Name this Wood

[George M. Perzel]

A friend bought a 10,000 board feet load of domestic hardwood from Ohio. Included was about 500 board feet of the wood shown below. We have ruled out the better known hardwoods, including butternut. It has no smell, can feel ridges between growth rings when planed, harder than walnut. We suspect it may be black locust or willow-can any one out there venture an opinion on this one?
Thanks

[Jim Becker]

George, can you supply a picture a bit more in focus. It's hard to compare the grain from the above pic to anything I have on file.

[Donnie Raines]

Kentucky Coffee tree

[Mike Palmer]

Hickory/Pecan

[George M. Perzel]

Sorry for the lousy picture-hope this one is better.

[Jim Becker]

I think Donnie is correct on this one based on the clearer picture...right color and grain for KCT.

[Gary Max]

Kentucky Coffee wood is very very soft.
I would lean more on Hickory

[Martin Lutz]

I looks very much like Pecan or Hickory. FYI -- Lumber graders do not differentiate between the two, or so I have been told.

[Greg Heppeard]

You're right about the lumber graders, Martin. The working properties and look of pecan and hickory are so much alike, it takes a trained eye to tell the diff. My vote is for hickory or pecan also....most likely hickory.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

The problem I see calling it Hickory is that George said "It has NO smell" Hickory HAS a definite Smell. If it had a crosshatch in the grain, I would go for Elm.

As usual, "Just one OLD man's opinion."

Bruce

[Tom LaRussa]

A friend bought a 10,000 board feet load of domestic hardwood from Ohio. Included was about 500 board feet of the wood shown below. We have ruled out the better known hardwoods, including butternut. It has no smell, can feel ridges between growth rings when planed, harder than walnut. We suspect it may be black locust or willow-can any one out there venture an opinion on this one?
Thanks
George,

I think this calls for some serious testing. Please send me a sample of each of the known woods plus the "mystery" wood -- about 100 BF of each should do -- and when I get finished using ... er ... testing it, I'll get back to you.

Just tryin' to be helpful,

:D

Augie

[Jeremy Bracey]

I dont have a clue but it is pretty. I need to venture out a little. I build almost everything in red oak. I have a hard time finding fair prices for good looking lumber like that. What ever it is, enjoy!

[Steve Clardy]

The problem I see calling it Hickory is that George said "It has NO smell" Hickory HAS a definite Smell. If it had a crosshatch in the grain, I would go for Elm.

As usual, "Just one OLD man's opinion."

Bruce
Well I gotta go with Bruce on this one. Elm. Could be Red Elm. Red Elm is usually red when cut, then softens to a light brown as it ages some. [ I got some stashed around here somewhere.] :confused:
Beautiful wood it is, a little unstable when it dries though. Gets a little KINKY at times.:eek:
Steve

[Todd Burch]

It certainly looks like elm to me (or, as my grandfather called it... ell-um!) I just skip planed about 80 bf of it today, as a matter of fact. Elm, if you look close, has sort of a zig-zag pattern to its grain when flat-sawn (your sample is quarter-sawn). Many of my pieces actually have the same undulating grain as shown in your side-grain picture. So, that's my bet. Elm is a bit lighter in weight than poplar.

[Chris Padilla]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=8914 is a post with some pictures of elm...American elm. I think this wood is elm as well.

[Ray Moser]

It looks very much like the catalpa I have had stacked for the past 5 years. I've turned 4 or 5 bowls and made a wine rack with it.

[Donnie Raines]

Hickory has a very pungent odor of....well...hickory.Plus, hickory has a more creamy/brown color and this has a more organish under tone. Elm has a deeper brown, almost reddish undert tone.

I am confident that it is Kentucky Coffee tree...it is rather abundent around here...though it is thinning out.