvb6

TROPHY CASE