Let's play... ID this wood!

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Picked up a bunch of this from a CL ad. Very heavy and impossible to split.

(broken image removed)

When you say impossible to split I think of elm, sweet gum and sycamore. It is obviously not sycamore so I am going with elm or sweet gum.
 
BTW: I found it split better with my Fiskars X27. My maul just bounced off it. I still have a lot of pieces to process.
My maul bounced as well... Oddly enough I was JUST looking up the X27 online! I have a 10ton manual splitter, I just haven't tried yet
 
Looking at the small branch with smooth bark I'd say maple as well.
 
I think that's the one that splits easier after sitting a few years but the sooner the better for seasoning.
 
Last edited:
I think also red maple. The staining is call spaulting.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BillLion
I think also red maple. The staining is call spaulting.

That is Soft(Red) Maple for sure, however the dark spots are not "spalting" those are the results of Ambrosia beetle larvae. The larvae(worms) bore holes throught the tree, the tree reacts with a mineral deposit. Very common in lower ground Soft maple. Have seen lots of it sawn in the mill. Spalting is a fine black line separating incipient decay from living wood.
 
That is Soft(Red) Maple for sure, however the dark spots are not "spalting" those are the results of Ambrosia beetle larvae. The larvae(worms) bore holes throught the tree, the tree reacts with a mineral deposit. Very common in lower ground Soft maple. Have seen lots of it sawn in the mill. Spalting is a fine black line separating incipient decay from living wood.

I was 1/2 right.
 
Oh I'd give you 100% since the quiz was to ID specie. ;)
 
It would make a great top for a small table.
 
I find all the maples are a pain to split, when I use my hydraulic splitter they pop.
 
Wow. We've always found that red maple is one of the very easiest to split.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.