Help with a 100 year old hand hewn beam

[Wlmedley]

The old house I grew up in was over a 100 years old and my brother tore it down after my mother passed away as it was in pretty bad shape. He saved a little bit of wood from it and put it under a carport. Most of the wood was in pretty rough shape but I found a old hand hewn beam that didn't appear to have any nails in it and milled a pretty solid 2"x6" out of it. I can't figure out what kind of wood it is but it doesn't look like anything I have ever cut. Thinking maybe Chestnut or maybe Sassafras. Anyone have any ideas?

[Wlmedley]

A couple more pictures.

[Dave Shepard]

Everyone thinks old beams are chestnut. In this case, it might actually be chestnut. It looks just like the chestnut logs I sawed years ago. Not sure what sassafras lumber looks like. I see sassafras as saplings, but I don't think I've seen a mature tree around here.

[Wlmedley]

Whatever it is it's still got some weight to it and according to the growth rings it must have grown pretty fast. You would think that they would have had a lot of wood to work with but at the time that house was built about all of the good timber had already been cut. I've seen old pictures and there wasn't anywhere near as many trees as they are today. I've never saw any Chestnut lumber or Sassafras so I didn't know what it would look like. Thanks 

[Magicman]

Many old timbers in my area are Sassafras.


The two longest ones here on the right are Sassafras and dated back to the late 1800's.  It is very rot resistant and you should be able to get a whiff when you saw into it. 

I know nothing about Chestnut.

[Wlmedley]

Magic, I didn't get any sassafras smell when sawing my beam and your beams seem to be lighter in color. My brother thought maybe some of the wood was sassafras as fairly big trees used to be common but I don't see big ones anymore. We used to cut them for fence posts but now we're lucky to find any to roast hotdogs with. Anytime we had a wiener roast Mom always sent us on the hill to cut sassafras sticks.

[TreefarmerNN]

I agree it could be chestnut.  I've never sawn any but have seen some in old houses and also cut some chunks off a dead chestnut tree.  Does it have a slightly oily feel to it?

If I remember correctly, pecan also looks similar. 

[Magicman]

Of what I am familiar with, Sassafras and Ash are the only two species that match the woodgrain.

[nativewolf]

Magic, I didn't get any sassafras smell when sawing my beam and your beams seem to be lighter in color. My brother thought maybe some of the wood was sassafras as fairly big trees used to be common but I don't see big ones anymore. We used to cut them for fence posts but now we're lucky to find any to roast hotdogs with. Anytime we had a wiener roast Mom always sent us on the hill to cut sassafras sticks.

https://www.wood-database.com/american-chestnut/

https://www.wood-database.com/american-chestnut/

Somewhat hard to tell sassafras and chestnut woods apart.  Here is a great guide.  Sassafras, even old ones, smell.  

[Wlmedley]

I'm going to run it through my planer and use it in some small projects hopefully to share with my siblings so we all have a piece of the old place. Don't guess it really matters what kind of wood it is but would be nice to know. After looking at database nativewolf shared I'm leaning towards Chestnut. Here is picture of endgrain. Thanks for your input.

[Wlmedley]

Ran my board through the planer. Turned out kind of pretty. I'm sure I can find a good use for it.

[Dave Shepard]

I'm still in the chestnut camp.

[nativewolf]

I'm still in the chestnut camp.

Me too.  If you milled it that much and don't smell that distinctive smell than Chestnut

[Wlmedley]

Thanks guys, I going to call it Chestnut. I have never got any hint of a Sassafras smell from it. Now to figure what I can make from it. Us kids have a lot of good memories from the old place.My dad bought the old house and 75 acres in the early 50's planning to eventually build a new house but he was killed in 1959 in a tractor trailer accident.Mom raised us kids by herself and although everyone told her that she should sell out and move to town she stuck it out and I'm extremely grateful she did.Hard to tell what kind of trouble we would have got into in town.

[Ron Scott]

Yes, to chestnut.

[NE Woodburner]

Very special wood, no matter what it is and I'm looking forward to see what you make with it.

[RonG]

I would lean towards Red Elm in a couple of the pictures.   

[Wlmedley]

Talked to my brother about some other old beams and lumber he had saved when tearing down the old home place. He said he didn't have any plans for it and would be happy if I could use it for anything. Went down today and restacked pile looking for something salvageable. Two large beams on the bottom still had bark on them but I can't tell what they are. I'm planning to bring them home with my log arch and put them on the mill. One is pretty nice but the other not so much. Several rafters or ceiling joists also but they are full of nails. The larger beam had at least one old cut nail in it. I took some more pictures.

[Wlmedley]

Sawed the nicest beam today. Still can't tell what this one is but know it's not chestnut. Ended up with a 6"x6" that looks a lot like poplar although the bark didn't match poplar. Don't really have a need for it but guess I'll eventually use it for something. It's fairly light weight also. Hard to believe that it lasted this long.

[WV Sawmiller]

Bill,

   That sure looks like chestnut I have re-sawed for customers here. We aren't that far apart so it makes sense that would be the same kind of logs they used here. Good find.

[SwampDonkey]

I'd say chestnut to because I can't see any rays. Ash is very similar, but will be able to see fine rays by eye. Also, ash only has 1 to 2 rows of earlywood pores in the ring. Up this way hardwood was never used in construction, just trim wood and banisters. Yet, we have tons of white ash. The choice hardwood was hard maple up here, but for trim, rails, banisters, steps and interior doors. I think chestnut was more rot resistant than ash or maple. Chestnut never grew wild up here. Original homesteads up here in my area were just camps, long gone and rotten into the ground. These big old farm houses that still exist came afterward in the next generation. Only settled here since the 1860's with the advent of the rail road.

[Ron Scott]

Some pieces look like wormy chestnut.