Wood ID Help Please

[Nelson]

Hi Folks

Newbie out in the woods and looking for some help with identifying this wood. Thanks much!

 

[kjahnz]

I just recently posted a wood I.D also. I am going to through a wild guess out there... elm? maybe alittle more alive than in my post?

 

[paul bunion]

It is wood with snow on it. Looks like ash but I'm not sure about that.

 

[Hogwildz]

I second Ash

 

[Nelson]

Yes, I was able to determine the snow part.

My saw didn't like cutting through it and it was a pain to split, very stringy.

I did find some dead larva in the wood, I wonder if those were emerald ash borer larva? interesting.

I see ash mentioned a lot here. Is there a particular species of ash (green, white, etc) that is more common? I realize this it likely depends on region but since most people don't distinguish I assume there is one species that tends to be more common.

Anyway, thanks for the replys so far.

 

[paul bunion]

Yes, I was able to determine the snow part.

My saw didn't like cutting through it and it was a pain to split, very stringy.

I did find some dead larva in the wood, I wonder if those were emerald ash borer larva? interesting.

I see ash mentioned a lot here. Is there a particular species of ash (green, white, etc) that is more common? I realize this it likely depends on region but since most people don't distinguish I assume there is one species that tends to be more common.

Anyway, thanks for the replys so far.

If it was very stringy it most likely isn't ash so I must say that my first stab at it is probably wrong. Stringy would be more like hickory or elm.

 

[gzecc]

My guess would be a type of hickory. With the snow on the bark its hard to ID. Get us a pic with no snow and couple of splits open.

 

[dmmoss51]

The end grain makes me think maple, but that bark is not maple

 

[PA. Woodsman]

It's Ash I'm pretty certain; look on the flat cutside and it has a small "pinhole" in the center, right? I saw it when I magnified the second picture. That's a way to determine if it is Ash, plus it sure looks like it to me.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

I don't know about ash, kinda looks like it and the pinhole thing is a fair clue, but ash splits by just thinking about it. How much did you split that was difficult? I've split over 10 cord of ash and seldom had a problem with it being stringy or difficult to split except fro some crotch pieces and the occasional hidden knot.

 

[Sinngetreu]

I don't know about ash, kinda looks like it and the pinhole thing is a fair clue, but ash splits by just thinking about it. How much did you split that was difficult? I've split over 10 cord of ash and seldom had a problem with it being stringy or difficult to split except fro some crotch pieces and the occasional hidden knot.

I wouldn’t say that so fast. I’m sure your Ash was easy (I know it certainly can be), but I have Ash that is a total b**** to split right now. Mine was out in the open in heavy wind all of its life and it is coming out stringy and knarly with more knots than I can count. Most of my other wood splits like a dream compared to this stuff.

 

[Nelson]

The base rounds were about 14" or so. I'd say about 50% of it resulted in me having to rip apart the splits after hitting it with a maul. I just started splitting wood this fall so i'm still learning but I assumed that is what is meant by "stringy". I split some hickory a few weekends ago and that seemed to pop apart.

I have a forester coming out in January to assess the property so I'm assuming he will be able to tell me for sure. The larva I found in the splits worries me a bit, if it is indeed ash. I didn't read up on the EAB until after I was done splitting it so I wasn't able to check for the "D" shaped holes.

Thanks for all the replies! Having a blast here!

 

[Nelson]

I wouldn’t say that so fast. I’m sure your Ash was easy (I know it certainly can be), but I have Ash that is a total b**** to split right now. Mine was out in the open in heavy wind all of its life and it is coming out stringy and knarly with more knots than I can count. Most of my other wood splits like a dream compared to this stuff.

Question - does temperature have any say in it? It's been really cold here so the wood was no doubt "frozen". Yes, knarly is a good way to describe what I was splitting! I did manage to get all the rounds split but it definitely kicked my butt.

 

[Sinngetreu]

Question - does temperature have any say in it? It's been really cold here so the wood was no doubt "frozen". Yes, knarly is a good way to describe what I was splitting! I did manage to get all the rounds split but it definitely kicked my butt.

I think its easier to split frozen personally, but then again, its still kicking my butt. I got three 75 year old trees this fall and I’m still working on them.
I started making a pile of "impossibles" that are crazy hard to split. Later on I will cut those again with a saw and split them as shorter rounds. That works pretty well, but sucks to stack the chunks when you are done.

