Wood swap?

[Sinngetreu]

I was thinking about wood (I know...) and the different species and thought, "wouldn't it be nice to have a few samples to compare what I have with known types?" and it got me thinking, what if a group of the members here had a wood that was abundant in their area and could provide a small sample like a 1/2" thick round from a branch that included the sapwood, heartwood, leaf, and bark and could make a card that had all of the information about it like name, btu rating, dry time, etc and could send those samples to other people in that group. If we had 15 members in a group, we could have a sample box with 15 different trees with all of the stats.
Personally, I would love to have a sample box with stats to see and touch instead of trying to determine from pictures what wood I just scrounged. I certainly don't have enough time to hunt down 15 different species and put it all together along with trying to CSS all of the wood I do have on hand.
I know that shipping could get expensive, so we would have to agree on a sample size and stick to it, but I think it could be done relatively inexpensively and I would be willing to pay some money for a reliable sample box instead of guessing.
Anyone else interested in something like that?

 

[JP11]

LOL.. my wife ALREADY thinks I'm nuts.

JP

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I'm good, but it's a nice idea for folks that aren't able to have certain species at the ready, such as the NE burners.

 

[red oak]

I think most of us live in areas where there are at least some restrictions on transporting firewood.

That said, I'd be happy to give anyone a cord of tulip poplar in exchange for a cord of black locust.

 

[Sinngetreu]

I think most of us live in areas where there are at least some restrictions on transporting firewood.

That said, I'd be happy to give anyone a cord of tulip poplar in exchange for a cord of black locust.

Darn good point. I wasn't thinking of that. We are not so restricted here so it didn't even cross my mind.
Although, what would be the difference between a wood working project and what this is? Gray area? I guess its better to error on the safe side on this one.

 

[Sinngetreu]

LOL.. my wife ALREADY thinks I'm nuts.

JP

Yep, me too.

 

[Sinngetreu]

I think most of us live in areas where there are at least some restrictions on transporting firewood.

That said, I'd be happy to give anyone a cord of tulip poplar in exchange for a cord of black locust.

"I would love to give you a cord of black locust for that tulip poplar" said no one ever!

 

[red oak]

"I would love to give you a cord of black locust for that tulip poplar" said no one ever!

Yeah I'm still looking for that guy!

 

[red oak]

Darn good point. I wasn't thinking of that. We are not so restricted here so it didn't even cross my mind.
Although, what would be the difference between a wood working project and what this is? Gray area? I guess its better to error on the safe side on this one.

Well the lumber would have been treated to kill any pests within. Many areas say the only wood you can transport has to be kiln-dried, which has the same effect. And some areas don't even want you to transport that. I can't say that I blame them with the unbelievable damage done by the EAB.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I have a I"x1"X12" sample of every kind of wood I've c/s/s its a lot and my wife thinks I'm Crazy.

 

[Sinngetreu]

I have a I"x1"X12" sample of every kind of wood I've c/s/s its a lot and my wife thinks I'm Crazy.

I think I'm going to start doing that. I think it would be cool to see all of the different types lined up. My wood carving rack is about like that. I have everything from walnut to purple heart in there and it is good to see the differences. Having the reference wouldn't be too bad either. Plus its kind of a record of how many different types you have personally had. I don't know, I will have to kick that idea around a little bit.

 

[Sinngetreu]

Well the lumber would have been treated to kill any pests within. Many areas say the only wood you can transport has to be kiln-dried, which has the same effect. And some areas don't even want you to transport that. I can't say that I blame them with the unbelievable damage done by the EAB.

Sounds like a glimpse of whats to come for us. We don't have EAB here yet, but its coming.
I haven't been paying much attention since I don't transport wood more than a couple miles. I guess I wont be sending any log boxes as Christmas gifts.

