Wood ID Please

[Radek Kowalski]

Hey Everyone,
About 10 months ago I got a log from a tree trimming service. It was about 25" long by 12" in diameter. Now I have 4 blanks and have no idea what the wood is.
http://www.radeksfishroom.com/images/shop/wood%20id.jpg

Thanks for your help

Radek

[Mike Lipke]

Soft?
Maybe Basswood or Box Elder.

If there are any rosy colored areas, Box Elder for sure.

[Jeff Nicol]

The bark is pretty inconclusive as it looks like lots of trees. It could be a maple, alder, basswood, as the wood is pretty light colored and has a little spalting going on in it. Does not look like box elder but who knows, so if it is hard and heavy I would say a maple, if light and soft then maybe basswood. Does it smell at all? Basswood and box elder have a more pungent odor than most of the maples. The maples will tend to be sweeter smelling.

Just a poke in the dark!

Jeff

[Radek Kowalski]

Thanks guys.
It is soft! I had one bowl explode already on me... Doesn't feel or look or smell like the maple I just got. So basswood?

[Jeff Nicol]

Thanks guys.
It is soft! I had one bowl explode already on me... Doesn't feel or look or smell like the maple I just got. So basswood?
Radek, I would say by you your statement it is most likely Basswood. Also concidering your location in the USA that is a good indicator also. Does the wood fuzz up a lot when turning, is it kind of stringy? If so that is another indicator for Basswood. Great for carving, but takes some getting used to for turning. I do some bowls for a couple of ladies that paint them with Rosemalling(SP?) and others that do Pyrography work on them.

Have fun!

Jeff

[Radek Kowalski]

The wood fuzzes up real bad. I have wanted to do some carving work, so this might just be a good chance to turn a bowl to carve.

[Russ Sears]

Bradford Pear? The bark doesn't look quite right to me to be basswood. Also, basswood's are often hollow by the time they're that size. Not all of them of course, so that's not definitive; just throwin' it out there.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Hey Everyone,
About 10 months ago I got a log from a tree trimming service. It was about 25" long by 12" in diameter. Now I have 4 blanks and have no idea what the wood is.
http://www.radeksfishroom.com/images/shop/wood%20id.jpg

Thanks for your help

Radek

Just Like Jeff said it's not a bark that tells much, though not Basswood, but maybe Cottonwood Poplar, the wood does look a bit like a soft Maple but not the bark, I'll hold it by Poplar for now
two pictures here of Basswood with it's typical flat topped ridges on the bark, easy to distinguish when you see it

[Jeff Nicol]

The color of the wood is right for cotton wood and the bark is pretty good for it also, but most of the cottonwood around here has some smooth plates of the younger bark on it at 12" in diameter. It looks to be a butt end of the log closest to the ground so it would have the oldest and craggiest bark. Here are some pics I just went out and took from my pile of stuff. As you can see the Aspen(Popple) and cottonwood look very similar. The plates of the bark are a little different at this stage but not much. And like I said they have some "Smoothness" to the plates. THe picture of the 10" Basswood is just showing some cracks in the bark and as it ages it will get more craggs in it. The color of the Cottonwood is pretty darn close, and it will turn about the same as Aspen and basswood. So now you need to find someone in your area who can make the absolute decision or send me a little piece and I will know for sure. Bark, wood grain, and color may not always tell the whole tale, the "Nose" knows for sure! Pic 1 is basswood, Pic 2 is cottonwood, Pic 3 is Aspen also known as "Popple" here in the north and midwest. Pic 4 is Cottonwood Pic 5 is the Cottonwood cut in half. Other picture to follow.

[Jeff Nicol]

Here is the Cottonwood and the Aspen side by side. Hope all the different answers confuse you as much as the rest of us! Have fun and turn it all and you will never be "Board"!!!!

A little play on words,

Jeff

[David Hullum]

It looks like some white ash that I have the bark looks the same also.

[Jeff Nicol]

It looks like some white ash that I have the bark looks the same also.
The grain is all wrong for white ash. Also ash is hard and this wood was said to be soft so not sure of that. I have white ash here in WI and the bark has deeper cracks and not as flat of plates. When I first looked at it the bark looks like some of the young Black oaks we have but the inside says no way!

Ah the mystries of wood ID's,

Jeff

[David Hullum]

In Texas the bark looks like that but if it is soft then no on the ash. I missed that part.:D