Wood ID Help and gloat

[David Pearson]

LOML came home yesterday with great news, a golf course by our house had done some tree removal and pruning and had a pile of wood that is enormous. She went in and talked to the owner and explained why she wanted some of the wood. He said that I could have as much as I wanted. She and I took the truck over and loaded it up. It's mostly maple with some sycamore. When I cut open the biggest log, I was happy to find that the whole log had a tight fiddleback figure! Needless to say, in a few months the pro shop will have a nice new bowl to display some golf balls!!

I can't seem to identify the log in the second picture. I think it might be sumac. The bark is kind of waxy. Any help in ID-ing the wood would be helpful.

[Jarrod McGehee]

well I don't know of the wood that you're asking about but I'd like to see that fiddleback figure on the maple. and to dry it you're just going to cover it with wax emulsion? I'm still learning some of these things.

[Brian Brown]

I can't seem to identify the log in the second picture. I think it might be sumac. The bark is kind of waxy. Any help in ID-ing the wood would be helpful.

I love to guess at species unknown pictures. I am always wrong, but I like to guess anyway. In this case my guess would be poplar. Not tulip poplar which I think is a type of Magnolia, but Poplar Poplar, related to Aspen and Cottonwood. We have a variety that grows here. It is called a hybrid poplar. Not sure what it is a hybrid of, but it grows fast. I got some from a neighbor when I first started turning, and thought I would use it for practice. I was very surprised when I discovered that it was all curley.....very curley. I have made a few bowls,
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=92055
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=92056
and have a small amount left that I am trying to spalt (unsuccessfully). Well, for what it's worth. there is my guess that will be wrong.:D

[scott spencer]

I'll guess silver birch.

[alex carey]

nice gloat, love free wood.

[John Shuk]

looks like birch to me.

[David Pearson]

I love to guess at species unknown pictures. I am always wrong, but I like to guess anyway. In this case my guess would be poplar. Not tulip poplar which I think is a type of Magnolia, but Poplar Poplar, related to Aspen and Cottonwood. We have a variety that grows here. It is called a hybrid poplar. Not sure what it is a hybrid of, but it grows fast. I got some from a neighbor when I first started turning, and thought I would use it for practice. I was very surprised when I discovered that it was all curley.....very curley. I have made a few bowls,
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=92055
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=92056
and have a small amount left that I am trying to spalt (unsuccessfully). Well, for what it's worth. there is my guess that will be wrong.:D
Thanks for the guess Brian. I have no idea what it is, so any guess is good. Those poplar bowls are amazing. I don't think you could fit any more figure in that first bowl. Crazy!

[David Christopher]

nice gloat....it looks poplar to me

[Bernie Weishapl]

Great gloat and I would say from the bark it looks like birch.

[David Pearson]

It's tied up now, two for Birch and two for Poplar. Anyone else want to guess?

[Rick Moyer]

As a fellow Pennsylvanian, I would definitely say Birch, probably white birch.

[lynn smith]

most excellent score

[Ken Fitzgerald]

As an Idahoan in coniferus country....I'd say it looks like a great wood score! Turn it!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

LOML came home yesterday with great news, a golf course by our house had done some tree removal and pruning and had a pile of wood that is enormous. She went in and talked to the owner and explained why she wanted some of the wood. He said that I could have as much as I wanted. She and I took the truck over and loaded it up. It's mostly maple with some sycamore. When I cut open the biggest log, I was happy to find that the whole log had a tight fiddleback figure! Needless to say, in a few months the pro shop will have a nice new bowl to display some golf balls!!

I can't seem to identify the log in the second picture. I think it might be sumac. The bark is kind of waxy. Any help in ID-ing the wood would be helpful.

The second picture of the bark is from Poplar, probably Aspen, it is NOT from Birch, though it seems a lot of people think those tall skinny white trees are all Birch trees, Birch has a peeling bark, some more like river birch, but always some peeling and horizontal lines, called lenticels.
I have two pictures here, one is Birch the other Aspen HTH

[Jeff Nicol]

David, It is definitly not a white birch, but is in the aspen family. The smell when you cut it will tell you what it is. Aspen or what we all call here in WI "Popple" have a very distinct smell when cut, not a bad smell but very pungent. The browninsh center is common on Aspen/Poplar also. It could be some type of Alder tree too but not sure which but they are a common tree planted for thier shade and nice looking crowns.

So I agree with Leo 100% on his choice, Aspen and not a birch the smell will tell!

Jeff

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Hi Jeff, there's another interesting thing about these trees (Aspen/Popple) that not many people seem to know about, these are the oldest living trees around, as in roots and stalks (trees) the original tree is long long gone, but the root system which can be acres and acres in size and the trees that keep coming up from that root system are really still the original tree, this was discovered not that long ago, so while many people thought the Bristlecone Pine trees were the oldest living trees, that is not the case, this lowly thought of Aspen is the real surviver.:-))

[Corey Wilcox]

Definitely poplar. White birch has a bark that is dry to the touch, peels in small strips, and typically will leave white dust on anything it touches. It also has a light pink colored inner bark whereas poplar has the yellow-green that you see in the second photo. Birch bark makes great firestarting material. Poplar, not so much.:)