Wood ID help please

[ajazz]

Can anyone help ID these logs? I can get them for free from the local town brush drop-off, but I'm curious if anyone knows what types of logs these are. There aren't really any smaller branches with leaves to help with identification since those get put in a separate place. We've only had our stove for a year so I'm pretty new to tree ID and I'd love to learn so that I can ID them in the future. Thanks!

 

[PA. Woodsman]

The first one is Honeylocust, the rest I'd need to look at closer or am not quite sure....the 4th one might be Boxelder.

 

[Woody Stover]

Welcome, ajazz. Second one looks to be the worst of the lot but I wouldn't swear to it. I would grab it all, just to be safe. I agree with P.A., first looks like Honey.

 

[Applesister]

When they are green its hard to judge quality by weight. But...generally, without knowing species, if its heavy as all hell and kills your back to lift it, its a pretty good chance it will provide good heat.
And grab what you can, Honeylocust is a keeper.
Just be watchful of vines. If you are at a dump, pull them off with a disposable glove.

 

[ajazz]

Thanks for your help! We did go back and cut up what was there. It was super heavy! We have a small pickup and got three very large loads!!

 

[Woody Stover]

Thinking pics 3&4 may be the same wood? That's not the dreaded Tree of Heaven, is it?

 

[ajazz]

Thinking pics 3&4 may be the same wood? That's not the dreaded Tree of Heaven, is it?

Uh, what is the tree of heaven?

 

[CountryBoy19]

General guidelines in addition to the weight that applesister mentioned would also be judging growth ring size. Generally hard-wood trees with higher BTU's take longer to grow so they will have smaller growth rings. Of course there are always exceptions to "general guidelines" but it's one indicator you can place in your basket of knowledge and utilize next time you're not sure on the species. Your pic 3 & 4 show some pretty large growth rings which indicates it's more than likely a low-BTU wood.

 

[Woody Stover]

We did go back and cut up what was there. It was super heavy! We have a small pickup and got three very large loads!!

Way to score! If you can cut a representative big-diameter round off each of the different logs, then split a few, maybe you can get us some more pics of end grain, bark, and split face. Lots of good ID folks here that should be able to nail 'em down.

 

[Woody Stover]

Generally hard-wood trees with higher BTU's take longer to grow so they will have smaller growth rings. Of course there are always exceptions

Like at my BIL's other house, where he cut a Pin Oak on the north side of the house. I theorized that it was trying to grow fast vertically to get to the light. Had very wide growth rings.

 

[ajazz]

General guidelines in addition to the weight that applesister mentioned would also be judging growth ring size. Generally hard-wood trees with higher BTU's take longer to grow so they will have smaller growth rings. Of course there are always exceptions to "general guidelines" but it's one indicator you can place in your basket of knowledge and utilize next time you're not sure on the species. Your pic 3 & 4 show some pretty large growth rings which indicates it's more than likely a low-BTU wood.

Thanks. Pics 3 and 4 were definitely lighter than the other stuff. There were only 2 logs of the lighter stuff. Otherwise the rest was super heavy. Thanks for your help!

 

[ajazz]

Way to score! If you can cut a representative big-diameter round off each of the different logs, then split a few, maybe you can get us some more pics of end grain, bark, and split face. Lots of good ID folks here that should be able to nail 'em down.

Thanks! I need to work on getting a splitter. We may have to just rent one for a day. It's on the list of things to get soon, but we are just finishing up a fairly large remodel (which got me the wood-burning stove) so waiting for the bank to get off our backs.

 

[Woody Stover]

Uh, what is the tree of heaven?

I don't really know firsthand but it has a bad rep around here. Maybe because it's invasive. I think it actually burns OK but I can't remember how they said it is to split...

