Wood Identification Assistance

[Donald Wilkins]

I have been trying to identify the wood that was so graciously left near my office. The owner of the business did not tell me what kind of wood it was, but said I could have all I wanted. Anyway I think it is some kind of fruit tree (cherry), but the heart wood makes me doubt that theory.

It appears that the tree surgeon left most of the big pieces and chipped the limbs. The trunk from one of the 3 trees was a huge 18" in diameter. I cut the logs and crotch pieces in half and a few slabs to start turning them, but I would like some expert :) opinion on what kind of wood this is. For all those experts out there much appreciated for taking a look.

btw...I am headed back today to grab another load

Thanks,

-Donald-

[Steve Schlumpf]

Donald - sure looks like the Cherry we get up here! You should be able to smell the Cherry when you cut it - very sweet smell and an absolute pleasure to turn!

[David Christopher]

Donald, Im no expert but that looks an awful lot like apple to me....anyway great score

[Prashun Patel]

I'm going with Cherry.

[David Christopher]

Donald, I looked both apple and cherry trees up on google and it is amazing how much they look alike as far as leaves and bark go so no help there but it is still good looking wood

[Donald Wilkins]

The only cherry that I have turned was small 5 inch logs. I had never seen the heart wood of cherry look as deep red as this. Do different types of cherry trees have different meat characteristics?

Also, I have been dealing with a lot of ignorance in the sealing area. I started in sealing all exposed wood and have had a lot of fungi or mold issues. Since then I have been told that end grain sealing is all I need to do. What is the best way to seal this cut wood to slow drying and minimize mold?

Thanks and very much appreciated!

-Donald-

[Donald Wilkins]

Also,

One of the pictures has my handy dandy "Field guide to Trees" :) Even though I have a book to reference I agree that it is very hard to identify...many species have the same characteristics.

Thanks,

-Donald-

[David Christopher]

the wood that I have has just been sealed on the end grainand no problems yet

[Bernie Weishapl]

Looks like the cherry I just got done turning. Bark looks just like what I had.

[Ralph Lindberg]

Em.... I'm thinking the leaves have the wrong shape for both Apple and Cherry (I have both trees in my yard)

I'm thinking Red Alder

Leaves

http://www.reggie.net/photos/england/cambridgeshire/cambridge/trinity_college/fellows_gardens/6626250_alder_catkins_fellows_gardens_trinity_coll ege_cambridge-600.jpg

Bark

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/4106863/2/istockphoto_4106863-red-alder-bark.jpg

[Steve Schlumpf]

Here is what I was thinking of - see if it is close to what you have: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Cherry

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and there are photos of the leaves and bark.

[Dick Strauss]

cherry is my guess...though it could be a fruitwood like peach. The apple around here usually has a less regular pattern to it. It could be something like a black birch as well.

If you could tell us where you live, it might help us decide. Good job with all of the pics!

[Kaptan J.W. Meek]

Look at the BACK side of the leaf.. If it appears to be sort of silver, or greyish..It's apple. IF it's greenish? IT's Cherry. I'm goin with cherry, which makes it an awsome grab.

[Donald Wilkins]

I work in the Atlanta, GA metro area (Duluth). Most of the trees here were planted for the office complex. Cherry, Willow Oak, and various Maple trees are common in the complex. This area across the main road and in a old strip mall, but could have been developed by the same folks.

Any way the leaves are green on the back...not silver or gray. The leaves are not shiny...so it seems that cherry is the consensus.

Now I have to beg a little forgivness to the LOML for letting me put more wood in the basement....which means I have to turn her a few more things :) more shop time:) :)

So if I can keep this from getting mold before I turn it, I will be in business. Any suggestions to preventing mold (I have already end sealed and stickered what I have so far) would be great.

Thanks to all for the time and the expert opinions.

-Donald-

[Dave Ogren]

Sure looks exactly like the cherry that we have down here. You will love turning it and the smell is the best. Good Luck,

Dave

[Brian Kent]

Donald - sure looks like the Cherry we get up here! You should be able to smell the Cherry when you cut it - very sweet smell and an absolute pleasure to turn!

How about if you hold it up to the microphone so we can smell it?

[Nathan Hawkes]

Well, as everyone else has already suggested, its definitely a fruitwood. Cherry smells like cherry, and apple smells like apple. I personally haven't smelled peach wood, so I can't comment. The color looks more like apple to me, but could be apple, pear, cherry, peach, etc. From all the pics I've seen, Apricot is pretty distinctively bright orange/amber, so I'd say not apricot...

[Steve Mawson]

Bleach works pretty good to prevent mold. Not sure if it would make any changes in color but most would be turned away. I know a company that makes wood barns from green wood and they buy the bleach by 55 gal. barrel. This has solved their mold problem.

[Jim Underwood]

Nuh uh...

Cherry don't smell like cherry neither.... It's a very acrid, bitter smell.:(

Peach on the other hand does smell much better. It smells more like peaches than cherry smells like cherries. Don't get me wrong, I love turning cherry, but peach is much higher on the list of good smelling wood.:) You ever get a chance to turn peach, jump on it. It's a great looking, great turning wood.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Nuh uh...

Cherry don't smell like cherry neither.... It's a very acrid, bitter smell.:(

Peach on the other hand does smell much better. It smells more like peaches than cherry smells like cherries. Don't get me wrong, I love turning cherry, but peach is much higher on the list of good smelling wood.:) You ever get a chance to turn peach, jump on it. It's a great looking, great turning wood.


Ahhh.. Honestly I hadn't turned any fruiting cherry.:D I was going on what some friends had said. Black cherry--wild cherry with fruit that turns black when ripe, smells wonderful, sweet, fragrant; makes you want to take a bite out of it while its on the lathe. (dont)

[Brian Novotny]

Looks just like acacia to me. When cut is the heartwood yellowish and quickly turns red???????

[Michael Mills]

If you need to identify more than just this one tree, by the LEAVES, you may be interested in http://www.arborday.org/trees/whattree/
They offer a (book/pamplet/field guide) for either the east or west USA for 5 bucks.
Mike

[Brian Novotny]

I don't think the standard person can identify a wood just by the leaves as slight variations of a species can have VARY different looking leaves....like acacia......it can have oval leaves and long oblong leaves.....I'm not convinced with what wood I have until I've matched up bark, leaves, and heartwood color, and if it is flowering that helps alot. I do it with google alone. But you really need to start off with a book or two so that you have a launch pad.

I'm curious as to what tells a person that a wood is definitely a "fruit" tree? ....without the acual fruit? Just curious as this is something I just picked up last week at the library.

[Al Stramiello]

It is absolutely, positively, without a doubt . . . a Yoshino cherry tree. I think! (I've only been wrong once in my life . . . and then I later found out that I was wrong about being wrong.) :D

We have over 300,000 of them all around Macon . . . home of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Unfortunately, Yoshino cherry trees are of no help when it comes to making cherry pies. They're an ornamental tree. But, come the third week of March . . . Macon is covered with cherry blossoms.

[Jon Lanier]

Wild or Dark Cherry. The leaves give it away. ;)