Wood ID for a Noob

[Therivermonster]

Hello everyone!

I have been lurking on the forum for some time now, but have just recently started to put a wood stack together in order to get ready for the 2014 burning season. We don't have a stove yet, but we plan to purchase a Fireview in the spring/summer of 2014. I can't wait!!

Yesterday I picked up a car load of rounds. Can you tell me what they might be?

(broken link removed to http://advblane.smugmug.com/Trees/i-bjTjTLS/A)

and some of these
(broken link removed to http://advblane.smugmug.com/Trees/i-nNG3PRX/A)


Here is my Holz Hausen so far, and a little play house that I am making for my daughter.
(broken link removed to http://advblane.smugmug.com/Trees/i-93XfZQZ/A)

 

[Paulywalnut]

Welcome! 1st pic looks like Beech or Birch. 2nd pic looks like Poplar. Looks like a greenish center to it.
But.. What do I know.

 

[Pruning@trunk]

Top is mountain ash and the bottom is poplar

 

[Applesister]

The green chlorophyll and the microcrystalline waxlike bark says some sort of aspen. But it doesnt look like Aspen. I know these trees have photosynthetic bark. And the waxy yeasty coating.
There could be other trees the weed class that can have these traits.
The botton might be a hawthorn or striped maple maybe....maybe.

 

[Applesister]

I dont see the lenticels that say Aspen...so sorry not sure.

 

[Jags]

Birch and not sure (something soft).

Please be cautious with the play house. Drying wood can get pretty unstable.

 

[Applesister]

Birch? you mean like River birch?
WA is Washington right?

 

[Therivermonster]

Birch? you mean like River birch?
WA is Washington right?

WA is Washington. I'm south of Seattle by about 33 miles.

 

[Jags]

Birch? you mean like River birch?
WA is Washington right?

It looks like the trunk section to a paper birch:

 

[teutonicking]

Birch and not sure (something soft).

Please be cautious with the play house. Drying wood can get pretty unstable.

Hate to rain on the parade but I agree with Jags. Wood piles can seem stable when green but when they dry the pieces lose a good percentage of their mass, change size and shift, and could all come down on a little one. I always tell my kids to avoid playing anywhere near my stacks.

 

[Pruning@trunk]

Tell them also to make sure to wear their helmet when riding a bike too.

 

[Jags]

Tell them also to make sure to wear their helmet when riding a bike too.

Not real sure how to take this, but folks that are just getting into stacking wood may be unaware of the shrinkage and stability issues associated to firewood stacks. We constantly hear of stacks tipping over or collapsing. I would hate to see a child be involved in such an incident considering it could consist of hundreds of pounds of wood.

Just a public service message.

 

[kjahnz]

Top is mountain ash and the bottom is poplar

that ash looks nothing like the ash in my area, I have no idea what the OP has, mine just looks different. the bark is very different. The cut end does look somewhat similar.

 

[Therivermonster]

Thanks for the feedback on the playhouse everyone. I'll just put one together with good old dimensional lumber and nails.

From the sounds of it, looks like I have some mystery wood here.

 

[nrford]

I like the mountain ash call and the poplar/aspen call by pruning@trunk.

 

[Pruning@trunk]

Not real sure how to take this, but folks that are just getting into stacking wood may be unaware of the shrinkage and stability issues associated to firewood stacks. We constantly hear of stacks tipping over or collapsing. I would hate to see a child be involved in such an incident considering it could consist of hundreds of pounds of wood.

Just a public service message.

Sorry it was more of a smart a$$ comment made in fun. Just tired of nanny state police.

 

[Pruning@trunk]

I like the mountain ash call and the poplar/aspen call by pruning@trunk.

I just took down a mountain ash--they look nothing like ash trees but that is what the tree it. It splits easy and ok for heat. Free wood is good wood. Pick up more of it if you can

 

[nrford]

I just took down a mountain ash--they look nothing like ash trees but that is what the tree it. It splits easy and ok for heat. Free wood is good wood. Pick up more of it if you can

That's because they are not really an Ash tree. ie. different species.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I'm glad you're going to rethink the play house. I used to work with a lady whose dog was killed when a stack fell on it. The dog was probably rooting for some animal, but it's not like a little one wouldn't be hitting the walls either.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Rivermonster.

Mountain ash and popple (aspen).

Congratulations on the new stove that is coming. You'll love it.

 

[Paulywalnut]

Popple in the poplar family?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yup. To us it is all popple.

 

[kjahnz]

Birch and not sure (something soft).

Please be cautious with the play house. Drying wood can get pretty unstable.

I call this paper birch. And this river birch, . Could be wrong.

 

[Jags]

I call this paper birch. And this river birch, . Could be wrong.

I am not familiar with river birch so you stand every chance of being right.

Edit: I have a common paper birch in the middle of my yard. I made the "birch" call based off of comparison to the trunk section of that tree. It don't make it right - just a guess.

 

[Cudos]

I'm thinking Ash for sure and a willow of some sort. I don't see any birch or poplar in that 2nd pic.