Is this a wood gloat?

[Samuel Brooks]

It was used to hold up telephone poles. It has been outside for 20+ years and this is what I got after I removed the weathered shell.

98759

It is very hard and does not dent if you try to push your fingernail into it.

I have 3 boards that are about the size of a 2x4 and 6' - 8' in lenth each and my brother-in-law said he can bring more. He comes across it as part of his job as a lineman. They usually just cut it up and dispose of it.

Any comments will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Sam

[Bob Ross]

Sam,

Because of where you are, I'm going to guess that's hemlock. I have to guess because I'm sorta color blind. I would call any free wood a gloat if you don't have to tear up your equipment to make it usable.

[Jim Becker]

Probably a good gloat...as long as it's not "treated" material. The telephone industry doesn't like to use material that is prone to rot and insects and a substantial percentage of the material is treated in some way; the actual method dependent on where you are and so forth.

[tyler mckenzie]

I second Jim's concerns with the wood being treated, that stuff use to contain arsenic until a couple years ago. The wood looks like its been treated with those streaky darker spots. I'd beware

[Samuel Brooks]

How would you go about testing wood for contaminates? Before I read this, I was thinking about doing a glueup and making a kitchen table out of this.

Thanks

Sam

[Russ Sears]

Can you post a picture of the end grain?

[John Shuk]

I've been working with utility poles for the phone company for 13 years and have never seen anything used to "hold up telephone poles". I have found some interesting pieces of wood used as tree guards for the cable made of chestnut. I've gotten some decent pieces of white oak used in packing anchors. There were some untreated chestnut poles around but they are pretty much all gone now. We still pull untreated cedar poles fairly regularly that are really nice for kindling. Hemlock is a pretty light wood and pretty prone to rot so I doubt it is that but it looks like a nice blank.

[Guy Germaine]

Is this a wood gloat?

No! Box it up and send it to me. THEN, it will be a gloat! :D

[Samuel Brooks]

Can you post a picture of the end grain?

Here is the end grain. I tried cutting with a handsaw but it still "smears" the end grain just like I took sandpaper to it.

98831

Here is another look at the wood partially plained.
98832

Thanks for the comments.

Sam

[Samuel Brooks]

My brother-in-law said something about guide wires. I am not familiar with the anatomy of pole installation, so I will ask him for specifics next time I speak with him. Thanks for the comments.

I took a sample to my local woodcraft store and compared it with the woods they had in-stock and the only one that was close was mahogany. Could that be possible?

Thanks

Sam

[John Shuk]

I was going to say that it looks a bit like mahogany in those last pics. It is possible as there are many varieties of mahogany and many are pretty weather resistant.