Wood species yet again

[Bob Cooper]

Just cut this tree down along the river bank in central SC. Interesting all the red color. Curious what kind of wood as I might save some for future turning.

[Sam Force]

Looks like box elder to me

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I agree with Sam. Green twigs are a boxelder trait. The leaves and red stuff in the wood look right for Boxelder too. The wood is soft, lightweight, and not strong. I gave some to my nephew who carves lures.

[Jim Becker]

Looks like box elder to me

Ditto...............

[Andrew Hughes]

Box elder is in the Acer species. Acer negundo

[Brian Tymchak]

Flame box elder can make for some interesting turnings. What's the diameter of that log?

[Bob Cooper]

Id need to measure but probably 8” in diameter

[Jim Becker]

Box elder is really priced by turners for both bowls and hollow forms because it holds a lot of interest visually. Based on that picture of the stump, I'd want to use that for hollow forms for sure as the beetles really distributed the color well.

[John K Jordan]

Box elder is really priced by turners for both bowls and hollow forms because it holds a lot of interest visually. Based on that picture of the stump, I'd want to use that for hollow forms for sure as the beetles really distributed the color well.

In my experience two things make box elder one of my least favorite woods for turning: it’s density is much like silver maple (I prefer harder, denser woods), and the red color, while it can be stunning, always fades with time. It looks great at first but in a few years it’s almost a light brown. I know some who preserve the red with permanent dye in solution, applied by paintbrush. Some recommend keeping the turning out of the light but one i’ve kept in a relatively dimly lit room still faded significantly in about 5 years.

[Jim Becker]

Those things are true, John, but it's still a favorite because of the wow factor, even if it may be fleeting without careful storage.

[Prashun Patel]

That is highly prized wood there.

I got a ton of flame box elder a few years ago and it is some of the best wood I've turned. It's dramatic (you have awesome coloring there) and there is nothing like it in nature.

It fades a bit, but I have bowls that are 10 years old and the pattern is still visible.

Beware of how it smells when turning, though. Mine stunk like a horse barn. So worth it.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

The red stuff in boxelder can be interesting. I assume the the red is a mineral stain?

I guess not. This is from wood magazine.

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[Jim Becker]

The red stuff in boxelder can be interesting. I assume the the red is a mineral stain?

I guess not. This is from wood magazine.

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Adding to the Wood Magazine excerpt, the stain is fungal, but introduced by the box elder beetle. I personally do find it interesting for decorative items, although there are a pair of "yuge" slabs of box elder at the local domestic hardwood supplier than have some impressive figure. But as John mentioned, I'd be concerned about fading over time after paying tenty-eleven gazillion dollars for a big slab of the stuff. :)

[Steve Demuth]

Just a bit more about the fungus, the beetle and the stain. The fungus can be introduced into the tree through almost any injury. THe particular starburst pattern in the OP is from beetle damage, but you'll find lot's of red stain emanating down through branch roots where branches have been broken off, or generally where there has been any injury that penetrated the sapwood.

[Clint Baxter]

Took down a big old box elder that had lots of flame figure. Also had lots of burls and curl as well. It’s been drying for years now but many pieces still have flame present in them.

[Bob Cooper]

Finally cut some of this up. Also a walnut tree that had fallen. I saved some of the box elder for turning whenever I get into turning. I’ve wanted to explore building some boxes and thought some of these small pieces of wood on the property might be useful for that.

the box elder though is quite soft and light.

[Steve Demuth]

Finally cut some of this up. Also a walnut tree that had fallen. I saved some of the box elder for turning whenever I get into turning. I’ve wanted to explore building some boxes and thought some of these small pieces of wood on the property might be useful for that.

the box elder though is quite soft and light.

You've got some great color there. Unfortunately, the red will not survive exposure to light for long.

As for the soft and light: Boxelder is soft under the best of circumstances - not much different than Basswood if taken from an undamaged bole. But It's almost inevitable that if you've got color, you don't have undamaged wood, and the flame is highly likely to found next to spalting (as you have) and just plain punky wood. The coloration is almost always a response to damage to the tree further up, and Boxelder has very poor rot resistance, so you generally get color and some degree of lost wood integrity hand in hand.

[Bob Cooper]

thanks steve...well the good news is...it was cheap and if i can make something interesting out of it i can say "yea...that come off a downed tree down at the river". I have more hope for the walnut which actually had more variations in color than i expected.