Another what is this wood thread....

[magnumhntr]

I got about 8 cords of this wood given to me 4 years ago. It had been felled and stacked in 8ft lengths by a crew a year prior, so it is 5 yrs old. The landowner gave it to me after giving the logging crew the boot for breaking their contract on what trees they were going to take. Anyway, this stuff has not been taken care of as it has sat in the weather in 8 ft lengths until august when I bucked it and stacked it. It goes fast in my OWB as I only have about 2 cords left ~ been burning since Oct 1 ~ and more than 50% is rotted. I was just curious as to what type of wood it is as I can't tell...

Thanks!

Chris

 

[Davej_07]

Box Elder?

 

[J.W Younger]

pine or maybe cedar oh, no wait thats oak

 

[ropensaddle]

It is ring porus but can't make out the pith look right in the center real close if the pith is star shaped it's oak.
If it is oak it will be in the family of white oaks

 

[brisawyer]

Ash

 

[ropensaddle]

Ash

Could be resembles it somewhat but after five years of biological
processes the bark can be misleading imo.
How does it burn? Split? Take the log and look at the very center
if the pith is star shaped it is an oak. Your pic you can't tell as the
pith is small and hard to see with the cut swirls. Anyway if oak is
ruled out by not having a star shaped pith then ash or boxelder it
could be!

 

[jcrenfrow]

I would say ash although its hard to tell sometimes on smaller logs.

 

[magnumhntr]

I went and had another look and I don't see any 'star' shape to the pith, just small rings. It could be oak as these guys were in there harvesting and I've never heard of anyone in this area cutting Ash or Box Elder for lumber, but I'm no expert. It's just that this stuff burns up so fast. I can load the OWB pretty good and get about 12-14 hours on one loading, whereas I can put in half as much seasoned 1 yr old maple and get the same burn times.....but I am new to the woodburning game. Could it be just because the wood is so old. I mean I throw a piece in the stove and in a few second the log has started to flame. Heck, 2X6's burn longer, lol....

Chris

 

[ropensaddle]

I went and had another look and I don't see any 'star' shape to the pith, just small rings. It could be oak as these guys were in there harvesting and I've never heard of anyone in this area cutting Ash or Box Elder for lumber, but I'm no expert. It's just that this stuff burns up so fast. I can load the OWB pretty good and get about 12-14 hours on one loading, whereas I can put in half as much seasoned 1 yr old maple and get the same burn times.....but I am new to the woodburning game. Could it be just because the wood is so old. I mean I throw a piece in the stove and in a few second the log has started to flame. Heck, 2X6's burn longer, lol....

Chris

Definitely seasoning plays a part in burn times but if it burns that fast Boxelder may be your wood. Oaks have a star shaped pith dead center of the heart and you ruled that out.

Did it cut like butter or was it hard as a rock?

 

[Labman]

Doesn't box elder have a smoother bark? Can you check what is left in the woods?

 

[ropensaddle]

Doesn't box elder have a smoother bark? Can you check what is left in the woods?

Box elder and ash look almost identical to me the only way I can tell
the differance is the shoot tips boxelder will be green and snap very,
very easy and ash one color and somewhat stronger! It has been a while
since seeing either we don't have many here!

 

[magnumhntr]

Definitely seasoning plays a part in burn times but if it burns that fast Boxelder may be your wood. Oaks have a star shaped pith dead center of the heart and you ruled that out.

Did it cut like butter or was it hard as a rock?

Definitly like butter.

Chris

 

[ropensaddle]

Definitly like butter.

Chris

Just looked up boxelder it ain't that it is diffuse porus so no match.
Ash and oak should be somewhat hard if they are not completly
doughty so hmm black gum ?no scratch that diffuse as well!
cottonwood poplar semi ring porus I am terrible at this fire wood
only stuff lol

 

[PA Plumber]

Here's a couple of pics of Box Elder.

 

[magnumhntr]

Thanks for the help fellas. Hopefully it's box elder as I cannot believe that oak or ash would cut that easy ( green or seasoned) nor burn that fast. I know the OWB go through some wood, but this stuff seems to just fall apart once it's put to the flame. And the seasoned maple lasts alot longer. So hopefully box elder is the answer, because I don't want to cut THAT much wood to heat my house :jawdrop:

Thanks again!

Chris

 

[ropensaddle]

Thanks for the help fellas. Hopefully it's box elder as I cannot believe that oak or ash would cut that easy ( green or seasoned) nor burn that fast. I know the OWB go through some wood, but this stuff seems to just fall apart once it's put to the flame. And the seasoned maple lasts alot longer. So hopefully box elder is the answer, because I don't want to cut THAT much wood to heat my house :jawdrop:

Thanks again!

Chris

My guess is poplar after looking up half a dozen possibilities but
I know with ring porus it is not boxelder!

 

[boostnut]

Do you have a splitter, maul, or wedge & sledge? Split a piece and post a pic. I'm curious.

 

[larman]

ash was my first thought. boxelder has a redness to it and a bigger heart to it. ash wood cut like butter being layed down for 5 years. what does it smell like or dont smell? larry

 

[Peacock]

Looks like poplar or basswood to me.

 

[Laird]

Basswood....?

I agree that it could be basswood. Bark looks somewhat like poplar (tulip) but poplar tends to have a greenish tinge to the heartwood. Basswood would cut more like butter than poplar as well.