What kinds of firewoods are these?

[Little Digger]

First, I am new here, so please forgive my ignorance.

Recently I was driving by a site where a tree service was removing a bunch of trees (white pine, walnut, and cherry) and I noted they were doing a lot of chipping of the branches. Being that I am constantly in need of wood chips for my gardens and around my trees, I stopped and asked how much a dump truck load of the wood chips would cost. I was told by the boss I could have a load for free. He asked if I would like some firewood and though I'm 3 years ahead figuring 2 cord a year, I responded with an enthusiastic yes. How much? I told him I'd take all he wants to deliver and gave him my address and the easiest way to get there as well as where to dump the logs.

Later that afternoon the loads started coming in. First a large load of white pine, then a medium sized load. Over the course of the next few days came the wood chips. Then a couple of medium loads of mixed hard woods. The walnut and cherry along with some that I need identified. Total cost to me, ALL FREE! Four dump truck loads of firewood and one dump truck load of wood chips.

I had searched the internet and this site kept coming up with pictures that were kind of close to what I suspect each to be, but every time I think I know I come across another picture that throws my guess out the window. If y'all would be so kind as to positively identify these woods, I would be grateful.

All of the wood is stringy, twisted, curly, heavily knotted and extremely difficult to split by hand. I need the exercise anyway.

The following four pictures I think might be elm or sweet gum.



These next two pictures I believe are Residential Ash, not to be mistaken for Forest Ash.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

The only one that I am pretty certain of is the last one being Ash...the rest, I don't know for sure. You really hit gold there buddy with that score!

 

[blades]

Possibly Elm in the first pics, siberian or red

 

[AmbDrvr253]

All looks like firewood to me! Nice score!

 

[fespo]

Elm and ash

 

[Fred Wright]

That's one fine score, my friend. And you didn't have to pick it up. Good for you.

Not positive but am guessing there's no sweet gum in your photos. Gum rounds usually have a dark brown bulls eye center.

 

[Little Digger]

Thank you everyone for your input and verification of the firewood in question. Really, I thought both were of the same species made up of hard rubber and concrete. I could hit them with any axe I had and they wouldn't so much as make a dent after a good number of strikes. They would just bounce off of them. I have the Fiskars X27, the Ames splitting axe with the wavy red handle, and a 6 pound splitting mall. I also have a 20# sledge hammer and 2 splitting wedges that I sharpened removing the blunt point so they wouldn't jump out of the round after one hit.

I did manage to split the majority of the residential (yard bird as I have seen them called here) Ash and the Elm. There were just a few minor pieces that just wouldn't give themselves up. Those I ended up noodling. I managed to go through two splitting blocks of Black Birch as I was driving the wedges home so I ended up splitting those the rest of the way and adding them to the firewood pile. I now have a nice residential ash splitting block.

I would cut up some of the white pine to split just for fun, and in the end they were easier by far to split than the ash or elm even though they spit and often practically swallowed whatever axe I was using without making a single crack.

When I originally received all of this firewood, I would buck them into four foot rounds to make them easier to move and stack. From there I've been bucking them into 16 inch rounds for splitting as I free up some space. I am saving a good portion of the pine for processing in October or November to allow it to season a bit. Hardwoods are generally easier to process when green and softwoods easier when somewhat seasoned or so I've been told.

I will say processing this firewood has given me the best exercise I've had in a long time. I have muscles hurting that I never knew I had. It's great cardio and core!

Thanks again for the wood identification. It is greatly appreciated. For a while there I was starting to think I might just be getting too old for this especially if they had been IDed as Poplar n Balsa.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Usually Ash splits very easy because it is so straight grained, but I've already had Ash that was so twisted up and "angry" that even the splitter had a hard time with it!

Oh and by the way, "welcome" to the forums!

 

[Little Digger]

Usually Ash splits very easy because it is so straight grained, but I've already had Ash that was so twisted up and "angry" that even the splitter had a hard time with it!

Oh and by the way, "welcome" to the forums!

Well, as it was explained to me, a residential tree has a full growth pattern keeping the majority of it's branches twisting and turning as it pleases which will result in a twisted, curly, heavily knotted, stringy more dense trunk. A forest tree on the other hand will grow straight and tall seeking only the sun, so it drops most of it's branches with the exception of those near the top. A forest ash could be split with a feather or a stern look, while a residential ash or yard bird ash will snicker at you no matter what you try to split it with.

I had a young guy from the tree service offer to help, which I declined, but I did offer him $100 if he could finish splitting a round of ash I had on the side. He turned it down. I ultimately noodled the rest of that ash round.

As for splitting both the ash and elm, I ended up slabbing them until the round was of a reasonable size, and split it from there. When I say slabbing, I mean that I work my way around the outside edge of the round taking off what I could. Even that required substantial effort but I did get it done.

Thanks for the welcome!

 

[bag of hammers]

Nice score. Jealous. Would love to have that mulch and firewood dropped at my door. Yeah, plenty of opportunity to get a workout when you're processing firewood. It's a good kind of tired at the end of the day.

 

[Big Chris]

Do yourself a favor & call a rental place and get a splitter for the day . Usually around $60. You can split 2-3 cords a day. Welcome

 

[Little Digger]

Do yourself a favor & call a rental place and get a splitter for the day . Usually around $60. You can split 2-3 cords a day. Welcome

If I had several cord I couldn't split by hand I might consider renting a splitter, but for the handful of partial rounds I've been unable to completely split, it wouldn't be worth it. The rule of the house is to try, not a half hearted try and walk away, but a try giving it everything you've got. I'm also splitting this by hand because I want the exercise to stay in reasonable shape. That plus it's very satisfying.

Thanks for the welcome