wood for turkey calls from Ohio

doc henderson · February 05, 2020, 07:32:15 PM

My buddy who makes calls made me a few from Aunt Judy's spalted oak tree, he asked me if I could ID this wood. I told him I could, if I could take some pics, and post it on the forum. what do you all think.

this is the raw wood. extra points if you can tell what kind of bike seat it is setting on!

some end grain.

some wood finished as a turkey call!

WV Sawmiller · February 05, 2020, 07:56:34 PM

I'd guess Red Oak.

doc henderson · February 05, 2020, 08:14:22 PM

It was sent to him and he, or the guy who sent it, thought oak.

Nathan Harp · February 07, 2020, 05:53:55 PM

Catalpa

doc henderson · February 08, 2020, 03:20:35 AM

anybody else? @WDH @tule peak timber @GeneWengert-WoodDoc it felt heavy for catalpa

WDH · February 08, 2020, 07:48:12 AM

Definitely a hickory. Could be pecan, which is a hickory. Medullary rays not visible and prominent, so it is not oak.

tule peak timber · February 08, 2020, 08:58:53 AM

Not familiar to me.. I do sell some sycamore to flute and harp makers, but out here in the desert---not too many ducks !

doc henderson · February 08, 2020, 04:41:28 PM

Quote from: tule peak timber on February 08, 2020, 08:58:53 AM
not too many ducks !

make sure you get them all in a row...

Autocar · February 15, 2020, 05:29:50 PM

No body has said it but I believe it is a Black Oak. Sap wood all ready getting soft, sun rays in the cut off. For sure red oak family.

WDH · February 16, 2020, 07:41:45 AM

I believe that your sun rays are cracks.

Autocar · February 16, 2020, 05:04:19 PM

Yep your right but not cracks till the bark falls off and the sun hits it over time or it drys from the end grain on a cut off.

kantuckid · March 10, 2020, 09:29:40 AM

Definite no on Catalpa. I lean toward hickory but the wood surface under the bark has an oak look to it?

Nathan Harp · March 10, 2020, 02:24:48 PM

Bark looks Catalpa
crotch figure looks Catalpa
Color and ring porosity looks Catalpa
Weight can be deceiving on a round piece that isn't dried out, so by weight alone I wouldn't rule out Catalpa.
Fast growth in early years also points to Catalpa.

How do you so easily rule out Catalpa KendtuckyID?

No resemblance to Oak that I can see in the wood or bark, doesn't look like Hickory bark either.
Hickory would have more distinctive heartwood/sapwood and more diffusely porous growth rings wouldn't it.
I think a hardness test is in order. Can a fingernail dent it?

Maybe Siberian Psss Elm,
I can make out what might be wavy lines in the growth rings.
The Burl Bump also resembles growth like you would see on elm.

WDH · March 10, 2020, 06:44:07 PM

I am still certain that it is hickory from the ring pattern.

kantuckid · March 12, 2020, 09:16:01 AM

I am not a "know it all"!
I ruled out Catalpa based on making items from the wood for many, many hours from many pieces of that wood. Most of that work was hand carving bowls which is pretty intimate experience wood wise.
I'll call it my "visual educated guess", how's that?