Wood ID for a newbie

[sheepdog000]

This what I've managed to bring home so far. I started splitting today. I have no idea what kind of wood any of this is, except that I know it's not pine. With the exception of the pile off to the left, that's an Apple Tree I took down a week ago. I foraged the wood after watching the Road Commission widen a semi rural road near my home. I hope they don't call the cops thinking that I'm stalking them. There were trees all over the side of the road that they cut down. It was a free for all, except for the ones up on the property, for those I got permission from the land owner. I have a few questions about some of the wood that I split as I'm clueless here. Hell, I won't even have my stove delivered until later this week.

As I was splitting it up, I noticed that one of the types was making the splitter labor a bit and was VERY VERY stringy, making a messy split. It was also partially light red on the inside. Then I split some (obviously different wood) that was pure white on the inside and split very easily and clean. I noticed a few of my cuts smelled very nice when split. I know, I'm a newb, and need to learn. That is exactly why I'm in here asking as this site is invaluable. I'll post some more pics as I go. This way with help from y'all, I'll know what I have.

 

[Wood Duck]

I dont see any pics, which are necesasry to ID the wood. I think you're trying to post a picture that is stored in photobucket. Copy the picture to your own hard drive and try posting it from there to this forum.

 

[sheepdog000]

Thanks Wood Duck. I was unaware that this site allowed uploading. Pic added.

 

[chvymn99]

Stringy and Red center = sounds like Red Elm some good stuff.

 

[lukem]

I see cherry in the front right pile, and maybe some in the middle right. Need better pics for the other stuff. Looks like a mix of stuff.

 

[CTYank]

Chicken & egg thing. Which comes first, the stove or the wood?

Unfortunately, you must know that this wood will not be sufficiently air-dried for some time yet, depending on split size & species.
You can speed that up indoors once you start burning, but be careful.

So, yes, the wood should arrive first. Spring at the latest.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sheepdog, it is difficult with the picture taken too far from the wood. However, it seems you have a bigger problem than splitting the wood. You just can not cut wood now and expect to burn it this winter. Wood has to have time to dry properly and that does start with the splitting. So....you need to try to find a source of dry wood to burn this winter and you also will probably learn that every wood seller says the wood is seasoned....which means nothing. Most don't even know how to dry the wood to get ready to burn. We wish you good luck in this but save that wood you are getting now for next year as then it will be ready to burn...unless you get oak or something similar because those species take a long time to dry.

 

[Joey]

What kinda stove do ya plan on burning that in???? Or is it maybe just for a firepit or campground???? Most of the wood looks freshly cut,,,please be careful burning that in a woodstove.

 

[Woody Stover]

Black Cherry smells "nice."
Pics of bark and split wood will help ID the rest of the stuff.
If you're trying to get wood to burn this Winter, maybe you can find some small trees with the bark off in the piles they left...

 

[weatherguy]

Take a pic from the other side so the sides of the wood are facing you instead of the ends and someone will be able to id it for you.

 

[sheepdog000]

You guys are amazing, thanks for chiming in so far. I am stacking it up and forgetting about it until next winter (2012). I am splitting some of it pretty small and exposing all sides of the wood, plus cross stacking for faster dry times. I am not counting on this wood being ready until next winter though. I have a line on some dead ash to go get and split. I'll cut that small and cross stack that as well. I'm just going to try to get the hang of it this winter. The front of the stack in the above picture is actually the pile of apple. I forgot it was there. At least I think it is, it still had a few apples growing on it when I took it down. A lot of it was already dead or dying. As for the rest of the wood, I have no idea. It's all eventually gonna get burned in a Hearthstone Shelburne.

 

[blujacket]

Looks like Elm to me. Nasty splitting that stuff.

 

[Todd]

Siberian or Chinese Elm

 

[gzecc]

Elm too.

 

[Diabel]

Siberian or Chinese Elm

Wow, that is a hell of a far way to scrounge.....is this even on the American btu chart?

 

[mhrischuk]

Is it Gum? The colors and the strings look like sweet gum.

 

[Wood Duck]

The second picture (a pile of rounds) is Black Locust. The third (the stringy split) is American Elm - or at least some type of elm. I can't figure out the first. Papery, flaky bark and yellowish wood makes me think it is a London Plane Tree (European Sycamore), but the bark doesn't look quite right. The bark looks like River Birch to me.

 

[sheepdog000]

Thanks Wood Duck. I'll try this thread as I had forgotten about it. After all, it is ok if I jack my own thread right? :lol:

These were on the side of a major road where the Road Commission had cut these down. They looked alike and I was thinking Black Locust. There were no leaves, just two trunks next to the stumps. Anyone want to take an educated guess here?

 

[sheepdog000]

No Ideas?

 

[weatherguy]

No Ideas?

Are you wondering about the wood in the pic above your last post? Looks like black locust, how much of it did you get?

 

[CTYank]

No Ideas?

Quite certain it's NOT BL. Might be some variety of elm.

 

[CodyWayne718]

Pine or hemlock. I dunno, bark looks shinny on my phone

 

[sheepdog000]

Here are a few better pics in the light. I snapped the last ones in the dark. I didn't think about flash distorting the color. If It's Black Locust, then there is hope for me yet, LOL!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Sort of looks like elm.

 

[benjamin]

The second pic of the end of the round looks like poplar or cottonwood to me, especially if it is kinda waxy looking bark. How hard and heavy is it? Does the bark kind of peel off with some threads attached?