What kind of Wood is this?

[John Hart]

Hi all,

Below is three pictures of a little Urn I've roughed out. (It's in the Drying Stage...after alcohol soak) I don't know what this wood is but it came from a tree out back. I asked my neighbor, "What kind of tree is that?" He said, "An old one."

I kinda think it's a buckeye but since buckeyes are a member of the chestnut family, I thought it should be darker. This stuff is almost white an it shimmers like maple. Any ideas?

[Raymond Overman]

John,

would you happen to be able to give us a bark and foliage shot? That would get the job done quickly I bet.

[Ernie Nyvall]

Hi John. Man, you are really going to town now aren't you. That looks good. I like that busy grain. I bet it will look great polished.

Don't have a clue what the wood is. Around here, buckeye doesn't get much bigger than a twig. What's the size of the urn?

Ernie

[John Hart]

John,

would you happen to be able to give us a bark and foliage shot? That would get the job done quickly I bet.

Bark I can give you...Foliage is another story....I don't think there are any leaves yet. I'll post some pictures tonight. That's a good idea.

[John Hart]

Hi John. Man, you are really going to town now aren't you. That looks good. I like that busy grain. I bet it will look great polished.

Don't have a clue what the wood is. Around here, buckeye doesn't get much bigger than a twig. What's the size of the urn?

Ernie

I still can't decide whether to leave it natural or stain it or try dyes for the first time. I still have time. 'Course, it may still crack!:mad: I put a band clamp on it to improve my chances.
It's 4.5" diameter and 6.5" length

[Raymond Overman]

John,

At least wrap it in newspaper and put it in a plastic bag until you get ready to finish turn it. You'll create a micro-climate that doesn't dry it out too quickly. Turn the plastic bag inside out every three days or so to let the accumulated moisture escape.

And post the pics of the bark so we can make a little more educated guess.

Good luck.

[Carole Valentine]

John, do you have a small piece you can finish as an experiment? Try an oil and Beal buff before you put a stain on the piece. That grain may really surprise you. Of course I am a proponent of "natural" wood in turning...I have always felt that one of the neat things about it is that you can let would show off itself for what it is, be it drab or spectacular. That being said, I can't seem to find an oil that does not impart an amber tone! LOL Still looking though.

[John Hart]

John, do you have a small piece you can finish as an experiment? Try an oil and Beal buff before you put a stain on the piece. That grain may really surprise you. Of course I am a proponent of "natural" wood in turning...I have always felt that one of the neat things about it is that you can let would show off itself for what it is, be it drab or spectacular. That being said, I can't seem to find an oil that does not impart an amber tone! LOL Still looking though.

That's a good idea Carole... In fact, I have lots of pieces that I can do a sampling of different finishes... And I have time since that piece won't be dry for a couple weeks. You bring up another good point with the oils not being pure clear. I think I'll include some of that water-based poly in the experiment. It is crystal clear. I don't like it...but I'll do anything for science.
Thanks!

[David Fried]

John,

There are some guys down the road from me who do rustic furniture. I stopped in this past weekend and was oogling a small table made from a horizontal slice of buckeye about 18" in diameter. It was almost pure white with just a little color here and there. I don't think you can rule out the buckeye simply based on color or lack of.

Dave Fried

[Keith Nielsen]

Hi John,

Nice turn there, I had a chuck that looked just like it. It shines like maple and turns like it, but there was to much white or creamy white color to be maple. Guess what, It was Ash. That is my guess although the heart wood would suggest something else the grain certainly speaks of Ash. Tong oil will bring out the grain more and really let you see if its Maple or Ash.

Thanks
Keith

[Mark Singer]

John,

Very nice I have only seen genuine Shlamaca Wood on 2 occasions...very rare .not medium rare ....most woodworkers have not heard of it...

[John Hart]

John,

Very nice I have only seen genuine Shlamaca Wood on 2 occasions...very rare .not medium rare ....most woodworkers have not heard of it...

Yes...And I'd like to say that I am one of the woodworkers that has not heard of it. I bet you can make nice shoes out it though.:rolleyes:

Ok...I'm starting to lean toward Ash...not because of the color but more because I don't recall seeing any nuts growing on this tree...(but, with all the squirrels around here, and the fact that I never paid attention, it doesn't mean there aren't nuts.)

Ash has those little one-winged helicopter things,but a different style than maple helicopters, and I remember seeing those last year...but it's hard to say which tree they came from.. Anyway, I took a peek this morning and there are little leaves coming out, so maybe I can get a picture of those this evening. I know it's not a maple.

[Jim Becker]

Looks like birch to me...based on the piece that it sitting on the mantle here in my office. Could also be in the ash family. But, ah..."winged" seed pods do point to ash as you indicate in your last post which I didn't see until I popped down here to the Quick Reply window!

[John Hart]

Ok...Here's pictures of the leaves and the bark. Sorry for the quality (or lack there of) of the leaves...I had to point up into the sky and zoom way in and the wind was blowing.

