is this ironwood?

[boostnut]

I went out to clean up a couple blowdowns this weekend and the neighbor came over asking if I wanted to take some ironwood that a forester thinned earlier this summer. Before jumping in head first I thought I'd get a confirmation on this stuff. Is it ironwood or is he jerking my chain? Its a little stringy but not bad to split, probably because of its small size (<6"). It has an odor thats similar to rubber. What do you think?

 

[Ambull]

I think so. It is a little stringy to split for sure, and it doesn't grow really big. Burns really well once seasoned.

 

[Butch(OH)]

I think so, it looks like ironwood but I have never seen it split that cleanly, usualy very stringy.

 

[bluestem]

Looks like Siberian Elm to me, especially if its stringy. That dark heart wood looks like Elm to me.

 

[timberwolf]

Agree with blue stem, Iron wood around here is quite a bit different, looser, flakey, finer grained more grey bark. Not as much difference between heart and sap wood. Heart wood more creamy colored and sap wood not as white.

Looks more like elm to me too.

 

[Biker Dude]

On the bright side, Elm burns as hot as Ironwood and lasts longer in the stove. I'd take Elm over Ironwood any day.

 

[Ductape]

I vote for Elm also............. but I like burning Elm, so I take all I can get my paws on. :chainsawguy:

 

[Roofgunner]

ironwood

Since you're not far from me and I'm no wood expert. However, the wood you pictured is most probably NOT ironwood. I called my stepmom who is an expert and (this is what I thought) ironwood is a smooth barked tree that doesn't grow real big and it's very hard. I've seen this at our farm in PA. It sort of looks like a muscled arm or that the tree worked out with weights. Hope this helps. The hardest wood we have in MO is "hedge" or osage orange.

 

[7hpjim]

+1 4 elm umpkin2:

 

[ray benson]

Looks like Elm.

 

[ShoerFast]

One of the hottest firewoods your going to find, Ironwood looks like this....

It also makes fantastic handles and wood objects that require a close-grain very hard wood.

My guess, going with Siberian Elm as mentioned.

Not that far down on the charts as a fuel wood..... Link:


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ARTICLES - - Heating Value of Common Wood Species
Species Density
(lbs per cubic ft) Weight Per Cord
(lbs) BTU's Per Cord
(millions) Recoverable BTU's per Cord (Millions) Units needed to produce 1 Million BTU's

Hickory 50.9 4327 27.7 19.39 0.052
East. Hophornbeam 50.2 4267 27.3 19.11 0.052
Apple 48.7 4100 26.5 18.55 0.054
White Oak 47.2 4012 25.7 17.99 0.056
Sugar Maple 44.2 3757 24 16.8 0.060
Red Oak 44.2 3757 24 16.8 0.060
Beech 44.2 3757 24 16.8 0.060
Yellow Birch 43.4 3689 23.6 16.52 0.061
White Ash 43.4 3689 23.6 16.52 0.061
Hackberry 38.2 3247 20.8 14.56 0.069
Tamarack 38.2 3247 20.8 14.56 0.069
Paper Birch 37.4 3179 20.3 14.21 0.070
Cherry 36.7 3121 20 14 0.071
Elm 35.9 3052 19.5 13.65 0.073
Black Ash 35.2 2992 19.1 13.37 0.075
Red Maple 34.4 2924 18.7 13.09 0.076
Boxelder 32.9 2797 17.9 12.53 0.080
Jack Pine 31.4 2669 17.1 11.97 0.084
Norway Pine 31.4 2669 17.1 11.97 0.084
Hemlock 29.2 2482 15.9 11.13 0.090
Black Spruce 29.2 2482 15.9 11.13 0.090
Ponderosa Pine 28 2380 15.2 10.64 0.094
Aspen 27 2290 14.7 10.29 0.097
White Pine 26.3 2236 14.3 10.01 0.100
Balsam Fir 26.3 2236 14.3 10.01 0.100
Cottonwood 24.8 2108 13.5 9.45 0.106
Basswood 24.8 2108 13.5 9.45 0.106

 

[boostnut]

Interesting, I never considered elm since it was fairly easy to split & smelled nothing like the elm I've split in the past. Anybody else leaning towards ironwood on this one?

 

[ShoerFast]

Interesting, I never considered elm since it was fairly easy to split & smelled nothing like the elm I've split in the past. Anybody else leaning towards ironwood on this one?

Ironwood is not that hard to split unless you hit a knot, elm on the other hand will fight you till it's in the stove.

 

[PLAYINWOOD]

Shoerfast is right on the money. I've got tons of it and its BTU values ranks with coal.


Shaggy bark with a white wood fiber and the heart if any is darker but the size of a dime.
The local variety of hophornbeam grows straight but only about 30 feet tall and 8 inch DBH.
Most of it you don't even split. 1 tree produces about a wheel barrow full so production is slow.
I do have one on the property about 16 DBH and 40 foot tall but they're rare.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Looks like maybe red elm to me. Red is easy splitting compared to the rest of the elm family.

Here's a pic of an Eastern Hophornbeam (what we call ironwood up here) that I took this morning. Sorry, Biker Dude, but Elm doesn't hold a candle to this stuff. It's what I burn, mixed with a bit of Maple when it's -30.

Ironwood:

Wood on the inside is a light tan outer and darker tan heartwood. I'll try to get a pic of a split piece tomorrow for ya.

 

[woodhounder]

Looks like maybe red elm to me. Red is easy splitting compared to the rest of the elm family.

Here's a pic of an Eastern Hophornbeam (what we call ironwood up here) that I took this morning. Sorry, Biker Dude, but Elm doesn't hold a candle to this stuff. It's what I burn, mixed with a bit of Maple when it's -30.

Ironwood:

Wood on the inside is a light tan outer and darker tan heartwood. I'll try to get a pic of a split piece tomorrow for ya.

I agree with Steve, it is better wood than elm. Here it is very stringy, just as difficult to split if not more. The pic doesn't look like ironwood.

 

[ericjeeper]

Here in Indiana our "ironwood' is slick barked looks like elephant skin. Does not grow very large.

 

[AIM]

Here in Indiana our "ironwood' is slick barked looks like elephant skin. Does not grow very large.

Your probably calling "blue beech" ironwood

Both the "blue beech" and the "hop hornbeam" are nicknamed "iron wood"

Just depends on who ya talk to.

 

[Pcoz88]

It looks like elm..:biggrinbounce2:

 

[sachsmo]

Ironwood (Hop Hornbeam) around here only gets to ~8-10 inches diameter.
They usually fall over by then.

Them dudes are so dense it is hard to make out the rings!