Can you ID this wood?

[Russell Neyman]

I took delivery of a 300-pound burl, but the species of tree is beyond me. Wood is dense and yellow, bark is white with deep cracks throughout the main trunk. Might be box elder. I turned a small piece of the burl yesterday and the wood is tight with striking "flames" going across the grain. I included a shot of the trunk as well as a branch. Anyone recognize it?
287909 287910

[Brian Brown]

I want to say some type of birch. Does not look like Box Elder to me. Here is the leaf from a Silver birch Betula Pendular. I can't say that I have ever seen birch burl, but I want to. So you will have to post pics of your finished turnings.

[Reed Gray]

Yup, birch of some sort.

robo hippy

[Russell Neyman]

Birch was my original guess but somebody passing by said birch bark peels like paper. The leaves look exactly like the photo, below.

BTW, Reed: Will you make it to Bremerton next week? I'll buy the beer!

[Brian Brown]

When birch trees get old and large, the trunk gets a bark that is more common in look, like the bark on a cotton wood. It takes years to go from white peeling paper to heavy "Bark". Yours appears to be somewhere in between.

[Reed Gray]

Russell,
Well there are probably as many different types of birch as there are maple. The paper bark birch does have a very distinct bark.

I am pretty sure I will be up there Thursday. I had a lot of fun last time, and would have fun bringing my toys along for the saw dust session so the turners there can practice what I showed them.

As for the beer, the only beer I drink now days is an occasional root beer. Probably the worst thing about when I quit drinking was that was when all the micro breweries started coming out, and I did love beer.....

robo hippy

[Russell Neyman]

I understand about the tea-totaling completely. I've cut back to an occasional glass of wine.

If you do make it to Wednesday's meeting with the Peninsula Club, we have some people interested in your sharpening jigs. Besides, we enjoyed having you around.

[Reed Gray]

God invented whiskey so the Irish wouldn't rule the world. I will have some of the platforms with me again, of course. I will let you know. I have as much fun mentoring as I do turning. Well, and inventing as well.

robo hippy

[robert baccus]

Yellow birch for sure.

[Reed Gray]

Oh yea, Wednesday......
robo hippy

[Ralph Lindberg]

Oh yea, Wednesday......
robo hippy

Ellen says she needs to know by Monday or no sticky-rolls :)

[Russell Neyman]

Sticky-rolls, for those of you who aren't privy to this conversation, is a specialized beading technique involving a spoon anand a jar of honey.

[Reed Gray]

Ralph,
You can tell Ellen I won't miss out on those sticky buns. My knee has been a royal pain, and they gave me a shot of some thing (Supartz) to lubricate it and get me through till replacement in September. They said it would be a week or two before I noticed any effect. Well, one nap later, and it feels better than it has in a while. I will bring my toys. Tai Chi again?

robo hippy

[Ralph Lindberg]

Robo, sounds like a plan