tap hole puzzle

[Jeff]

A cross section to me, shows me nothing honestly. The cross section could very well be cut within a fraction of an inch of the side of the hole.  What you are showing me looks like the stain that is radiating out from near the hole. I think in all likely hood, the actual hole is in the chunk of wood that was next to that cut, or is could be underneath where you are looking.   When you rip the length of the log with a sawmill, you can't help but saw across the hole. When you are bucking to length, you are either going to miss the hole, or obliterate it with the cut. one or the other.

Taking a look at the last picture there, I'd not even bet on it being a taphole. Could be anything.

[Magicman]

It is my understanding that a tree does not have the ability to heal.  It can only cover an injury with new growth.  If your "tap" holes are indeed filled with wood, then I would suspect that the tapper drove a peg in when the tap was removed.

[Jemclimber]

A cross section to me, shows me nothing honestly. The cross section could very well be cut within a fraction of an inch of the side of the hole.  What you are showing me looks like the stain that is radiating out from near the hole. I think in all likely hood, the actual hole is in the chunk of wood that was next to that cut, or is could be underneath where you are looking.   

I'm with Jeff, trees don't heal, they seal, or compartmentalize.  If you look closely you can see the stained growth rings from either below or above the hole.  Should make some interesting looking boards though.

[Dave Shepard]

It's called CODIT, or Compartmentalization Of Decay In Trees. The wound will start to form callous rolls, and if small enough, it will eventually compartmentalize. If it's too big, it will not close and the tree will be exposed to insects and disease that will rot the heartwood.

[WDH]

The fact that the fill material in the hole has growth rings indicates to me that it is not a tap hole.  If it was a tap hole, when the hole was made, the wood was removed.  How could it somehow "come back" and have growth rings like the surrounding wood.  Odd.

[Jeff]

The fact that the fill material in the hole has growth rings indicates to me that it is not a tap hole.  If it was a tap hole, when the hole was made, the wood was removed.  How could it somehow "come back" and have growth rings like the surrounding wood.  Odd.

Because we are not looking at the hole in the cross section. We are looking at the wood that was adjacent of the hole and staining from a non-specific source. Either from the spiel or the elements I'd guess, if indeed it is the results of a tap..

[WDH]

Yes, that makes sense.  Like the shadow of the tap.

[Jeff]

I've sawn through hundreds of tap holes and almost all will have some amount of stain around them, but the hole is just as perfect round as it was when it was first drilled. It's only reasonable that if the log was bucked right next to the hole, you would see the stain the way it appears in the photos above. Many times the stain radiating out from a tap hole will look just like the streaks you get from ambrosia staining.

[WDH]

My confidence in tree growth has been restored :D.