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Advice on Poplar Log ( Pic attached)UPDATED

Started by 123maxbars, January 31, 2012, 08:47:01 PM

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123maxbars

I cut down a very big poplar on the back of my property this week. I will get around 3 12foot logs out of this tree at about 24in diam.  This tree was located in the woods behind my house on a tract of property that has never had any houses/barns etc.  I have heard about seeing blue on logs that usually might be a sign of metal. I noticed some odd colors on a few parts of the end of the butt logs and was wondering if this looks like it might have metal. I have attahced two pics of for you guys to let me know what you think. Both of these pics are of the butt log. Thank you in advance.




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Dan_Shade

I don't think poplar stains with metal.

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SDM

It doesn`t look like metal stain to me. I`ve been in the tree biz for 29 yrs and have regrettably found a lot metal with my saw. Generally you find metal in the bottom 7 or 8ft of the trunk and it makes a much bigger stain than what you have. Fortunately if it is metal it appears to only be a few inches deep. Good luck           shawn         

POSTON WIDEHEAD

It's possible this tree was shot with some type of shotgun.
The older I get I wish my body could Re-Gen.

tyb525

That looks like it has been cut a little while, it is probably some kind of mold.I have seen logs do that after being cut for a few weeks.
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squack

All log's will stain if there is metal in them. But this look's like mold, also poplar tree's tend to have meneral stain in tnem.

doghunter

borrow or rent a metal detector you'll find out for sure that way

beenthere

Was the tree dead when you cut it?

Did it lay as a log very long after the tree was cut?

Looks like a fungus to me.
south central Wisconsin
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customsawyer

I don't think that one has metal in it from what I am seeing in the end of that log. Remember I have been wrong before.
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Kansas

Quote from: squack on January 31, 2012, 11:19:43 PM
All log's will stain if there is metal in them. But this look's like mold, also poplar tree's tend to have meneral stain in tnem.

Its been our experience only certain types will show stain. Oak and walnut are the two that come to mind. I have never seen stain in cottonwood. I can't recall seeing it from hackberry or sycamore either.

Ron Wenrich

The new metals that are coated don't stain logs, not even oak.  Poplar might get a little stain with iron, but it is very close to the metal.  Usually you don't know it until you hit it in poplar.  I've seen railroad spikes in poplar that didn't show any signs of metal.  It looks to be the beginning stages of blue stain, to me.  Its only in the sapwood.  Warm weather?  It shouldn't hurt the lumber, as long as its stickered. 

Blue from metal (iron) doesn't come out like black dots on the end of the log.  Its more of a concentration in the general area of where the metal is located.  It usually runs down the log further than it runs up. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Jemclimber

Woods high in tannic acid produce more stain.  Oak, walnut.....
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Okrafarmer

I have seen some definite blue stain in freshly cut tulip poplar we cut around here. Two trees we took off one person's back yard (paid to take them down) showed it while a third one did not. I'm talking big ugly bruise-like markings the size of a tennis ball. We didn't see any metal, but figured the sawmill wouldn't want it, so we took those logs for pulp. I can't promise that metal caused the markings, but they were persistent in the two trees, going log to log for the whole trees, so we didn't take any chances. I had a sawmill cast aspersions on pine logs before for having similar black markings on them. That time, they metal-detected the logs and didn't find anything. I really would like to know, cuz, if those black-eye bruises don't mean anything in tulip, I could be milling logs I'd otherwise be losing.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Okrafarmer

Oh, and the photos that 123maxbars showed don't look anything like the blue stain I saw in my logs. If I saw those little bits, I would think either, bird shot, which won't do much to a blade, if it's lead, mold, or marks from the saw bar moving around in the cut.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Bandmill Bandit

I have cut more than a few MBF of Aspen and black poplar over the last month or so and from the butt pics i would say that is likely black poplar. If you take your pocket knife or even just your fingernail you will likely be able to scrape off those spots. there are several types of fungus and molds that start out looking similar but with marginal color differences. I have hit a couple of fence staples in one log that I cut about a week ago but it was so corroded that it didn't even really hurt the band at all. There was no staining on the log any where else but right around the staples and it was a fairly dark almost black brown.

Cut em up! No worries on metal on the stump ends and likely none any where else either would be my call unless it was on a fence line.
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Ron Wenrich

Its tulip poplar.  Not even a close relative of aspen. 

Blue stain starts out as small dots.  Then they get bigger.  You normally don't notice it until it gets big and encompasses all the sapwood.  Blue stain would be very slow developing at this time of the year. 
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

bill m

I have about 10MBF of Tulip Poplar on my landing right now and some of them show similar stains. I know there is no metal in any of them.
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Bandmill Bandit

Quote from: Ron Wenrich on February 01, 2012, 06:40:43 PM
Its tulip poplar.  Not even a close relative of aspen. 

Blue stain starts out as small dots.  Then they get bigger.  You normally don't notice it until it gets big and encompasses all the sapwood.  Blue stain would be very slow developing at this time of the year.


Didnt say it was Aspen Ron just said I was cutting Aspen and black poplar the moment, and the black poplar has the same staining on it.
Skilled Master Sawyer. "Skilled labour don't come cheap. Cheap labour dont come skilled!
2018 F150 FX4, Husqvarna 340, 2 Logright 36 inch cant hooks and a bunch of stuff I built myself

Okrafarmer

The tulips we had that stained were like, first or second week of January and they stained in about 1-2 days while they sat on the truck. It's been warm here this winter. I always watch for the stains because the mills really freak out about them (and reasonably so, I guess).
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

123maxbars

Just wanted to report I sawed this log into 1in various width blocking for a customer's barn Saturday. I did not hit any metal and got about 350board feet out of the first log from the tree. 
Sawyer/Woodworker/Timber Harvester
Woodmizer LT70 Super Wide, Nyle L53 and 200 kiln, too many other machines to list.
outofthewoods
Youtube page
Out of the

Okrafarmer

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

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