Can you ID this wood?

[Brian Hale]

Can you tell me what this is?


A friend from work gave me a bunch of this (~400 bd ft). It's from an old shed built in the 1840's. Most of the boards are about 13" wide and 6' - 10' long and 1 1/8" thick and very rough cut. Also got several beams 6"-8" square and 9'-10' long that are hand hewn.

The face grain looks a little like oak but it weighs about half as much. When cut it smells kinda like cedar or fir. Some pieces have lots of small worm holes.

This is what it looks like from the jointer

Chestnut?


Brian :)

3" wide x 18" long
http://www.s94479206.onlinehome.us/assets/images/Chestnut.jpg

[Joe Suelter]

Gonna guess maybe Cypress? It was used for siding and exterior projects in some areas I think...just a guess though.

[Chris Padilla]

I've got some elm that looks a little bit like that. It has the brown streaks on the grain lines between growth rings. However, I don't think its elm.

[Todd Burch]

I would guess chestnut or ash. Do you have a piece of flatsawn we could look at? Or clean endgain?

[Jim Becker]

What part of the country are you in? It would be unusual to be something other than a locally grown species and many barns actually got built from multiple species...whatever was on hand was used.

[Lars Thomas]

My money is on ash.

[Brian Hale]

Thanks guys! I'll get some end grain shots up this afternoon

I'm in Cockeysville Maryland (Baltimore County)

Brian

[Donnie Raines]

Looks like Chestnut to me. I am in Ohio and, while this is no longer the case, Chestnut was a rather common. Now, you are lucky to find it in any great number.


Donnie Raines

[Alan Turner]

I am placing my money on Chestnut. If so, and if it is clean, there is substantial value in those boards. Nice "find" by your friend, and by you.

[Ken Salisbury]

I believe it is one of two species, either Chestnut or Butternut.

[Jim Becker]

I'll have to agree with the chestnut suggestions. From the pictures, I would guess chestnut as a first choice due to the coarser grain. Butternut is more like walnut in texture...at least from what I've seen.

[John Miliunas]

Brian, you know, it could go either way. Tell you what: I work right near Forest Products (http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/) and I'd be happy to take a sample in there for definite identification. Send me up a sample and I'll check. Figure ~100 bd. ft. or so should do it. :D :cool:

[Brian Hale]

Here's a few close up shots made with my macro setup to show some more detail.

This is the edge of the board
http://www.s94479206.onlinehome.us/assets/images/Edgegrain.jpg

Some endgrain
http://www.s94479206.onlinehome.us/assets/images/Endgrain.jpg

And some facegrain
http://www.s94479206.onlinehome.us/assets/images/Facegrain.jpg


John, i'll get a bundle out to you soonest. I'll include a check for your efforts also!! :p
Also, when the shed was torn down the boards were thrown in a pile and then it rained pretty good. The boards feel damp like they absorbed a fair amount water. I'm thinking i should just stack it as is for awhile in my shed and let dry out some before i machine any of it. Is that the best thing to do? Some of the ends are in pretty bad shape for about the first 6".

Thanks again folks!!!

Brian