[Jim Becker]

If those leaves are pinated (multple leaves on the stem, I'm going to guess ash.

[Mark Singer]

John,

That looks like a mature Shlamaca Tree and I nice one....they are not indigineous to the east coast ...surprised to see such a nice specimen:eek:

[John Hart]

Alright Mark...I give up. I checked every dictionary, encyclopedia, search engine and storybook.What's a Schlamaca Tree?

[Mark Singer]

John,

I told you it was rare! I am sure it is a Schamaca...altough it might be a Pyrus Kawakami...or an Arbutus....a Leptospermum....a Mellaluca Nesophelia....or ...:p


Alright Mark...I give up. I checked every dictionary, encyclopedia, search engine and storybook.What's a Schlamaca Tree?

[Jim Becker]

Uncle Mark is playing with Cousin Johnny really well!! ;)

[John Hart]

Yeah...and cousin Johnny ain't bitin'!....Well...maybe a little :)

[Carole Valentine]

Dang, John! Can't see the leaves clearly enough but the bark and what I can see of the leaves almost looks like American Elm (there are very few of them left.) They also have a winged key that matures in early Spring. Have never seen the wood though. At the base of the leaf, is it asymetrical?

[John Hart]

Yeah...I'm sorry Carole....The tree is too tall to get close, and the leaves haven't fully matured so they're still kinda bunched up, but it looks like they alternate...But you may be on to something. I live in a neighborhood where the streets are lined with old Elms but I wasn't sure about this tree because it is only about 40 feet tall....The old ones are HUGE and the bark is different. The one next to it isn't budding this spring so I think it died over the winter. Guess I'll have to get the chainsaw out next week.:rolleyes:

[Mark Singer]

John,

Please don't cut a Shlamaca...its rare!

[John Hart]

John,

Please don't cut a Shlamaca...its rare!

Yep...And it's about to get rarer!!:p

[Carole Valentine]

American Elm has little oval shaped fruit (about 1/2" long, thin papery wing around it) Many of them succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease.

[John Hart]

Well, I'm stuck on Ash or Elm...I think I have to wait for the leaves to mature or the seeds to pop up. Either way, I think it's going to be interesting...especially since the tree next to it is coming down next week... Now I have to find a place to store it.:confused:

Thanks for all your help...I may add to this in a couple weeks

[Jim Becker]

The leaves are going to be key in the ash vs elm question...they are noticably different, with the elm leaves being bigger with asymetric form at the stem.

[Mark Singer]

<A href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.michigan.gov/images/mda_ash_tree_35657_7.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-2961_2968_18323---,00.html&h=560&w=420&sz=16&tbnid=sOyiqAA5zhAJ:&tbnh=131&tbnw=98&hl=en&start=1&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dash%2Btree%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D" target=_blank>http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:ls-6s8F0kk4J:www.state.me.us/doc/foliage/images/whiteash.gif (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.state.me.us/doc/foliage/images/whiteash.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.state.me.us/doc/foliage/kids/treeguide.html&h=273&w=200&sz=5&tbnid=ls-6s8F0kk4J:&tbnh=108&tbnw=79&hl=en&start=3&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dash%2Btree%2Bfoliage%26hl%3Den%26lr%3 D%26rls%3DGGLD,GGLD:2005-11,GGLD:en%26sa%3DN)ash Tree

http://www.2020site.org/trees/images/elm2.gifElm Tree



http://www.museums.org.za/bio/images/enb5/enb05126.jpg
Shlamaca with berries...in bloom

[John Hart]

Yep...As soon as I can get a good solid leaf sample, I think we'll nail this thing.

Thanks for the pictures Mark! They were very helpful. The Schlamaca looks eerily similar to the Australian Myrtle Leptospermum laevigatum. In fact, it looks EXACTLY like the one that is planted in Kleinmond garden on the Western Cape of South Africa. Probably just a coincidence though :D

[Arnie Grammon]

The elm I milled last year was darker than that.......almost brown. My vote is ash.

Arnie

[Martin Shupe]

From what I can see, it looks like elm to me.

Here's how to tell....

Ashes have compound, opposite leaves, typically with smooth edged leaflets.

The trees that have opposite leaves can be summerized by the following acronym: MADCAPBIGHORSE, which stands for Maples, Ashes, Dogwoods, Caprifoliaceae, Bignoniaceae, and Horse chestnuts.

Elms have single, alternate leaves, which are serrated (fancy word for toothed) on the edges.

From the pic of the leaves, they appear to be serrated, which is why I am guessing elm, but the bark looks like it could be from either one.

I taught dendrology lab for a semester in graduate school, but it was along time ago.

[John Hart]

Okie Dokie...With the help of some vacation time and mother nature, I have time for pictures and the leaves are mature. Methinks it's an elm.

[Carole Valentine]

Yup. Me thinks you're right!