 

[Woody Stover]

I need to work on getting a splitter. We may have to just rent one for a day.....finishing up a fairly large remodel (which got me the wood-burning stove)

Do you have a chainsaw? If so, you can cut the wood into rounds of the proper length, and who knows, you may be able to split it with a 6# maul (my go-to splitting tool, although I also have a power splitter.) Heck, I'll split a lot of the easy-splitting stuff with a maul, and I'm an old man! If you plan on burning wood this winter, time is short to get it dry enough unless you can score some quick-drying woods like soft Maple, Tulip Poplar, Pine, Cherry, etc. You must have dry wood for good results from a modern stove (post-1990) which re-burns the smoke. The wood has to be split small and stacked in the wind to dry as fast as possible. Or you may be able to find a firewood seller who has split wood left over from last season; That might get fairly dry by this winter except for Oak, which may be the slowest-drying wood. You can always mix some compressed-wood product logs (not Dura-flame or the like) in with your semi-dry wood to get an acceptable result.
So what stove make and model did you inherit? If you know, you can add it to your signature, then people can offer burning advice based on your type of stove.

 

[Woody Stover]

Or maybe you can grab small standing dead trees with the bark fallen off, somewhere close by. Those are going to be pretty dry, and probably not rotted depending on the species. A moisture meter (available at a box hardware place) is your friend for determining how dry wood is, until you get a feel for the split heft of different species. A hatchet is useful in the woods for seeing if dead-standing small trees (or even down wood) is reasonably sound.

 

[ajazz]

Do you have a chainsaw? If so, you can cut the wood into rounds of the proper length, and who knows, you may be able to split it with a 6# maul (my go-to splitting tool, although I also have a power splitter.) Heck, I'll split a lot of the easy-splitting stuff with a maul, and I'm an old man! If you plan on burning wood this winter, time is short to get it dry enough unless you can score some quick-drying woods like soft Maple, Tulip Poplar, Pine, Cherry, etc. You must have dry wood for good results from a modern stove (post-1990) which re-burns the smoke. The wood has to be split small and stacked in the wind to dry as fast as possible. Or you may be able to find a firewood seller who has split wood left over from last season; That might get fairly dry by this winter except for Oak, which may be the slowest-drying wood. You can always mix some compressed-wood product logs (not Dura-flame or the like) in with your semi-dry wood to get an acceptable result.
So what stove make and model did you inherit? If you know, you can add it to your signature, then people can offer burning advice based on your type of stove.

We do have a chain saw. I've had my son working on splitting some stuff that we cut last year using the splitting maul. And I have some piles of downed wood that the previous owner left that I should be able to use this winter. I know that the stuff we just cut from the brush pile won't be dry enough for this year's fires. I'm just happy to get a start on next year's supply. Last winter we just bought wood that was already split/dried. We put in a new Blaze King Ashford 30 when we remodeled/added on. I'll add it to my signature.

 

[ajazz]

Or maybe you can grab small standing dead trees with the bark fallen off, somewhere close by. Those are going to be pretty dry, and probably not rotted depending on the species. A moisture meter is your friend for determining how dry wood is, until you get a feel for the split heft of different species. A hatchet is useful in the woods for seeing if dead-standing small trees (or even down wood) is reasonably sound.

Thanks. I didn't even know you could buy a moisture meter. Where would I get one? Online?

 

[Woody Stover]

Where would I get one? Online?

Harbor Freight has 'em for about $15, or Lowe's has a General for 29 or so.

 

[Woody Stover]

Split a round, then test immediately on the freshly-exposed face in the center of the split.

 

[ajazz]

Split a round, then test immediately on the freshly-exposed face in the center of the split.

Thanks. If I want to check something that has been drying for awhile, would i need to split a piece again and test it that way?

 

[Woody Stover]

If I want to check something that has been drying for awhile, would i need to split a piece again and test it that way?

Yessir.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Thanks. If I want to check something that has been drying for awhile, would i need to split a piece again and test it that way?

Yes, always test on a freshly split area. The reason being, the surface of the wood dries quickly where-as you really want to know what the moisture INSIDE the wood is; therefore you need to split a piece open and check it right away.

 

[Woody Stover]

Liking what I see in your sig; You are not dead yet for this winter! How much split wood have you got, left over from last year?

 

[Woody Stover]

Oops, I just saw your post #16. Muscular son?? Pick up an 8# maul as well.

 

[ajazz]

Oops, I just saw your post #16. Muscular son?? Pick up an 8# maul as well.

Thanks. I do have an 8# maul. He's not super muscular yet, but is working on it. I figure he might as well do something productive while trying.
I don't have much leftover from last year that is split. I have several cross-sections that look pretty dry that need to be split yet.