Identify the wood (fnar)?

[ManOpener]

We recently bought a 1930s house that we're tearing apart, finding lots of nice period features buried under layers of crap paint and general neglect.

We have had a few of the doors caustic dipped, they came back the other day looking great but not like any wood I really recognise? Sort of light oak in colour (they don't look it in the picture but that's to do with the lighting in the shed and the layer of varnish I'd just applied) but with an incredibly pronounced tiger stripe type pattern.



We reckon they're original (the fixtures and fittings certainly are) , can anyone ID the wood?

[Depthhoar]

The panels look like Douglas Fir, (possibly plywood?)

The stiles and rails of the door look like western hemlock. Nice dense growth rings and straight, too.

Lovely doors. They don't make 'em like that any more!

Edited by Depthhoar on Monday 29th May 14:55

[Jonesy23]

The panels are probably a rotary peeled plywood of some sort which is what gives the pattern.

[orbit123]

I think all douglas fir - we've a lot in our house and see that same pattern. A lot of the older dark areas are raised.

[Simpo Two]

Interesting to reflect that the last time that wood saw daylight was probably about 1950!

[33q]

Jonesy23 said:

The panels are probably a rotary peeled plywood of some sort which is what gives the pattern.

This

[anonymous-user]

Agree with the posters above who said the panels are douglas fir. That grain patten is very typical of doug fir. Agreed with the rotary peeled plywood as well. There are no breaks in the panel indicating that it is built up with planks (and you wouldn't get a plank that wide with that type of marking) so definitely a veneer and probably plywood.

Also agree that the frame looks like hemlock. Hemlock used to be a very common choice for internal joinery due to nice straight and knot free timber as well as it small movement characteristics.

Nice doors!!

[ManOpener]

The stripper picked up a couple more doors at the weekend and seems to agree- probably Western Hemlock for the stiles and rails, and definitely rotary peeled Douglas Fir plywood for the panels. We like them so much that we've decided that they're all going to go back to the wood, get satin varnished and get rehung with the original Bakelite handles.

Thanks all!