The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Tree, Plant and Wood I.D. => Topic started by: Jim_Rogers on June 05, 2017, 04:28:16 PM

Title: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: Jim_Rogers on June 05, 2017, 04:28:16 PM
A customer had a tree service cut down some tulip poplar trees. And they brought me the logs to mill them up into some slabs for bench seats and such.

Some of these are showing some big black stains:



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10095/20170605_153526.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1496694210)



 (https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10095/20170605_153520.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1496694210)

Normally, if it was pine, I'd say that shows there is metal in the log.
And these logs came from yard trees at a school. And it is highly possible that it could be metal in the logs. But the customer seems to think that this is what the knots in this type of tree looks like when it is exposed to the air after fresh cuttings.

I don't think I have ever sawn tulip poplar before so I don't know.

Are these stains metal stains or is it "rot" from where an old branch broke off years ago and it has penetrated into the log stem?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Jim Rogers
Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: nativewolf on June 05, 2017, 04:35:12 PM
Someone else just posted a similar thread/issue a week or so again.  let me search
Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: dustyhat on June 05, 2017, 06:08:07 PM
No metal there Jim ,common in poplar.
Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: Al_Smith on June 05, 2017, 06:24:02 PM
Normally if you see that in oak the log has some surprises in it .
Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: nativewolf on June 05, 2017, 06:28:52 PM
i cannot find the dadgummed post..maybe it had a different title but it was the same issue.  Black stain/mildew fungus being common on the ends of poplar (L. Tulipifera) being the consensus.  However I thought I could find it.  Maybe someone else remembers it and can post.  Thought I could help Jim out after all his work for timber framers...sigh.
Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: Don P on June 05, 2017, 08:39:03 PM
https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,96399.msg1488012.html#msg1488012

Won't swear to anything but that is not necessarily metal in poplar at all, it can have all kinds of colors. I cut poplar all day today and have weeks of it to go.
Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: JohnW on June 05, 2017, 10:45:28 PM
I've seen all kinds of color in poplar, usually when taking dead trees for firewood.  I've never seen that color, and it's usually oriented toward the center.  Like the colored area includes the center.

Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: Don P on June 06, 2017, 06:22:39 AM
Do be ready for some impressive tension wood in that pile. Poplar makes good boards and lumber but not so good timbers IMO.
Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: WDH on June 06, 2017, 07:56:37 AM
Black color in the heartwood of yellow poplar is not uncommon at all. 
Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: red on June 06, 2017, 08:01:42 AM
Your poplar in Massachusetts looks much different than our Yellow Poplar here in NJ & PA .
Title: Re: Black stain in Tulip poplar logs
Post by: Ron Wenrich on June 12, 2017, 02:39:54 PM
The blue comes from potassium, I think.  Can sometimes be associated with soil conditions.  I found it most often on poplar that had some sort of damage.  Prior logging damage was often a culprit.