Help with Firewood ID

[SusanB]

Hi All,
I've been lurking for quite a while. I've been running my new Super 27 for a month or so ( and LOVE it)
I've got a neighbour that works for our town and dumps logs on my front lawn every so often. So far its all been ash (cuts for EAB). This last load i'm thinking is maple - not sure if it's sugar/silver etc. I can't go off leaves. I do know that the tree was huge - (trunk was probably ~ 3 ft in diameter). I split some by hand and it splits nice - but seemed hard when hubby was sawing. Looking to the experts for an ID.

 

[Jags]

That there has a lot of oakyness to it from the pics. A picture of a split piece would help.

 

[SusanB]

Here is a pic of it split - Apparently I suck at identifying firewood

 

[Jags]

Hmmm...now I am even a little more confused. Let's see what others have to say.

 

[drstorm]

Cherry?

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

This one is confusing. Pith screams ash. Bark looks ash in some ways and not so much in the split edges. Then there's that one split with one side of the sap ring very white. The dark center of the end shots is a little dark for ash, but not by much and is the right color, pinkish/brownish. I agree some parts look oaky, but there are no rays, which there should be tons in a tree this old. best guess is an ash with some very unique characteristics because of its age.

 

[Wood Duck]

Hmmm, Red Elm? Black Walnut? I could blame the photos, I guess. More close up photos would help. This isn't maple, I can say that confidently.

 

[dafattkidd]

I'm wondering what it smells like. I'm not an expert at online tree diagnosis by any means, but I'm wondering if it's an ornamental tree. I had a few like that with almost a minty scent when split. A close up of a split and a description of smell may be helpful.

 

[D8Chumley]

I say Ash. BB hole in center, top pics look Ash-y but the split pic throws me off. Not that I'm an expert just my guess

 

[mark cline]

My first thought was ash from a very large tree. Now looking at the second pick , it looks more like black walnut. What does a fresh split smell like? I'm getting pretty good at the different smells of fresh split wood.

 

[shoot-straight]

Black walnut

 

[husky345 vermont resolute]

I say black cherry

 

[Wood Collector]

Black cherry

 

[Wood Duck]

The bark isn't right for black Cherry. It could be Black Walnut, or perhaps Sassafras. The wood doesn't look dark enough for walnut, but otherwise that is the best fit I think.

 

[SusanB]

So here is a close up of the grain - Some were asking about smell - to me - it smells like wine. When we were splitting some of the big pieces today - it was quite stringy.

 

[cygnus]

Oak. Those last pics give it away. It smells like wine because wine is aged in oak barrels.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

Oak. Those last pics give it away. It smells like wine because wine is aged in oak barrels

X2 I'm changing my vote based on new pics. Red oak. Can't believe there aren't any rays visible, but I had a big red last year with almost none either. Very interesting.

 

[FaithfulWoodsman]

That there has a lot of oakyness to it from the pics

You had it from the start.

 

[SusanB]

Thanks for the help everyone! I never thought to smell it - and once I did wondered if the wine scent would be associated with oak wine barrels.
It's already c/s/s but pleased to be able to id it.

 

[Hasufel]

Thanks for the help everyone! I never thought to smell it - and once I did wondered if the wine scent would be associated with oak wine barrels.
It's already c/s/s but pleased to be able to id it.

White oak is what's used for aging certain wines, all bourbon, and other good stuff, and the smell of white oak is what I associate with the "oakiness" of those drinks. Red oak, on the other hand, has more of a "fermented fruit" aroma. To me it smells more like apple cider but there are variations because of soil type, climate, etc. If red oak is what you have then maybe it's the fermented fruit smell that you're associating with wine. FWIW, freshly split red oak is one of my very favorite smells, although if you search in this forum you will see that others dislike it.

 

[StihlKicking]

That's chestnut oak, my place is covered with em. Great firewood.