Wood ID and questions...

Hi all. I looked in the wood ID thread, but I honestly couldn't really find anything that I could use to help ID these trees. I took pics of the bark as well (I saw you guys like that) However I did not smell the wood (I saw you guys like that also) I got most of this wood from my uncle-I will be using his trees to burn in the stove...so whatever I get...I get. I"m just curious as to how to tell the different species apart.

Another question... I cut these up about a week ago. These trees were uprooted a few years ago and have been lying there. Should I split them now and dry them? Or will they dry OK like this, then split them in the spring? I am curious because I tried to split a larger log last year (pear that fell in my brothers yard) and it was too wet to get it thru the splitter (hand powered using a 12 ton jack) as the edge just kept making an indent. That is why I'm asking about splitting them now, or later.

Also just curious about that one tree with the middle eaten out. I"m assuming that was some sort of bug...I thought it was sort of neat.

Thanks!

Elle

I see silver maple, ash and cherry. The one that's eaten out in the middle is cherry. Most likely due to rot/bug damage.

is the Ash the one that is sort of pulpy?

thanks!

Pretty sure the 2 on the right are Elle

Ash , cherry & some maple that looks a little punky
It'll be good wood in a year, after it's split

I see a lot of cherry and some soft maple but am not so sure that one (3rd row down, 1st in that row) is ash. Tis a bit different than our ash. I will add that is a terrible cut on that one. Look how it is not a straight cut cut it curves. Bad filing job there and you need to fix that. Could also be a bad bar.

wow...my uncle and I thought this was oak... it is heavy!

thanks!

that would be operator error I'm learning although...I might say...that might be the one where the chain kept jumping...yea...that's it....

1. Black Birch, 2. Black Cherry on bottom, punky Red Maple on top, 3.punky (Red) Maple, 4. Red Maple, 5. Some cherry and some maple, 6.Black Cherry left, Ash center and right, 7. Ash, 8. something punky in center, I think I see Red Oak on left, 9. same wood as 8 (exactly the same pieces, right?), 9. Black Cherry.

A woodland of Black Cherry, Red Maple, maybe some Black Birch, and White Ash would be a really typical woodland for many parts of northern PA.

yes...8 and 9 are the same. I didn't notice that at first.... I should take one down...

Thanks! hopefully I will get some knowledge and be able to do it....

The cherry with the rotten center doen't look like insect damage to me. It appears to be rotten rather than hollowed out by Carpenter Ants, which are the most typical insect that chews up trees here in PA.

I'd split the wood immediately for best sseasoning. I am not sure what a hand-powered splitter is, but I'd recommend a splitting ax or maul. Most of this wood should be relatively easy to split with a maul or splitting ax.

thanks. We have a TON of carpenter ants around... but who knows. I just thought it was sort of neat when I cut it. By "hand powered" splitter I mean one that uses a hydraulic jack, laying horizontally on a meta...thing. The jack pushes the log into an edge and the force splits the log. I run the jack by using two poles to "raise" it. I bought it at Harbor Freight. I dunno what the proper name is.

I do have a maul and proper splitting ax so I will use all of them. I will get splitting next week! Thanks!

In my (limited) experience green wood splits easier when it is frozen. Maybe try your manual woodsplitter again after a cold night. Otherwise, handsplitting should also work better and it will not be as sweaty.

Hey Gents,

What do you guys think this wood is? I know I should probably know this, but can't know everything.



Gripptide and I been cutting a ton of this over the past 2 seasons and I am curious as to what it is... I'll be here quite a bit, I'm a little rusty on my wood ID...

Black Locust (gold.) Get all you can!

Thanks for the quick reply, what exactly is black gold?

Black Locust

Yep, Black Locust.
In many ways Black Locust is the best firewood that grows in your area of the country

Nice! Thanks.

I'll post some other pics of different stuff over the weekend, we have been getting a large assortment.

And we may have a lot of it!!

Keep at it tbuff Got myself a couple dead loads of it today

loon

That's the same stuff piled in my Yota in my avatar,mucho primo,black gold,aka black locust.