 

[BIGDADDY]

• Main
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• Other Woods:
• Full Sized
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  • Special
• Exotic Wood
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• Wood Sample Kits - Domestic & Tropical
• Displays:
  • Greenhouse 1:24 scale
  • Greenhouse 1:12 scale
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Wood Identification Samples Kit
Domestic and Tropical Wood Sample Kits
Learn the Wood Identification Method of Professionals

**Also see** Tropical Wood Sample Kit (see page)

**New Items** "The Baker's Dozen" Sets (2):
Two sets of additional domestic samples (see page)

**New Item** "Hardwood Identification Key " (see page)

**New Item** "Softwood Identification Key " (see page)

How often have you wondered, what wood is that?
Is that table cherry, or just yellow poplar stained to look like cherry?Is that old barn beam white oak or red oak; or have you perhaps found a rare piece of old American chestnut?


Cherry



Yellow Poplar



White Oak



Red Oak



Chestnut

In order to answer questions like these, you need a bit of knowledge of how to go about identifying wood species and a set of authentic samples for comparison.

Firewood Treasures offers a practical sample kit to aid the woodworker in identifying most common native American hardwoods (and a few softwoods). This kit contains samples of 50 hardwood species plus 7 softwood examples. Included with the samples is a high quality hand lens and a starter supply of single-edged razor blades.

Sample kits costing much more and containing many fewer species are available from several reputable dealers. While these kits contain good quality, large (typically 1/2" x 3" x 6") samples of the woods, most purchasers will not use them to full advantage in learning to identify woods. Why?

End-Grain Analysis: The best way to identify most wood species, as illustrated above, is by observing the end-grain structure with a hand lens of at least 10x (16x is better). To do so, you have to cut a small section** of end grain of the sample with a razor blade. Problem is, the samples in those expensive kits look so nice and cost so much (about $2.50 each) that most of us hate to cut them up. So we rarely get the learning benefit for which the kit was purchased.

Not so with our kit. The samples it contains are intended to be cut. And while our samples vary in shape and size (generally 1/4" x 1" x 1" or larger), each contains more than enough wood for repeated trails at cutting and observing. It is a practical kit, intended to be used, not just looked at. And it comes in a box large enough for you to add some samples of your own. No artisan who works with wood directly from trees should be without a kit like this.

Included with each kit is a copy of our popular Wood Identification Primer. Old-timers may be able to identify many common woods just with the naked eye, but such skill requires many years of experience. And they can be fooled! Staining and weathering can dramatically alter the appearance of wood. Less common woods are often misidentified and mislabeled.

A more foolproof approach is end-grain analysis of a clean, razor-cut surface with a good handlens. Our Primer gives you a step-by-step introduction to preparing, categorizing, and analyzing wood samples. Identification by this method is relatively easy to learn and much less prone to error. Coupled with a good set of authentic samples for comparison, even a novice will find wood identification quick, reliable, and fun. Our new hardwood and softwood identification keys will also help you greatly.

Unsolicitated Testimonial from artist Mary Lake, Augusta, ME (3/5/2006)
"I just wanted to take a moment to compliment you on the high quality and helpfulness of your wood sample kit. It is the best investment I’ve made to date in my newfound quest to study wood and wood anatomy. Your text is well-written and clear. I’ve been a woodworker for quite some time and am coming to this fascination a little late in life – but again, I have found your kit to be the most helpful of anything aside from Bruce Hoadley’s book.
It was such a pleasant surprise to receive such a complete primer; and I was thrilled too at the quality of the hand lens [16x] you included.
Again, thank you for the time and care you’ve put in to such a quality study guide."
Unsolicitated Comment from MO in ME (7/2007)
"Rick, ... You're right! I'd been trying to use a magnifying glass I used for coins. But when I tried the 16X lens, WOW! Now I can see the details. ... And it also works for coins!! Thanx."

Unsolicitated Comment from LO in WV (1/2010)
"Appreciate your decision to provide non-standard, non-uniform specimens. I want people to hack away on these and look at them under a lens and microscope, not store them away in a nice box for fear of messing up their new wood collection. Guilty of that myself a few time. Just difficult to abuse a nicely machined specimen."

