Lightweight case

[user459]

I was amazed by the light weight of this case from the moment I got it. The original dark finish masked its identity. It weighs much less than the chests and cases I've been used to working on. Now that I've stripped it, I am still unsure of the wood. It seems to be a close-grained soft wood, but does not have the characteristics of pine.

https://gerstnertoolchest.shutterfly...herchests/1750

Any ideas?

[craiglong]

Terry,

The wood-database.com has contact info for USDA for identification, I think it looks like Chestnut. Good luck

[Bill]

They used to call chestnut the poor mans oak.

[user459]

This wood is quite soft and lightweight. The empty case weighs in at just over 3 pounds, where a comparable oak case is well over 6 pounds.

I never pictured chestnut as a soft wood. but then, I haven't worked with it before.

I couldn't find it on the site Craig mentioned - they want you to buy the book!

[craiglong]

Terry,

Below is a link for that site. Once at the site Click on the log on the top left corner, and a list will populate. Each species has a list of info, including the weight of a cubic foot dry.
It also has pictures of most of woods listed.
Chestnut and popular have almost the same harness and weight.

http://www.wood-database.com/

[Joseph1456]

It might be White Cedar. The smell is not as strong as red Cedar, but if you give it s light sanding and sniff you might be able to pick a faint smell of cedar. White Cedar is a very light wood and durable enough to be used in furniture.

[Steve Downes]

Terry,
Take a look at butternut on the wood data base listed above. The little bit I have worked with it, it seems to be similar to what you described.

[bcmachinist]

I'm late to the party but I don't believe that's chestnut. Chestnut has an extremely open grain, that is the light and dark bands are widely spaced and the pores are very pronounced. It isn't common anymore, like elm, but it used to be the dominant hardwood in north America.
Box wood is a possibility as is basswood. Both are used for furniture and trim work.