What tree is this?

[Eugene Dixon]

Just got this.
1) what kind of wood is it?
2) should I turn it green or let it dry and get mean?
3) How best to 'attack' it, i.e., recommendations on how to turn it into (a) bowl(s)?

It doesn't smell like oak. Local to Eastern NC. It was cut about 10 days ago.

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[daryl moses]

If you had leaves it would make it much easier to identify. But i'll wager a guess............American Sweetgum???

[Eugene Dixon]

Leaves? Yes, that would make it easier. No joy at this point.
Sweetgum was my guess. I guess I could cut off a section and try to split it. That would confirm/deny the sweetgum, possibly.
Some have suggested dogwood but I don't think the bark is coarse enough.
Thanks

[John K Jordan]

Leaves? Yes, that would make it easier. No joy at this point.
Sweetgum was my guess. I guess I could cut off a section and try to split it. That would confirm/deny the sweetgum, possibly.
Some have suggested dogwood but I don't think the bark is coarse enough.
Thanks

You can cut a small piece (less than 1" across is enough), slice the end grain with a razor blade or sharp knife, and look at the end grain with low power magnification. Section 7 on this page has details: http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/wood-identification-guide/ This might not give you the exact species but it may well tell you what guesses can be eliminated. For example, does the end grain look anything like the photo at the bottom of this page or is it perhaps ring porous?: http://www.wood-database.com/sweetgum/

The bottom of the ID page describes another means for ID.

To me it does not look like dogwood which has a checkered bark and a relatively small, dark heartwood. If you cut off a chunk you can see if it relatively heavy, even if sopping wet. Dogwood is usually over 50 lbs/cu-ft compared to about 30 for sweetgum. Dogwood smells different too, but that is hard to describe! Dogwood is hard to whittle with a pocket knife and sweetgum is easy.

JKJ