Note: this kit would be a great start on a Boy Scout Merit Badge in Forestry, and the beginning of a lifetime skill in wood identification. Learn to do it the right way!
Domestic Hardwood Identification Sample Kit

5x/10x loupe

(2 - 5x lenses)

16x loupe

Kit contains everything shown above, including a 16x (Kit #2) loupe (hand lens shown above). Plus an instruction guide to get you started.

RECOMMENDED: We strongly recommend this kit. The price on this magnifier is well worth the investment. You need 16x magnification to properly identify samples.

Shipping cost for 1 kit: We exclusively use USPS Priority Mail (delivery estimate: 2-5 days US, 4-8 days international)
Domestic $9.75
International: Canada $30; UK $45; Australia $42

Wood Sample Kit #2 (with 16x loupe) $62.00



If you already have a high quality loupe, then order the kit without a magnifier. Note: a standard hand magnifying glass isnot a good substitute for a quality eye loupe.

Wood Sample Kit #0 (without magnifier) $48.00


Add $2.00 and we'll include a sample of the Maryland Wye Oak.

Wood Sample Kit #0w (without magnifier) $50.00

Wood Sample Kit #2w (with 16x loupe) $64.00


Extra loupes

MG-16x 16x loupe $20.00

Extra Razor Blades
SRB-20 Single-Edged Razor Blades (20) $6.00

Express and International Shipping require additional shipping and handling costs. Contact us for the exact amount that will need to be added to your order. To remit the extra postage, use the links at the bottom of this page, or go back to PayPal and use "Send Money" to [email protected].


List of wood samples in kit:

HARDWOODS*
1 ailanthus - Ailanthus altissima
2 American chestnut - Castanea dentata***
3 American elm - Ulmus americana
4 American holly - Ilex opaca
5 apple - Malus domistica
6 "aspen" (actually, white poplar) - Populus alba
7 basswood - Tilia americana
8 beech - Fagus grandifolia
9 black (red) oak - Quercus rubra
10 black ash - Fraxinus nigra
11 black cherry - Prunus serotina
12 black gum, black tupelo - Nyssa sylvatica
13 black locust - Robinia pseudoacacia
14 black walnut - Juglans nigra
15 black willow - Salix nigra
16 butternut - Juglans cinerea
17 catalpa, southern - Catalpa speciosa
18 chestnut oak - Quercus prinus
19 cucumber magnolia - Magnolia acuminata
20 dogwood - Cornus florida
21 English walnut - Juglans regia
22 hackberry - Celtis occidentalis
23 hawthorn - Crataegus douglasii
24 hickory, shagbark - Carya ovata
25 hophornbeam (eastern) - Ostrya virginiana
26 Kentucky coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioicus
27 magnolia - Magnolia grandifolia
28 maple - Acer spp
29 mesquite - Prosopis juliflora (glandulosa)
30 mulberry, red - Morus rubra
31 osage-orange - Maclura pomifera
32 pear - Pyrus spp.
33 pecan - Carya illinoensis
34 persimmon - Diospyros virginiana
35 plum - Prunus
36 princess tree - Paulownia tomentosa
37 sap (red, sweet) gum - Liquidambar styraciflua
38 sassafras - Sassafras albidum
39 silver maple - Acer saccharinum
40 slippery elm - Ulmus rubra
41 staghorn sumac - Rhus typhina
42 sugar/hard maple - Acer saccharum
43 sycamore - Platanus occidentalis
44 white ash - Fraxinus americana
45 white birch - Betula papyrifera
46 white oak - Quercus alba
47 white willow - Salix spp.
48 yellow birch - Betula alleghaniensis
49 yellow poplar - Liriodendron tulipifera
50 zelkova - Zelkova serrata

SOFTWOODS
51 Douglas fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii
52 eastern hemlock - Tsuga canadensis
53 larch - Larix sp.
54 Norway spruce - Picea abies
55 white cedar - Chamaecyparis thyoides
56 white pine - Pinus stroba
57 yellow pine - Pinus echinata

 

[gzecc]

