Most valuable log we've ever sawn!

[MemphisLogger]

We saw a lot of big wide Walnut and Cherry but this little log is quite possibly the most valuable piece of wood we've ever sawn . . .





But we aren't exactly sure what it is. Any guesses?

;D

[Fla._Deadheader]

Don't recognize the wood, BUT, the outside looks exactly what our sunken logs look like.  ??? ???

[dansaylor]

kinda looks like some sorta poplar to me.

[MemphisLogger]

It did come from underneath a river  ;)

Poplar was one of my guesses. Maybe Tupelo also.

Any guess on how old the wood is?
 

[Fla._Deadheader]

  Eyes ain't so great anymore. Hard to tell from the sapwood that's left, but, I'd guess 100+ years old, WHEN FELLED.

  Ain't never seen waterlogged old Sassafrass ???  Kinda has "That look".  ??? ;D

  NOW, why is that the most valuable ??

[MemphisLogger]

Ya don't wanna guess no more?  :D

Thought fer sure you was the man to ID this wood Deadhead, what gives?  :-\

It didn't smell like sarsparilla no more but might not after 10,000 years  :P

;D

[isawlogs]

Posted on: Today at 15:00:45Posted by: UrbanLogger 
Insert Quote
Ya don't wanna guess no more?  It didn't smell like sarsparilla no more but might not after 10,000 years 

OK I'll bite
  How is it that you know its that old ... did you have it carbon dated ...  ???

[MemphisLogger]

We haven't had this piece tested--costs $1100.

A paleoecologist from UofKentucky did run carbon dates on numerous logs from the same geologic formation a few years ago and he also did extensive pollen counts. His hypothesis is that there was a large magnitude quake on the New Madrid Fault that resulted in extensive liquefaction and a subsequent "knockdown" of vast areas of forest. As is often the case with seismic events on the New Madrid, he theorizes that the Mississppi overbanked, changed channels and possibly flowed backwards, resulting in an immedite deposition over the downed timber and thus their preservation in anaerobic conditions.   

The forest conditions were nearly identical to contemporary Alluvial Bottomland.

This little log was just a sample. The Army corps of Engineers has set aside a few more logs for us that apparently appear to be Baldcypress. One is reported to be 36" in diameter and 60 feet long 

The wood sawed like it was felled yesterday and it shows no eveidence of any decay or insect damage.

Needless to say, we're extremely excited about sawing the rest of it.     8)

[Kirk_Allen]

Got much Black Gum in your area?  Heart looks like Black gum but then again I have only cut a few of those. 

[MemphisLogger]

Got much Black Gum in your area?  Heart looks like Black gum but then again I have only cut a few of those. 

That was my gut guess and so far I'm stickin' to it  ;D

Down here we call Black Gum "Tupelo Gum". Along with Cypress and and a few Walnuts, it dominates our bottomlands.

[Larry]

Read this article about ancient Missouri logs couple years ago.  Might shed a little light on your find Scott. 

http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/conmag/2003/01/10.htm

Got my interest up and located a log in north Missouri that we felt was quite old.  Sawed it...quite unremarkable.  Got another one last year out of the Lamine river that we thought was walnut.  Got an educated guess that was around 1,000 years old...from indian artifacts found at the same level.  Not quite for sure about how valuable the wood is but sure makes for interesting tales. ;D

[MemphisLogger]

Read this article about ancient Missouri logs couple years ago.  Might shed a little light on your find Scott. 
  Not quite for sure about how valuable the wood is but sure makes for interesting tales. ;D

Thanks for the link, Larry. I'm not really sure how valuable it is either, but I bet I'll get a pretty penny for whatever furniture I make from it  ;) ;D

Too me, it's priceless   ;D

[Fla._Deadheader]

We don't take Gum from the River. It's no good.

  Don't go along with the aging process, neither. We get logs from shallow areas and have found Indigenous pottery shards and stuff right next to the logs. Other times, we get complete logs WITH strings of bark. Pot shards around them, too. That log has had most of the Sapwood eaten away. What's left is obvious.

  That indicates that worms have had access to the sapwood, and they live IN the water, NOT the mud and silt.

  It could be very old, but, we just count the rings and state we know it's THAT old.  : ;D ;D

  Post what it turns out to be. I'd like to know.

