Yet another wood ID question

[olsonbri]

Any help here? I cut a couple of these rounds from a scrounge pile composed mainly of red and white oak. I have a non-x27 axe, a newbie at swinging, but this thing makes the red oak seem like butter. I can't split it now but I hope to have an x27 coming my way soon. Am I wasting my time? It sawed like a hardwood. I want to guess maple by the look of the cross section, but I have no clue what it is.

Thanks!! --Bri

 

[jatoxico]

Best guess is Silver Maple. Need those leaves though.

 

[golfandwoodnut]

Looks like maple to me also. That is usually not that tough to split, usually easier than Oak, but maybe it is really wet. Give it a little time and it may be easier, better yet when it freezes I find it easier to split alot of wood.

 

[olsonbri]

Thanks much... we'll go with maple. --Bri

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Best guess is Silver Maple. Need those leaves though.

+1.... Hi-Ho Silver!

 

[krex1010]

silver maple

 

[firefighterjake]

Maple was my guess as well . . . but I'm not very good at identifying the various maples without the leaf.

 

[zzr7ky]

Silver Maple. Should split. Got wedges? Should be easy with wedge and sledge.

 

[Thistle]

+1 Silver Maple. Great stuff for Fall & Spring burning,usually splits fairly well,can be gnarly or have spiral grain in larger rounds though.I had 2 p/u loads in July 2010 from storm damage that was 2' to just under 3' diameter,had to use sledge & wedge to half the rounds at first.

 

[chvymn99]

Yep, typical Silver Maple. White wood with flaky bark.

 

[olsonbri]

Thanks all. I'm tagging it silver maple.

I fully understand the need for other plant parts for proper ID. I always look for leaves, dead or alive, and can ID the tree when leaves are there. That said.... A botanist will tell you to get the flower and/or fruit/seeds to ID a plant to species. However, certain circumstances arise where we are curious about a tree species when all is left but wood and bark. I think it's kind of a great thing that folks in here, this forum, can ID some wood based on pics of bark/cambium/heartwood and are likely dead on. Not to diminish a botanist, but it's just a different take. An art all of its own.

--Bri

 

[smokinj]

+1 Silver Maple. Great stuff for Fall & Spring burning,usually splits fairly well,can be gnarly or have spiral grain in larger rounds though.I had 2 p/u loads in July 2010 from storm damage that was 2' to just under 3' diameter,had to use sledge & wedge to half the rounds at first.

I get some that is very twisted and that stuff is really good firewood.

 

[Ken S]

Silver Maple,I have about 3 cords ready for this year.Use it for fall and spring but also will be burning lots of beech during the coldest part of winter and it produces lots of coals so when I want to keep something burning but want to burn down the coal bed the silver maple will do very well at that .

 

[Thistle]

+1 Silver Maple. Great stuff for Fall & Spring burning,usually splits fairly well,can be gnarly or have spiral grain in larger rounds though.I had 2 p/u loads in July 2010 from storm damage that was 2' to just under 3' diameter,had to use sledge & wedge to half the rounds at first.

I get some that is very twisted and that stuff is really good firewood.

Good stuff,it seems denser than the normal,most what I've seen anyway.

 

[Gark]

Just did a S.Maple that thought it was an elm. It was stringy and the grain was very wavey. Took two wedges to bust the 26" rounds and even 12" rounds needed a wedge. Never recall a silver being that tough to split. It grew between two buildings that made a wind tunnel. Love the stuff for "in between wood". Heavy wet, dries fast & light.

 

[CTYank]

Local arborist dumped a couple of tons on my lawn recently. Freshly-cut after Irene. 2'-long rounds, under 18" diameter.

Stuff was so difficult to split that partial noodling was in order. Fortunately my "new" 455 waltzed through that. Lots of fresh mulch.

 

[olsonbri]

Okay, I gotta ask ... what is that noodling technique???

 

[WoodPorn]

Okay, I gotta ask ... what is that noodling technique???

Cutting with your chainsaw along the grain instead of crosscutting, the resulting shavings look like "noodles". Some folks will noodle a notch into the round to get a wedge started, others will cut the super big rounds to make them more manageable.

 

[TreePointer]

Lots of noodling videos and pics here: http://www.arboristsite.com/chainsaw/106522.htm