 

[Nelson]

I think its easier to split frozen personally, but then again, its still kicking my butt. I got three 75 year old trees this fall and I’m still working on them.
I started making a pile of "impossibles" that are crazy hard to split. Later on I will cut those again with a saw and split them as shorter rounds. That works pretty well, but sucks to stack the chunks when you are done.

For sure. I had a few rounds that I ended up giving up on. I don't have a any wedges yet, just the maul. Don't mind splitting by hand though. I enjoy being out in the woods. We'll so how long I can do it by hand and keep up the wood supply knowing how much I would like to burn in the future...

 

[BIGDADDY]

You may be able to find an old upright freezer on craigslist way better for freezing rounds and easier to get out over a chest freezer.

 

[Sinngetreu]

For sure. I had a few rounds that I ended up giving up on. I don't have a any wedges yet, just the maul. Don't mind splitting by hand though. I enjoy being out in the woods. We'll so how long I can do it by hand and keep up the wood supply knowing how much I would like to burn in the future...

Yep, I’m in the same boat you are. I’m splitting by hand too. Cant afford the propane for the house or the splitter for the wood!
I highly recommend wedges and a good splitting axe. i first got a 6lb maul from the local shop and it was ok, but it didnt quite do the job. Later I got a diamond wedge from the wife and it helped on the bigger pieces. Then I got a splitting axe that was so good that it split handles as much as it split the rounds. Seriously, I went through two handles in four days. I finally had to weld a piece of stainless steel tube to the head to make a handle. Its heaver, but it will darn near go through anything. I put a hockey handle on it to give it some grip. Love that thing. It looks mid-evil.
Anyway, a wedge and a good splitting axe is my recommendation.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

I wouldn’t say that so fast. I’m sure your Ash was easy (I know it certainly can be), but I have Ash that is a total b**** to split right now. Mine was out in the open in heavy wind all of its life and it is coming out stringy and knarly with more knots than I can count. Most of my other wood splits like a dream compared to this stuff.

You are absolutely correct. I've said it here several times; the same species of tree grown in different areas with different weather, soil, and moisture conditions can and will look and act differently. For that matter, two trees of the same species grown on different sides of the same hill can be vastly different in many ways. Thankfully I must live in the land of easy splitting ash, cause I split a;;y wood by hand!

 

[nrford]

It is Elm.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

It is Elm.

I was wondering that. I though that the bark looked like maybe Elm I've seen in pictures. I never seen enough Elm up close in real life to make that call.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

You are absolutely correct. I've said it here several times; the same species of tree grown in different areas with different weather, soil, and moisture conditions can and will look and act differently. For that matter, two trees of the same species grown on different sides of the same hill can be vastly different in many ways. Thankfully I must live in the land of easy splitting ash, cause I split a;;y wood by hand!

2 years ago, a woman that I sell wood to had a BIG section of an old Ash tree taken down and they left the wood for her-actually for me-to split. Being that it was Ash, I took my wedges and sledge to her house, thinking I'll split it and stack it and save me some work; boy was I wrong! That grain was so twisted and gnarly and nasty I had to load it up and take it home to use my splitter, and a few pieces even gave that a hard time! But yes for the most part most Ash splits like a breeze.....

 

[PA. Woodsman]

It is Elm.

The smaller pieces on the bottom look different than the bigger round, to me, anyway....is this all from the same tree? It could be mixed....

 

[USMC80]

don't think it's ash

 

[Nelson]

The smaller pieces on the bottom look different than the bigger round, to me, anyway....is this all from the same tree? It could be mixed....

Yep, all from the same tree. It blew over last month and I've been disecting it over the past few weekends. Again, sorry for the crappy pics. If I get a chance, I will try and go out and take some pics of the splits I have...

 

[Applesister]

Hi Nelson
I never think to bring a wheelbarrow out in the woods with me. What state is WI?
The forester thing is pretty fun. I had DEC foresters come here and private foresters and the NYS guys were WAY more helpful.
I hate people who are tight a$$ed with information. It is really important to find someone who is motivated by land conservation even if you're not.
Money prejudices.
Anyway, there is an easy way to tell Elm from from other species, it has unique characteristics. Nothing that will be seen from blurry digital photography. Unfortunately for all of us.
Elm is good.
But I was gonna say maple. But I cant really see anything distinctive in those pics.