I know I don't know chit, so I'm asking

[Beetle-Kill]

My wood ID skills range from "Yup, thats Pine" to "Yup, thats Aspen". So this weekend, I'm getting my pick- Elm, Ash, Cottonwood, Spruce, and Pine. The last two shouldn't be a problem, but doing the Wiki thing, I know I'll have a heck'uv a time picking the Elm and Ash from the cottonwood. What are the key characteristics I should look for? Thanks, JB

 

[SolarAndWood]

cottonwood don't weigh chit

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I don't know? Never tried to weigh a chit, just always guesstimated them :lol:

 

[oldspark]

Dont have time now but I could take a picture of cottonwood and ash and post them, not good elm around here any more. I do have some chit trees which I can include.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

That'd be great if you could. I won't know how to tell the differences in bark from one or the other. Any special coloration in the wood itself that would allow me to tell them apart? Supposedly it's all cut into "managable" size, whatever that means.

 

[madrone]

cottonwood don't weigh chit

when it's dry. green, it weighs quite a lot.

 

[ckarotka]

If it smells like chit leave it. I heard cottonwood stinks when you start to cut into it. Could be wrong but I got some last year and it smelled like chit. Although I showed a pic to an arborist and he said it was elm, which surprised me because we don't have many elm left around these parts. The stuff I had, split very stringy and was a real pita, was very very heavy and had a very dark heartwood.

Earlier this year I did take some known cottonwood because the leaves were still on it and it split like butter. :-S

 

[Beetle-Kill]

Very dark heartwood for Elm, OK that's a start! Did the cottonwood have a dark heartwood also? If I identify the cottonwood and keep it separate, everything else would be the Elm and Ash. not worried about the spruce and pine.

 

[ckarotka]

BK,

I should have been more clear. The stuff I was talking about with the dark heartwood I never really got a 100% I.D. on I had no leaves to go by, the tree had been down and moved for too long. The known cottonwood did not have a dark center but was only down a day or too when I got to it, it still had leaves to I.D. it.

I was hoping someone would help clarify for both of us. I have to find the pics I have and try again.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

No problem, and thanks for the info. Just knowing the cottonwood didn't have a dark heartwood helps.

 

[yanksforever]

You have to chop the chit out of elm to split it! :lol:

 

[andybaker]

You'll be able to tell easy enough when you get your hands on them. The Cottonwood splits easy, if dry it is light too. Now for the Ash and the Elm, the Elm will split horrible and the Ash more like Oak. The Ash has a grain that simulates Oak too. The bark on the Ash is quite uniform and on the Elm more deeply furrowed. The Elm is also said to smell something like mold, the Ash smells more like wood should. I like Ash, I just get bored with it. Are you talking about normal Ash trees and not Rocky Mountain Ash which really isn't a true Ash anyway.

 

[ecocavalier02]

if ur wedge goes all the way into the piece of wood without splitting then you ll know you got elm. and it smells like chit.

 

[thewoodlands]

My wood ID skills range from "Yup, thats Pine" to "Yup, thats Aspen". So this weekend, I'm getting my pick- Elm, Ash, Cottonwood, Spruce, and Pine. The last two shouldn't be a problem, but doing the Wiki thing, I know I'll have a heck'uv a time picking the Elm and Ash from the cottonwood. What are the key characteristics I should look for? Thanks, JB

Beetle-Kill hope these pictures help. The pictures are from National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees.

zap

 

[zknowlto]

Not the greatest picture, but these are some cottonwood rounds I got of CL last year:

The gnarled piece is apple. Everything else is cotton.

Good luck!

 

[Beetle-Kill]

Thanks all, but I'm going to have to identify this stuff by the bark and wood grain on the rounds. To me, Zaps pictures of the Elm and Ash look like the same thing. But that's my totally untrained eye. The guy said someone may be there to run a skid-steer to help load the wood. I hope thats the case, 'cause he said the rounds are pretty heavy (big). Luckily, this may turn into a "Meet-n-greet", and I could have a wood source that's closer than my buddies place, and this is hardwood to boot. In my favor, this is all going to be 11/12 or 12/13 wood. Any easy way to identify Elm/Ash from Cottonwood without splitting?

 

[SolarAndWood]

I usually don't get to see anything other than the rounds either. this was id'd as ash a few months ago.

 

[thewoodlands]

I usually don't get to see anything other than the rounds either. this was id'd as ash a few months ago.

Solar you have a chit load of wood! :zip:

zap

 

[SolarAndWood]

Thanks Zap, I finally have er on the run. Now if I can cut our consumption down from the current 8-10 a year, I'll be on easy street.

 

[thewoodlands]

Thanks Zap, I finally have er on the run. Now if I can cut our consumption down from the current 8-10 a year, I'll be on easy street.

Top left, what's the new stuff.

zap

Solar my wife just saw your picture and she said I have to cut straight through the winter, THANKS. :vampire:

zap

 

[SolarAndWood]

That is the 2012 pile: Sugar, Norway, Silver, Ash and Beech.

My wife sees all of your pictures and wants to know why I don't stack.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

Solar, great picture. I have that burned into my brain now. I just showed the wife your last couple of pictures- she said "You guy's are sick."- "And all winter you're warm, right?" was my response. She laughed, 'cause she loves our stove. Zap on the other hand, she really does think you're nuts.(but we know better)

 

[Beetle-Kill]

You guy's watch, I'm gonna come home all happy and giggly, thinking I've got 2 cord of Elm and Ash, and find out it's all Cottonwood. Any takers?

 

[SolarAndWood]

Wet or not, you will have no problem figuring out which is the cottonwood when it is sitting side by side with ash.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

Thanks for the confidence, hope you haven't misplaced it. BTW, what would a 30"x 18" round weigh? I loaded some 24-26"x 3' rounds of pine on the truck awhile back, and it maxed me out. Would/could this stuff weigh more, if green?