Hemlock log stain

[brendonv]

Will this black line affect the lumber hidden on the inside?

These are fresh cut hemlock.

[beenthere]

Good possibility that the lumber will separate along that ring. Might be what is called "ring shake".

What happens if you cut a disk off the end (say 1-2" thick slice) and see if it separates along that dark line.

You may be looking at early stages of decay within the center of that dark ring as well.

There are those on the forum much more expert with hemlock up close than I. So they'll zero in on your question, I'm sure.

[thecfarm]

That is past shake. You are on your way to rot.I have cut quite a bit of hemlock on my land. One building, I had very little trouble with the hemlock. Went back to the same area 6-7 years later and found rot. The few few boards would look good and than get to a knot and it would be all black around the knots and start to go down the lenght of the lumber. Good hemlock should look like that outside ring.

[brendonv]

Bummer.  Makes sense though.  More dumps fees, *DanG!

[thecfarm]

If I was closer I would take it and burn it in my OWB. That's what I did with all my bad hemlock.Than I went to a diffeant area and lost all my firewood. :D

[Ron Wenrich]

I've cut chestnut oak that looked like that.  I've never cut that much hemlock, and I can't recall any with that type of defect. 

The ring shake I've seen in hemlock, you have to look for it.  Is that ring the same on the other end of the log?  Often, shake will extend through the entire log.  Is there any rot in the heartwood?  If there is, then maybe it can be cut back, unless you're dealing with a short log.

Personally, I'd roll it on the mill and see what I could get.  If the heartwood is sound, you should be able to saw around the defect. 

[drobertson]

this is kinda what I was thinking, many wood types have color defects, they all can't be scrapped, if solid, saw it,  david

[clww]

Looks like that's going to bust to pieces once sawn, so I'd guess shake or rot, like those posts before.
Make some good firewood once split and seasoned.

[brendonv]

Its solid, as in no difference in hardness between the heartwood and sapwood.  Ill cut a sliver off and see what it looks like inside.  I have the stump cut sliver laying on the ground and it does not show this stain.  Strange imo.

[thecfarm]

Mine was nice and hard too. I have some of my boards drying on top of my firewood pile now. One of my friends will come over and get it, He likes to use it to get the fire going. The boards don't look bad now,but I know better. The black will kinda be in the grain. Nothing I wanted to build with.

[brendonv]

I was going to offer these to a local who just bought a new wm as a nice gesture.  Trying to clean the yard too, gotta start firewood.