• Main
• Philosophy
• Our Trees
• The Wye Oak
• Artist at Work
• Testimonials
• Shows
• Wye Oak Items:
  • Jewelry
  • Xmas Tree Ornaments
  • Full Sized
  • Miniatures
• Other Woods:
• Full Sized
• Miniatures
  • Vases
  • Bowls
  • Special
• Exotic Wood
• Dulcimer Hammers
• Wood Sample Kits - Domestic & Tropical
• Displays:
  • Greenhouse 1:24 scale
  • Greenhouse 1:12 scale
  • Wood Shop
  • Fishing Pier
  • Beach House
• Child's Aprons
• Candles
• WMC Sconces
  • Wood Care
  • Wood Finishing
  • Commissions
  • Ordering
  • Contact Us

Wood Identification Samples Kit
Domestic and Tropical Wood Sample Kits
Learn the Wood Identification Method of Professionals

**Also see** Tropical Wood Sample Kit (see page)

**New Items** "The Baker's Dozen" Sets (2):
Two sets of additional domestic samples (see page)

**New Item** "Hardwood Identification Key " (see page)

**New Item** "Softwood Identification Key " (see page)

How often have you wondered, what wood is that?
Is that table cherry, or just yellow poplar stained to look like cherry?Is that old barn beam white oak or red oak; or have you perhaps found a rare piece of old American chestnut?


Cherry



Yellow Poplar



White Oak



Red Oak



Chestnut

In order to answer questions like these, you need a bit of knowledge of how to go about identifying wood species and a set of authentic samples for comparison.

Firewood Treasures offers a practical sample kit to aid the woodworker in identifying most common native American hardwoods (and a few softwoods). This kit contains samples of 50 hardwood species plus 7 softwood examples. Included with the samples is a high quality hand lens and a starter supply of single-edged razor blades.

Sample kits costing much more and containing many fewer species are available from several reputable dealers. While these kits contain good quality, large (typically 1/2" x 3" x 6") samples of the woods, most purchasers will not use them to full advantage in learning to identify woods. Why?

End-Grain Analysis: The best way to identify most wood species, as illustrated above, is by observing the end-grain structure with a hand lens of at least 10x (16x is better). To do so, you have to cut a small section** of end grain of the sample with a razor blade. Problem is, the samples in those expensive kits look so nice and cost so much (about $2.50 each) that most of us hate to cut them up. So we rarely get the learning benefit for which the kit was purchased.

Not so with our kit. The samples it contains are intended to be cut. And while our samples vary in shape and size (generally 1/4" x 1" x 1" or larger), each contains more than enough wood for repeated trails at cutting and observing. It is a practical kit, intended to be used, not just looked at. And it comes in a box large enough for you to add some samples of your own. No artisan who works with wood directly from trees should be without a kit like this.

Included with each kit is a copy of our popular Wood Identification Primer. Old-timers may be able to identify many common woods just with the naked eye, but such skill requires many years of experience. And they can be fooled! Staining and weathering can dramatically alter the appearance of wood. Less common woods are often misidentified and mislabeled.

A more foolproof approach is end-grain analysis of a clean, razor-cut surface with a good handlens. Our Primer gives you a step-by-step introduction to preparing, categorizing, and analyzing wood samples. Identification by this method is relatively easy to learn and much less prone to error. Coupled with a good set of authentic samples for comparison, even a novice will find wood identification quick, reliable, and fun. Our new hardwood and softwood identification keys will also help you greatly.

Unsolicitated Testimonial from artist Mary Lake, Augusta, ME (3/5/2006)
"I just wanted to take a moment to compliment you on the high quality and helpfulness of your wood sample kit. It is the best investment I’ve made to date in my newfound quest to study wood and wood anatomy. Your text is well-written and clear. I’ve been a woodworker for quite some time and am coming to this fascination a little late in life – but again, I have found your kit to be the most helpful of anything aside from Bruce Hoadley’s book.
It was such a pleasant surprise to receive such a complete primer; and I was thrilled too at the quality of the hand lens [16x] you included.
Again, thank you for the time and care you’ve put in to such a quality study guide."
Unsolicitated Comment from MO in ME (7/2007)
"Rick, ... You're right! I'd been trying to use a magnifying glass I used for coins. But when I tried the 16X lens, WOW! Now I can see the details. ... And it also works for coins!! Thanx."

