Another Wood ID!

[e-d0uble]

Howdy all,

My local dump/landfill has been a goldmine for free wood this year. I'm surprised that even after a week of sitting there whole red oak trees remain for me to scrounge...

Regardless, I grabbed a whole lot of this stuff yesterday and thought it might be elm, but since it split so easily I figured it must be something else. Any ideas?

much thanks.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Might be pignut hickory. The pronounced difference in color between the dark heartwood and much lighter sapwood leads me that direction. The hickories are noted for this. If it is pignut hickory, it's truly a firewood goldmine that you have discovered.

Check the hardness of the sapwood and heartwood. Hickory heartwood and sapwood are almost the same hardness.

 

[flotek]

sure look like pignut but it has a loose ring pattern like a softer less desirable variety of wood alot of trees have bark that looks like that ,even cottonwood i have seen has been shown with a dark center heart wood,now is the wood dense and heavy and are there any leaves nearby

 

[e-d0uble]

I wish there were leaves nearby. I didn't see any, but I'll go back tomorrow and check again. If it is some form of hickory I'll even grab the few rounds I left there that were muddy. Regarding its density, it's hard to gague as it's not all that big and is still wet.. but it's certainly lots heavier than the poplar I accidentally grabbed a load of last year =)

 

[flotek]

I split some poplar rounds the other day that looked identical to that

 

[RHiller]

Looks like Sassafras.

 

[e-d0uble]

hmm... I don't think sassafras is too common around here. Also, this wood has no distinctive odor - doesn't sassafras stink like... sassafras?

 

[Peacock]

Cottonwood.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

I'm leaning towards cottonwood as well.

 

[3fordasho]

Sure looks to split cleaner than any cottonwood I've had the misfortune of running into ;-)

 

[e-d0uble]

Hmm.. I hope it's not cottonwood.. Does it grow around here (Connecticut)?

 

[Wood Doctor]

Hmm.. I hope it's not cottonwood.. Does it grow around here (Connecticut)?

I imagine it does. Try this. Force your fingernail arross the grain. If it mars easily, it's cottonwood. If your fingernail nail cannot penetrate it, then it's hickory. Also, peal the bark back. If you see lots of thin membranes between the bark and the sapwood, it's cottonwood.

The bark in your picture does look like cottonwood. Here's some more:

 

[makomakoman]

Looks like a mature poplar tree - the bark...

 

[woodbooga]

Looks like a mature poplar tree - the bark...

I was split between cotton and popple, but tend more to the latter.

If you can seperate the bark a bit from the sapwood (easy once seasoned), there should be a layer of frayed stuff.

Both poplar and cottonwood get bad raps. It all does go quick, but it's free heat. You just need more to accomplish the same result. And save the oak, beech, and sugar maple for deepwinter and overnight.

 

[woody49705]

Definitely looks like tulip poplar----IMO

 

[Wood Doctor]

I was split between cotton and popple, but tend more to the latter.

If you can seperate the bark a bit from the sapwood (easy once seasoned), there should be a layer of frayed stuff.

Both poplar and cottonwood get bad raps. It all does go quick, but it's free heat. You just need more to accomplish the same result. And save the oak, beech, and sugar maple for deepwinter and overnight.

One thing he did say was that it split easily. Cottonwood is stringy and splits like a gorilla.

Does tulip poplar split that easily?

 

[woodbooga]

One thing he did say was that it split easily. Cottonwood is stringy and splits like a gorilla.

Does tulip poplar split that easily?

I've mostly found cottonwood to be an easy split - except it's seceptible to getting those burls that rival elm on splitability.

The poplar I've split more or less splits itself if you look at it crossways.

 

[woody49705]

[The poplar I've split more or less splits itself if you look at it crossways.[/QUOTE]

---YEAH what he said!!!

 

[chucker]

more like weeping willow.. brownish red inner bark with a black heart. course outer bark, slimy white outer cambium,, all typical of willow!!!

 

[larman]

does it smell like horse apples if it does than its cottonwood lol
but like someone said its free and takes more save the good stuff
for cold nites