What species wood is this?

[Shawn Christ]

:cool: Okay, pop quiz, hotshots. What species wood is this?

It was cut from a farm near Bellevue, Iowa. The property owner didn't know what it was. I took it because it came free with a load of walnut and cherry, also from his farm.

I've heard maybe white oak, but that doesn't seem right to me. I've tried The Encyclopedia of Wood, but I'm still not sure.

The board at left in the first pic has been planed; the rest is rough sawn.

[Dewey Torres]

Depending on your lighting it is ash.

[David DeCristoforo]

Actually, ash in any light!

[John Keeton]

I am probably a little too far east to make anything more than a guess, but I vote for elm.

I have no idea what is common for Iowa except cornstalks, and I'm pretty sure that's not it!

Looks like the growth rings are too wide for oak, indicating a faster growing tree, and it has that secondary grain that appears in elm sometimes.

I looks like ash, but doesn't seem white enough.

[Shawn Christ]

:eek: Geez, you can't get any better than that quick response!

No flash in the first pics but 560 equivalent watts of CFLs.

Here's a few WITH the camera flash.

[John Michaels]

What about Chestnut?

[Jim Kountz]

I looks like ash, but doesn't seem white enough.

I agree, its a little too dark for ash. At least when compared to the ash I have. Could be just the lighting though.

[Shawn Christ]

It seems lighting could make this difficult for you. For comparison, here's the mystery wood next to cherry and walnut, respectively, no flash and flash.

[Mac Cambra]

I was thinking butternut, but then again what do I know?

[David DeCristoforo]

That's Hickorashelmnut...

[Karl Brogger]

I was thinking butternut, but then again what do I know?


That and ash were my two votes. Hard to tell with out seeing it in person.

[John Bush]

Could be butternut as Mac suggested. It would be softer and lighter in weight than the walnut with similar grain pattern. If it is hard stuff it is still a mistery. JCB

[Dan McCallum]

Well I was thinking ash too, the grain is very ash like. But the photos with a flash seem to show kind of a pink-ish cast so that would seem to rule out ash.

I also don't think it is elm, elm has a very obvious interlocked grain which is not visible in these photos, granted they are not really up close photos though.

Does it have any smell, if you plan off a shaving do you get an aroma? Maybe that's another clue we can use.

The best way to identify it is to take a very sharp block plane, clean up a bit of end grain, then go to hobbithouseinc and check everyone's suggestions against his woodpics there.

Dan

[Corey Wilcox]

I'm going to break with the pack and throw out a wild idea. How about red mulberry? Search for images on Google. Looks pretty good to me, but I haven't seen it in person.

[Jack Briggs]

I say chestnut.

[Todd Hoppe]

Does it give you nasty splinters? If so, I vote for ash.

[Shawn Christ]

Well I was thinking ash too, the grain is very ash like. But the photos with a flash seem to show kind of a pink-ish cast so that would seem to rule out ash.

---Does it have any smell, if you plan off a shaving do you get an aroma? Maybe that's another clue we can use.

The best way to identify it is to take a very sharp block plane, clean up a bit of end grain, then go to hobbithouseinc and check everyone's suggestions against his woodpics there.

Dan

Maybe a very SLIGHT pinkish tone to the heartwood... haven't noticed much of an aroma...

Hobbithouseinc is an EXCELLENT resource!! Thanks for that - wasn't aware it was out there.


I'm going to break with the pack and throw out a wild idea. How about red mulberry? Search for images on Google. Looks pretty good to me, but I haven't seen it in person.

Well, I was leaning toward ash until you threw this out, Corey. Who knows, you could be on to something here. Looking at Hobbithouse, as suggested above, there are distinct similarities!


Does it give you nasty splinters? If so, I vote for ash.

Don't know, haven't worked with it. It's still green, and heavy stuff. I agreed to take it because I thought maybe I could use it for drawer sides.

Well, so far, the top choices are 1) ash, 2) chestnut, 3) elm, and 4) red mulberry.

Any other suggestions on how to ID this, or will it remain a mystery until I find someone who is smarter than me nearby? If there is a better way to post pictures let me know.

Thanks all for your help.

[Chris Padilla]

Any chance the guy you got it from still has trees like this on his farm? It looks like ash to me....

[Fred Voorhees]

I'm going with ash, but the color seems a bit off.

[Larry Edgerton]

If you look at the single board, top right, in the first series of pictures the growth rings are way too large for ash. The first picture top left looks like it could be two different species. Is the wood stringy? Bamagalia maybe. The growth is too much for most hard woods I can think of.

[Jim Kilburg]

Looks a lot like some red elm that I have. Red elm does have a distinct odor and is very stringy when you work it if that helps. Bellevue is in my neighborhood, as I live in Springbrook which is seven miles away. Jim

[Chip Lindley]

I am surprised nobody has mentioned Osage Orange/Hedge Apple yet. If it is very heavy and hard, perhaps that yellow belongs to *IT*

Errr...viewing the flash photos, not nearly as yellowish, but osage orange does turn brownish with age/oxidation. I will stand by that one for now.

Hackberry is out--it has weird interlocked grain. How about sassafrass?? If it is light weight and has that peculiar *medicine* fragrance! ...hmmm

[Kevin Barnett]

Kentucky Coffee Bean. Slight pinkish tint is a clue. KCB will turn pinkish with friction/heat/sawing/sanding.
http://www.vtonly.com/salad_servers_green_inbowl.jpg

[Tony Bilello]

Looks like wild cherry to me