Unsolicitated Comment from LO in WV (1/2010)
"Appreciate your decision to provide non-standard, non-uniform specimens. I want people to hack away on these and look at them under a lens and microscope, not store them away in a nice box for fear of messing up their new wood collection. Guilty of that myself a few time. Just difficult to abuse a nicely machined specimen."

Note: this kit would be a great start on a Boy Scout Merit Badge in Forestry, and the beginning of a lifetime skill in wood identification. Learn to do it the right way!
Domestic Hardwood Identification Sample Kit

5x/10x loupe

(2 - 5x lenses)

16x loupe

Kit contains everything shown above, including a 16x (Kit #2) loupe (hand lens shown above). Plus an instruction guide to get you started.

RECOMMENDED: We strongly recommend this kit. The price on this magnifier is well worth the investment. You need 16x magnification to properly identify samples.

Shipping cost for 1 kit: We exclusively use USPS Priority Mail (delivery estimate: 2-5 days US, 4-8 days international)
Domestic $9.75
International: Canada $30; UK $45; Australia $42

Wood Sample Kit #2 (with 16x loupe) $62.00


If you already have a high quality loupe, then order the kit without a magnifier. Note: a standard hand magnifying glass isnot a good substitute for a quality eye loupe.

Wood Sample Kit #0 (without magnifier) $48.00

Add $2.00 and we'll include a sample of the Maryland Wye Oak.

Wood Sample Kit #0w (without magnifier) $50.00

Wood Sample Kit #2w (with 16x loupe) $64.00

Extra loupes

MG-16x 16x loupe $20.00

Extra Razor Blades
SRB-20 Single-Edged Razor Blades (20) $6.00

Express and International Shipping require additional shipping and handling costs. Contact us for the exact amount that will need to be added to your order. To remit the extra postage, use the links at the bottom of this page, or go back to PayPal and use "Send Money" to [email protected].

List of wood samples in kit:

HARDWOODS*
1 ailanthus - Ailanthus altissima
2 American chestnut - Castanea dentata***
3 American elm - Ulmus americana
4 American holly - Ilex opaca
5 apple - Malus domistica
6 "aspen" (actually, white poplar) - Populus alba
7 basswood - Tilia americana
8 beech - Fagus grandifolia
9 black (red) oak - Quercus rubra
10 black ash - Fraxinus nigra
11 black cherry - Prunus serotina
12 black gum, black tupelo - Nyssa sylvatica
13 black locust - Robinia pseudoacacia
14 black walnut - Juglans nigra
15 black willow - Salix nigra
16 butternut - Juglans cinerea
17 catalpa, southern - Catalpa speciosa
18 chestnut oak - Quercus prinus
19 cucumber magnolia - Magnolia acuminata
20 dogwood - Cornus florida
21 English walnut - Juglans regia
22 hackberry - Celtis occidentalis
23 hawthorn - Crataegus douglasii
24 hickory, shagbark - Carya ovata
25 hophornbeam (eastern) - Ostrya virginiana
26 Kentucky coffeetree - Gymnocladus dioicus
27 magnolia - Magnolia grandifolia
28 maple - Acer spp
29 mesquite - Prosopis juliflora (glandulosa)
30 mulberry, red - Morus rubra
31 osage-orange - Maclura pomifera
32 pear - Pyrus spp.
33 pecan - Carya illinoensis
34 persimmon - Diospyros virginiana
35 plum - Prunus
36 princess tree - Paulownia tomentosa
37 sap (red, sweet) gum - Liquidambar styraciflua
38 sassafras - Sassafras albidum
39 silver maple - Acer saccharinum
40 slippery elm - Ulmus rubra
41 staghorn sumac - Rhus typhina
42 sugar/hard maple - Acer saccharum
43 sycamore - Platanus occidentalis
44 white ash - Fraxinus americana
45 white birch - Betula papyrifera
46 white oak - Quercus alba
47 white willow - Salix spp.
48 yellow birch - Betula alleghaniensis
49 yellow poplar - Liriodendron tulipifera
50 zelkova - Zelkova serrata