  How many logs ya pull from near the shop ??? ;D :D :D

[MemphisLogger]

I'm fairly certain that it's Tupelo (Black Gum) and I don't think it's lost any (or very much) of its sapwood.

The Cypress log (tree really) that came out right next to it is reported to be almost entirely intact with some of it's knees attached even--we're going to get sometime this week and I'll post pics of it as soon as we do.

It was dug up from under the Wolf River by the Corps of Engineers in the process of placing deep footings for some weirs they're putting in to stop some headcutting problems. The fellas that turned me on to it are some of my ecologist buddies involved with our river conservancy.

The strata of alluvium the logs were found in has been very well documented at approximately 10,000 years old. If the Cypress saws out nicely we'll probably have it carbon dated and attach copies of the results to the furniture I make from it if'n I don't end up using it to replank my house  ;) ;D :D   

We haven't gone deadheading in the river by our shop yet but my cousin did manage to get 4 girls skinny dippin' in our lake last night sometime after last call  ;D   

I'll post those pics later after I know Jeff's gone to sleep  ;)

[MemphisLogger]

Here's a better pic of the figure . . .

[sigidi]

DanG purdy wood there Scott!!!

[Fla._Deadheader]

  OK, let's try this.  ;)  It very well could be Black Gum.

  There is only 25% of the sapwood left on that log. Here it is.



  The rest of the log should be Heart. You can stick a sharp probe in the sapwood really easily. The heart is harder to stick, At least, down here in HOT water rivers.  : :

[Ianab]

Cool stuff  

Looks along the same lines as the swamp kauri they dig up in NZ
It's been burried in peat swamps buy some similar geologic disaster (storms / landslides / tsunami etc)
The thing that preserves it is the wet mud. If it's in water or normal soil where fresh water and oxygen can get to it it will eventually rot. But where these get buried they are basically sealed. Apparantly the properties of the wood does change over time, it may loose some strength and work differently. Still workable / usefull timber though.  At least there shouldn't be much stress left in that log  :D

Make up some little certificates / copies of the scientists report etc. to go with any item you make, instant antique  ;)

The swamp kauri logs are 10,000 to 45,000 years old, thats as far back as carbon dating goes so they have to start comparing the growth ring 'fingerprints' in the logs to confirm ages.

Cheers

Ian

[MemphisLogger]

  OK, let's try this.  ;)  It very well could be Black Gum.

  There is only 25% of the sapwood left on that log. Here it is.

  The rest of the log should be Heart. You can stick a sharp probe in the sapwood really easily. The heart is harder to stick, At least, down here in HOT water rivers.  : :

See, I knew you knew it all when it came to buried logs   ;) :D

I just took a closer look at the slab I have here at home and it does appear that there was some scouring and/or worm damage before the tree was completely covered in alluvium.

I'll plane and take a slice of the stuff when I get back to the shop and post a better pic later and get out my Hoadley book.

BTW, how did Dennis do you down there? He's been soaking us since early this morning  :(

[Fla._Deadheader]

\ Just a few scattered showers. We were spared the indignity of being trashed this time.

  There are 2 more depressions forming off Africa, right now.  :( :( :( :(

[MemphisLogger]

Whoohoo, we need the rain 

[woodbowl]

Hey Urban,
     If your log was here in the Fla panhandle it would look very simular to  poplar. Also, we have a Tupelo Gum and a Black Gum but I've never heard of them being one in the same. Local names seem get stuck and pass from generation to generation. I could be right or wrong.........No tellin'.  Did you ask Swampdonkey yet?

[Riles]

Speaking of Hurricane Dennis, looks like I got the worst of both ends. I moved out of the panhandle at the end of May, but I still have a house on the market in Navarre. Haven't got word yet on what it looks like. I was at least hoping for a little rain up here. Now that I'm in northwest Louisiana, I find I'm in the middle of a drought. Gotta water the yard every Dang day. Dennis dumps too much water on one house and none on the other.

[iain]

Heres one i made a few years ago from bog yew, smells a bit when sanding, cuts real good, and takes a superb polish



iain

[MemphisLogger]

Excellent work Iain!

I 'specially like your flying bird "butterflies".

I may have ta copy ya on that someday  ;)