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I'm helping a friend I'd a piece of wood

Started by Weekend_Sawyer, January 03, 2019, 07:22:14 PM

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Weekend_Sawyer

My buddy at work made a cutting board from this piece of wood and would like to know what kind of wood it is.

Unfortunately It already has a couple of coats of butcher block oil but here is a picture of the end grain.

 
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

doc henderson

How about elm.  Would be nice to see more of the tree.  Does he know where it came from.  Jeff if we could get a scratch and sniff app on the web site, might help.  lol.  Could I.D. the pith elm.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Don P

I'm not seeing the wavy gravy (technical term) that you usually see in elm pores.

doc henderson

does he have some unfinished or can we see the flat side.  Gene would want to see an end just cut with a knife blade under a 10 power lens.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Weekend_Sawyer

I'll see if he can bring me a scrap piece.

What does elm smell like?

A little back ground information. This and many other pieces of wood my buddy got came out of an old barn that the owner says he kept his lumber in for 50 years or more. Located on the eastern shore of Maryland.
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

Texas Ranger

The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

doc henderson

The color and look may change after being stored for so long in less than perfect conditions.  I got some walnut recently that had been in a backyard shed for over 30 years.  It had all kinds of color that I referred to as spalting, and barely looked like walnut.  May not be tech. accurate.  still nice looking.

 
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

doc henderson

Examples of old walnut on left, single piece recent processed on right




 

Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

doc henderson

fresh cut elm has kind of a urine/ammonia smell, some call it "pith elm".  Pretty sure it is in the sap and therefore not present when dry.  I guess you could soak it but would still be subjective,  Neat piece.  Elm gets a bad wrap.  it can be pretty.  Friends of mine were looking at a table in the NE.  8,000 dollars for an "exotic hardwood". turned out to be elm
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Don P

Click on a similar looking end grain pic here and zoom in to see the pore look I was talking about. That is a good ID site.
http://hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/elm,%20red.htm

Weekend_Sawyer

I got a nice sample of the wood. It's 24" x 20" x 2" thick.
The first thing I noticed was how light it is. Also it as no smell.
I'll attach my first attempt at an end grain it's a little fuzzy but the growth rings are pretty big, about 1/4"

I'll attach a better pic when I get it home tonight.


Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

yetti462


doc henderson

@Wood Doctor , This is Bryan Henderson.  trying to ID wood. can you give us a hand.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

doc henderson

Cottonwood is in the poplar family and light in color and weight,  However with oxidation and dust with water, it may lt may be a darker color.  It might be fun to measure dimensions, or volume and check a weight to calculate density.  This might help get us in the ballpark.  Need to know baseline MC or oven dry.  Or send to an extension forester or ag. University.  Welcome Yetti
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

doc henderson

You prob. already know this, but the cotton in "cottonwood"  is from the seed pod.  Really messes with pools and AC in early summer here in the Midwest.  The wood is soft, but tough and narly grain.  Have posted planks used for floor on bulldozer trailer.  Not rot resistant, but ok if not in contact with soil and moisture.  Grow fast and live about a hundred years, mostly along creeks ect.  often 3-5 foot diam. trunks.  When old, a nuisance cause the limbs are huge and start breaking in the wind that we often have on the prairie
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Texas Ranger

The Ranger, home of Texas Forestry

doc henderson

Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Don P

Cottonwood is more bland and less abrupt between rings in what I've seen. Sycamore has very distinct rays and is also less abrupt between rings. Willow, hmm, maybe? Need a crisp pic. Can you put a slice on a scanner? The second pic looks ring porous but its so blurry its hard for my eyes to see.

doc henderson

Ok WS you got us going.  Would you be able to weigh the board.  sounds like you have dimensions.  MC prob. 10% but if you could measure that is even better.  I do not have any experience with end grain, never studied.  Can we also see the flat side grain. Would you say it is rift sawn.  or quarter sawn.
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Weekend_Sawyer

First I apologize for leaving this thread hanging. Were swamped at work and right now all I'm doing is go to work, go home, feed the wood stoves and myself, sleep, repeat.

Excuses aside I was about to say it couldn't be cottonwood because we don't really have it in this area but I really don't know where it came from before it landed in his barn.

I really hope to mess with it tonight.
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

doc henderson

It is all good.  We are just getting curious.  Most of us are in the same boat. 
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

Weekend_Sawyer

And one month later I'm back on it.
I finally cleaned up an end with a plane and got a good picture of it.

I'm thinking white Ash.

 
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

doc henderson

nice pic, thx.  sadly I am no expert on micro but we can see if we can invoke the forum spirit of @GeneWengert-WoodDoc 
Timber king 2000, 277c track loader, PJ 32 foot gooseneck, 1976 F700 state dump truck, JD 850 tractor.  2007 Chevy 3500HD dually, home built log splitter 18 horse 28 gpm with 5 inch cylinder and 32 inch split range with conveyor powered by a 12 volt tarp motor

WDH

Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Weekend_Sawyer

Danny, if you think I'm right then I'm right.
;)
Imagine, Me a Tree Farmer.
Jon, Appalachian American Wannabe.

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