SOFTWOODS
51 Douglas fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii
52 eastern hemlock - Tsuga canadensis
53 larch - Larix sp.
54 Norway spruce - Picea abies
55 white cedar - Chamaecyparis thyoides
56 white pine - Pinus stroba
57 yellow pine - Pinus echinata

Now thats a comprehensive answer!

 

[Sinngetreu]

Now thats a comprehensive answer!

No Kidding! Ask and you shall receive!

 

[dmmoss51]

I find that most of the time I am dealing with only a handful of species of good firewood that is readily available around me. I have Red Oak, White Oak, Cherry, Walnut and Maple as my most predominant hard woods and I can usually tel them apart. Most of my maples are sugar, Norway, or silver which can be identified easily by the leaves and i am usually getting it where I can see the leaves. I guess it's a different story if you are buying/getting wood already cut and split and wanting to know what you're getting, with only a little bark, and some grain to look at.

 

[Sinngetreu]

I find that most of the time I am dealing with only a handful of species of good firewood that is readily available around me. I have Red Oak, White Oak, Cherry, Walnut and Maple as my most predominant hard woods and I can usually tel them apart. Most of my maples are sugar, Norway, or silver which can be identified easily by the leaves and i am usually getting it where I can see the leaves. I guess it's a different story if you are buying/getting wood already cut and split and wanting to know what you're getting, with only a little bark, and some grain to look at.

Yeah, I hear ya. I usually know what I'm getting when I'm cutting the trees. The time that I have the hardest is when I visit the tree dump and scrounge a few rounds or something. Then its a little harder to tell. There you don't always have the leaves.
I'm sure I will have a better grasp on identifying the longer I cut.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I was thinking about wood (I know...) and the different species and thought, "wouldn't it be nice to have a few samples to compare what I have with known types?" and it got me thinking, what if a group of the members here had a wood that was abundant in their area and could provide a small sample like a 1/2" thick round from a branch that included the sapwood, heartwood, leaf, and bark and could make a card that had all of the information about it like name, btu rating, dry time, etc and could send those samples to other people in that group. If we had 15 members in a group, we could have a sample box with 15 different trees with all of the stats.
Personally, I would love to have a sample box with stats to see and touch instead of trying to determine from pictures what wood I just scrounged. I certainly don't have enough time to hunt down 15 different species and put it all together along with trying to CSS all of the wood I do have on hand.
I know that shipping could get expensive, so we would have to agree on a sample size and stick to it, but I think it could be done relatively inexpensively and I would be willing to pay some money for a reliable sample box instead of guessing.
Anyone else interested in something like that?

Good idea but there can be some flaws. For example, a 1/2" thick round from a branch will look a whole lot different than the trunk of the tree. Many species also look different depending upon the age and size of the tree. Take our soft maple as an example. I remember talking to a couple members when they came to our place and I pointed out to them the difference in the trees. Some had very smooth bark and can actually look a little bit like beech (except for color) while the older trees are not smooth bark at all. Same with the limbs. They usually look a bit different from the trunk. We can also look at leaf and on some trees there can be variance, especially in size. Some very young trees will have way overgrown leaf until they get a bit older. So it is a good idea but difficult to complete.

 

[jdp1152]

"I would love to give you a cord of black locust for that tulip poplar" said no one ever!

Sign me up. Don't be surprised if the black locust cord looks like white willow. Just the way it is in MA.

 

[jdp1152]

Sounds like a glimpse of whats to come for us. We don't have EAB here yet, but its coming.
I haven't been paying much attention since I don't transport wood more than a couple miles. I guess I wont be sending any log boxes as Christmas gifts.

Ash yellows is killing all the white ash in my area. Seems the species is destined to face hardship