Expert: Jamie Yocono - 1/21/2008

Question
I am thinking of refinishing and adding to my kitchen cabinets.I need to know what type of wood the cabinets are . How do I find this out? My home was built in 1969 and my cabinets were made by a company called MENGEL.

Answer
Hi Michael,

If you ask most experts about the correct way to identify wood, they will say that the only way to do it properly is to use a magnifying glass and examine the end grain.  There is a book that's probably considered the best for wood identification, and it is "Identifying Wood: Accurate Results With Simple Tools" by R. Bruce Hoadley. If you're really serious about identifying wood, you NEED this book.

But, I understand that you just need to identify the wood in your cabinets.  I've learned not use color as the main way I identify wood. Since staining wood is so popular, you can't go by the color alone when trying to identify it. Grain patterns and the pores of the wood will tell you MUCH more about the type of wood, rather than it's color. Learn the grain and you'll really be able to start proper identification.

My best suggestion is to remove a drawer front or a door and take it to a lumberyard. I'm not talking about Lowe's or Home Depot, but smaller, more privately owned places where they actually know what they're talking about. In my town, I have a lumber yard that will cut small pieces and label them for anyone I send there. I was teaching woodworking and sent many of my students there to buy wood, so they were more than happy to give samples out. Someone at your local lumberyard should be able to help you identify the wood, based on the grain (the most important feature, in my opinion) color (not so important, because staining can change it), weight (density is often quite telling) and finally, the hardness.

Another tip is to buy a set of veneer samples to help with your problem. But as I mentioned, if your cabinets are stained, you're going to have a tough time identifying them by the wood samples alone. Constantine's  (www.constantines.com) sells two different veneer sets- one has 50 samples for about $22.00, and that will probably give you just about every sample of wood that you will ever encounter. I bought one of these kits when I was just starting out, and it was invaluable.

Finally, I've looked and looked for decent sites on wood identification, and have been frustrated with what I've found. Most are so technical that they scare off the average consumer. Here is the best one I've found for the average person who just needs some solid information, including grain patterns and colors. It's not a GREAT site, but it might do for you. Try this:

http://www.woodmagic.vt.edu/Kids/woodid/index.htm

Good luck, if you'd like to send a picture of the wood, I'll be glad to take a look at it. Send a JPEG to me at jamie@wooditis.com. There isn't a way to send photos thru All-Experts, so you can't do it through this site. But I'd be glad to take a look at it for you. Try to take a good close up image, if you can.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com