Log identification

[Swernicus]

 
Tree cutter said these were "some kind of elm"...

Not sure about that, almost looks like a type of white oak (burr oak etc). Any thoughts? 

 

 

[kantuckid]

Chestnut Oak? 

[DonW]

OH wow, those pictures are not showing much useful for identification. If that one long protrusion is "furry" it could back up the claim it's elm. An oak would surely be obvious from the rays if they were present. 

[KEC]

Looks like White Oak to me.

[Swernicus]

I thought the same thing, but the bark has a slight elm look. I'm milling it later this week so I'll post some photos of the slabs. The Ray fleck will give it away 

[SwampDonkey]

Looks ring pourous like oak, but can't see the rays. You wouldn't have to saw oak to see rays on the end grain, they stand out like your thumb. ;D American white elm bark is different than that up here.

[stavebuyer]

Our cucumber magnolia looks close to that when its growing on shale. They sometimes end up sorted into the stave logs sort by the loader op.

[Swernicus]

Looked at images of white oak to see the rays on end grain.. yeah there isn't any of that. Does that rule out oak?

[Sauna freak]

Can't be sure, but it looks somewhat like Red Elm with that fiber pull on the hinge and the color/appearance on the end grain.  How does it smell?  Red elm will have an almost sweet smell.  I've mostly seen it dead with bark off, so not too sure on that one.  If you can confirm that, you have a prize.  It's getting pretty rare.

[WDH]

If elm, the latewood pores will be arranged in distinct wavy bands. 

[kantuckid]

Does it smell like acid wood? Elm sort of stinks to me. Some Elms are called "pith Elm" for that reason, so I learned from my Ozarks Grandpa, a real woodsman as he was. FWIW, I have an old picture of him and two brothers in the midst of their firewood operation and ~ 700 cords of hand split firewood, was before WWI.  

[moodnacreek]

Looks like someone crossed locust with black walnut. I have no idea what that wood is.

[Magicman]

I wondered about Sassafras. 

[WDH]

Yes, sure does look like sassafras. 

[SwampDonkey]

I think sassafras is a good candidate to if there are no big rays showing up. Definitely not ash, and the woods are similar, but the bark isn't. ;D

[Nebraska]

Bark looks Elm to me. 

[kantuckid]

I agree on the bark looking like Sassafras but lets go back to the smell? Should be obvious were that it. 

[Swernicus]

I have never encountered sassafras but I do know it grows in this part of Michigan.  The log is at the sawmill yard and I haven't been able to get up there since right now I'm collecting maple sap (it's been a good few days!).

I will be milling it on Saturday hopefully so I'll post some pictures once it's opened up.

I agree that the bark struck me as elm, but I do not remember any acidic type smell to it.

[firefighter ontheside]

Bark looks like sassafras to me too.  Of every wood I have milled or worked with, sassafras has had the strongest smell yet.  It actually smelled like lemons when I milled it.

[moodnacreek]

This one is tricky. I cut sas from time to time and good diameter from N.J. [ours are always small]. The weight, smell and color would give it away. The bark can have those small plates and chip out like that. It's that end color the messes  me up.

[stavebuyer]

All the sassafras I have cut had an orange inner bark.

[kantuckid]

One persons orange is another persons rusty reddish brown?  :D
The sassafras log bed I built I sanded the outer bark to remove the flaky stuff- Neat piece actually. Not so neat is all the trees down on my woods roads, many today were smaller sassafras. Yesterday was a maple ~ 20-22" and next trip is some young poplars around 12". Maybe sleepy Joe will send me an extra check for lost timber?  ;D
I do wish he'd peel this log and get this figured out. 

[Swernicus]

Pics of the slabs

 

 

[Swernicus]

Based on smell I'm thinking it's an elm

[WDH]

The simple to be sure is to look at then end grain to see if the latewood pores are arranged in wavy bands.  Here are some end grain pics with the wavy bands.

American elm