Guess the wood (cause i dont know)

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sparhawk

sparhawk

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Picked up a couple of pieces of wood (branches) from the side of the road the other day and after cutting into them I wasnt sure about the kind of wood.

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Posibly elm or birch?Is pretty white looking with a thin bark. Also has some stain marks deep into the wood like water got under ths bark.

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Thought maybe red oak? Has some spalting and a reddish color.
 
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I can't tell you what it is, but I can tell you it isn't red oak. It isn't open grained enough. If it were oak you would see 'grooves' along the grain where you cut the blank.

What part of the country do you live in? If it smells like cherry when you turn it then it might be cherry, but usually cherry has a layer of sap wood next to the bark. Uh, come to think of it, red oak would, too.

I think the bark looks like some kind of birch.
 
There aren't any ray flecks like sycamore. Also sycamore has a darker heart wood. Not too constructive though, cause I can't identify it either. Sorry.
 
Sparhawk,

Having lived in Alabama and Georgia for over 40 years, I have seen a few of these.

I beleive it is birch. At least that is what my Grandmother always called it.

If you are anywhere in the Northern part of Alabama, the red tint might be from iron deposits in the soil.

I live in NE Alabama. This looks like a tree I recently cut from my yard. The red tint was closer to the base and the wood became whiter has it rose up the trunk.

TH
 
Looks very simular to Birch trees we have here in Georgia, but it could be something else. Do you have a picture of a leaf? That would clinch it.
 
Hugo,
I think I may be wrong. Just went outside and limbs on my Water Oaks look just like that. I would think, knowing where you got it, that it would more likely be Water Oak.
 
[:I]Looks like I'll use the ray fleck excuse again. I'm pretty sure that all oaks have radial rays. Don't see them. Also oak grain is ring porous. I'd go for the birch.
 
Thanks for the ideas. Havent been into the wood identifing before this hobby but looks like i need to learn. (especially if I am going to be stopping by every branch or cut tree i see.) Actually started carrying the axe and saw in my truck just in case i come across a particularly interesting piece of wood. O.K. you guys can start laughing now, guess im goin a little overboard but you never know what piece of wood might be laying in the next ditch or scrapyard. (havent tryed dumpster diving yet but who knows) and you can stop laughing steve cause i know about that load of wood you took out of daniels truck!
 
I'm not laughing - I have become a serious wood scavenger myself. Everytime I see a tree feller at work I pull up and start talking to him and because my work takes me out into the African Bush, I often carry a chainsaw around in case I see a tree cut down for powerlines, road maintenance or some other reason.
Originally posted by sparhawk
<br />Thanks for the ideas. Havent been into the wood identifing before this hobby but looks like i need to learn. (especially if I am going to be stopping by every branch or cut tree i see.) Actually started carrying the axe and saw in my truck just in case i come across a particularly interesting piece of wood. O.K. you guys can start laughing now, guess im goin a little overboard but you never know what piece of wood might be laying in the next ditch or scrapyard. (havent tryed dumpster diving yet but who knows) and you can stop laughing steve cause i know about that load of wood you took out of daniels truck!
Click to expand...
 
Just an axe and a saw? I carry a 16" Stihl with me everywhere I go. I just gathered about 150lbs of cherry burl over the weekend from a site that was being cleared for a house. The trees were going to be cut down so I grabbed all that was there and will continue to do so. All the pens that I am making now will be going to Iraq with me in November and will be given to any Marine,Soldier,Sailor or Officer that wants one. I will also be bringing some from other pen makers that have been given to me.
 
I find myself doubting my initial guess because no one else has mentioned it, but I think this is a piece of soft maple (ambrosia maple) that does not happen to show any spalting or lines. The redness will disappear when it dries.

Birch is a possibility, definitely not oak.
 
Originally posted by low_48
<br />[:I]Looks like I'll use the ray fleck excuse again. I'm pretty sure that all oaks have radial rays. Don't see them. Also oak grain is ring porous. I'd go for the birch.
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I see what you say about the rays. The most commons trees in the area that Hugo got the wood from are oaks, magnolias, pines(which we know it's not) and maybe some type of birch or maple. Down here we more evergreens than anything else. We don't see a lot of fall foliage like North, which is a bummer.
 
Rolltide,
If you are that into the fall foliage, I have a lawn full of it there for your taking no charge. I hate to see a guy bummed out.
 
Hugo, I think I finally figured it out. I think it's a piece of dried out Magnolia. After looking at the bark and comparing it to a Magnolia tree they sure seem to be very much alike. Thanks for the piece you gave me. Turned some down yesterday but it didn't seem to have as much dark color to it and I actually kinda liked the worm holes it. Made it have some character.
 
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