can anyone tell me the kind of wood i cut?

[TreePointer]

I'll also vote for catalpa. Outer bark looks right. Inner grain is whitish and looks to have catalpa wood's characteristic sheen when freshly split. Catalpa, form my experience, is not the easiest wood to split with a maul and will lose a lot of weight when dry. I have pics somewhere of of known catalpa firewood, searching my computer....

See the sheen in middle of top log in your picture:

 

[davec]

I can only say what it is NOT.

Definitely not any oak. Poplars "look like oaks down low but birches up high" if you'll forgive the simpleton answer.

Basswood has very squiggly little branches in the tops. I can tell it "was" a basswood after I cut it. Plus the bark is much less coarse than oaks. And the saw goes through it like it isn't there.

It's more likely something we don't have up in this area, so I'll shut up now...:biggrinbounce2:

-Dave

 

[chipmaker29]

Thanks for all the comments & efforts trying to help me figure this stuff out.

 

[Woodchip1]

I'm ruleing out catalpa and box elder both don't have long straight trunks. They branch out alot.

 

[TreePointer]

I'm not 100% positive that it's catalpa (pretty sure, though), but northern catalpa (as opposed to southern catalpa) can grow a long straight trunk with branching relatively high above the ground.

If you want to rule in/out catalpa, look at the leaf scars on a twig. It's the only tree I've ever seen with three leaf scars around the same node.

 

[outdoorlivin247]

Go back and dig some of the roots up...Boil them down, if they smell like black licorice, it sassafras...Ericjeeper makes tea for GTG's and has alot of it on his property...

 

[Firechief]

I always thought that Sassafras smelled like root beer when split wet.

 

[howellhandmade]

Sassafras. Just cut some today, reinforcing my earlier opinion.

Jack

 

[lone wolf]

anyone say tulip poplar i thought the wood split smelled like he described?

 

[trax]

I would say Black Willow

 

[indiansprings]

Any wild pecan trees in the area?

 

[the westspartan]

Popler(not tulip)/Cottonwood/Aspen can smell pretty funky when cut/split. They have a similar bark and possibly similar wood. They can be a pain to split with a maul. Not sure though.

 

[Philbert]

split a couple pieces & it smells pretty strong like paint. whats up with that?

Latex or alkyd?

Philbert

 

[TreePointer]

Let's add more to the fire

Fresh cuts into catalpa wood are often described as smelling like kerosene.

Google: catalpa smells kerosene