Wood Guru's -- Wood ID Help Please

[GM_DaddyMac]

Hey fellow AS members. I got permission to do some cutting on blow downs and came across some wood species I am not familiar with. Hoping you more experienced wood cutters can help identify these two wood types.

The first one had no bark and there were no leaves visible. It has some heft and split nicely. I did put a few splits in the fire tonight, and seems to burn well.

The second I feel certain is black walnut, but would appreciate your feedback.

Thanks -- as always!

 

[sunfish]

Elm?

Maybe Red Elm?

 

[mizzou]

Elm?

Maybe Red Elm?

Elm is a definant possibility, could be black locust too.

 

[darkbyrd]

was thinking BL myself, but wasn't sure about the color, hard to tell from a picture. looks kinda like the BL I've cut that was dead awhile. how does it burn?

 

[GM_DaddyMac]

how does it burn?

Seems to burn fine -- would be better with a little seasoning, but all in all quite nicely.

I should note this was taken from a trunk / branch section about 30' from the stump. It is quite large at the base. I will also note the split wood had a pleasant odor, not unlike ash.

 

[mizzou]

Seems to burn fine -- would be better with a little seasoning, but all in all quite nicely.

I should note this was taken from a trunk / branch section about 30' from the stump. It is quite large at the base. I will also note the split wood had a pleasant odor, not unlike ash.

I'm leaning toward red elm. Was there any bark on the tree at all.

 

[stumpy75]

From the one picture, what I see of the bark, that could be sassafras. The wood is right for it too. Not sure what quite large at the base means, but I've seen 24" ones around here.

 

[nrford]

Bottom pic. is Black Locust. pretty hard to tell on the top pics, but I'ld hve to say grey elm.

 

[GM_DaddyMac]

I'm leaning toward red elm. Was there any bark on the tree at all.

No bark on the tree whatsoever. It looks as if the tree has been on the ground for quite some time. As for a variety of elm -- I understood elm can be difficult to split (stringy) and can get tougher to split from green to dry. I was able to split the 4 rounds I brought home with my Fiskars SS with no problems, not much different from other hardwoods.

Sassafras is an interesting option given its pleasant odor when split. I will try to grab some more pics today.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[AIM]

Top picks, not elm.

Bottom pics, walnut.

 

[wackydeejay]

I have no idea what the first piece is, but the second looks remarkably like sassafras. I have burned a lot of that stuff this winter.

 

[Guido Salvage]

I would say locust on the top picture, but the bottom picture is not walnut as the outer area is too white and the heart wood is not a deep enough color. I think we will need to see the bark on the bottom one, around here a 5" sassafras is a large tree of that species.

 

[stumpy75]

I do agree that many of the sassafras around here are small trees, but one came down in an ice storm in a neighbors yard this year that was 18". I think the pics are of different woods, but the last two do look a lot like the sassafras I cut.


From "Hardwoods of N. America" (a USFS book):

"General Wood Characteristics: Sassafras heartwood is pale brown to orange brown,
resembling ash or chestnut; the sapwood is a narrow yellowish-white. The wood is coarsegrained,
straight, brittle and soft, with a spicy aromatic odor. Sassafras is a ring-porous
species."

 

[Natewood]

omg I just cut down a 40" sasafrass! 5 inch is barely a tree!!!

 

[GM_DaddyMac]

Additional / Updated Pics

Hey guys thanks for the feedback. I went back again today to continue to carve my way through the blow downs. Here are some additional pics of the first species -- to include the bark. Does this change anyone's mind?

I will also add the tree had several tall and straight limbs from the trunk with very little wingspan and no real crown typical to most deciduous trees. Pic 3 shows the two main trunks and there is third of similar size underneath as well.

<a href="http://s678.photobucket.com/albums/vv142/GM_DaddyMac/?action=view&amp;current=Wood_ID_2001-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i678.photobucket.com/albums/vv142/GM_DaddyMac/Wood_ID_2001-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>







Just looking for a consensus of what wood species --based on my early findings it appears to burn reasonably well.

Thanks again.

 

[wackydeejay]

I would say locust on the top picture, but the bottom picture is not walnut as the outer area is too white and the heart wood is not a deep enough color. I think we will need to see the bark on the bottom one, around here a 5" sassafras is a large tree of that species.

I've cut up a sassafras that was 20" at the base.

 

[unclemoustache]

.

Catalpa??

 

[TreePointer]

Looks like all the American elm with DED around here.

 

[mizzou]

Definately elm, but not red elm. Not black locust.

 

[AIM]

I stand corrected. Yep it is elm. For some reason the barkless pic didn't look right for elm but it is.

American elm not red.