wood identification help

[rick clifford]

New to this stuff and following this site to get a wood insert. I will be ready next year as Superstorm Sandy has offered up so much free wood. Local golf course just keeps bringing out more and more cut into rounds and I fill the pick up each time I pass. Mostly red and white oak I think. Have several cords so far and splitting it old school. Don't know what the first 4 pictures are of and would be glad to get some input. First photo has a branch and buds if that helps. Also, I live in central jersey. Last 2 are red oak I believe. This site is really great and I appreciate any help you can offer. Next time I will ask about the best inserts for my needs.

 

[gzecc]

Ash besides the oak

 

[rick clifford]

Wow. what a quick reply and thanks. So that is ash. Good burning if I understand correctly, yes? It felt a bit lighter than the oak but was harder to split. Does that said correct? There is alot of real big stuff and it appears I am the only one taking them on. Bang on three big rounds, load em up and off I go. Thanks for the reply.

 

[cptoneleg]

If you have the room you may want to stack faster drying wood like ash seperate from the oaks that take longer.
and welcome

 

[rick clifford]

I messed up the order of the photos but guess you figured that out. Ash dries (seasons) faster. Learned 2 great things today. I will find the room to obtain (free) and stack as I am loving this. Wife thinks I have flipped but oil prices have gotten me thinking there must be a better way. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Woody Stover]

White Ash, but not sure about the other stuff...could well be Oak. Look for the medullary rays, visible on Oak. The Ash will be the best bet for being dry by next season if you get it split and stacked single-row in the wind now. Soft Maple is faster yet. On the tough rounds, if a center hit doesn't work, try hitting them toward the edge and whittle them down that way. Sledge and wedges when all else fails.

 

[rick clifford]

A better and sharper axe would help too. Have a maul but that needs a bit of sharpening also. Have some maple but dont know what kind. Real white. Some incredible looking and splitting cherry. Birch, sassafras and some with such beautiful brown tones and really brown tones in the center (or heart I guess). Lots of locust but dont know if white or black. I will season that a long time. Sandy was a killer storm but is getting me into this in the fast lane. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Thanks for that tip...

 

[Paulywalnut]

Ash for sure. Some kind of oak?

 

[WeldrDave]

Yup oak in there!, What they said..... hey Rick wheres this golf course?, don't hide it, divide it!.... Nice score!

 

[rick clifford]

Hey Dave. Its Metuchen C.C. in Middlesex County. I am in Tinton Falls a few mile from Sea Bright but I take care of my Mom a mile from the course. I am telling alot of people about it and nobody goes. It does require work to load/split and people are soft or working. A guy told me they were going to start splitting the ash to ease people taking it but so far no go. If your looking for free wood check craigslist So. Jersey under free stuff. I have gotten alot there too. Some real nice red oak in rounds

 

[midwestcoast]

A better and sharper axe would help too. Have a maul but that needs a bit of sharpening also. Have some maple but dont know what kind. Real white. Some incredible looking and splitting cherry. Birch, sassafras and some with such beautiful brown tones and really brown tones in the center (or heart I guess). Lots of locust but dont know if white or black. I will season that a long time. Sandy was a killer storm but is getting me into this in the fast lane. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Thanks for that tip...

Welcome & congrats on your good fortune! That's a nice mix of hardwoods you have on hand already. Like Woody says the Ash should be dry enough (probably not perfect) by next winter if stacked properly asap. That Cherry and Birch (assuming White birch) could be ready too. No experience with Sassafras. As for the Maple, it may be worth another Wood I.D. thread for that as there is a Big difference in drying time and burning characteristics between the soft maples and hard maples.
Locust comes in Black & Honey varieties. Either should be good for the year after next if it's already stacked.

 

[midwestcoast]

Quick, edit that post before every scrounger on the eastern seaboard crashes your party!
Kidding, but that is Very generous of you to share that score.

 

[bogydave]

Ash
Splits easy, can see the cracks in the big picture, it's trying to split itself

The ash not the oak.Though it should split easy now too.

 

[red oak]

The oaks should split easy also. A couple of whacks in the center with a good maul should split em right in half. Ash has less moisture which is why it's lighter, also not quite as dense. Oak takes several years to dry properly, so it would be a good idea to separate it from the ash as others have said. Get all the locust you can! It gives off great heat and seasons in less time than oak. And welcome!

 

[HDRock]

Wife thinks I have flipped

That is a common occurrence

 

[rick clifford]

Just curious as most of the rounds remaining are 30+ inches across. For 1 summer I worked for a mason and when breaking up concrete sidewalks we had to raise them and place a broken piece of stone or whatever in order for them to crack. Would this be a benefit to place a limb under the round and target the area directly above. I think not but the experience of the people on this sight would be easier to hear than me wasting (possibly) trying it on my own. If we didn't lift the concrete we would still be there. And that was 30 years ago.

 

[midwestcoast]

I find big rounds split just fine on the ground. They have so much mass (inertia) that they split rather than moving. Also they have a wide footprint so don't sink into the ground when hit.
It's not worth raising those heavy rounds onto a splitting block or anything else IMO. Anything under about 18" diameter I put on a block for safety as much as efficiency.

 

[WeldrDave]

Hey Dave. Its Metuchen C.C. in Middlesex County. I am in Tinton Falls a few mile from Sea Bright but I take care of my Mom a mile from the course. I am telling alot of people about it and nobody goes. It does require work to load/split and people are soft or working. A guy told me they were going to start splitting the ash to ease people taking it but so far no go. If your looking for free wood check craigslist So. Jersey under free stuff. I have gotten alot there too. Some real nice red oak in rounds

Thanks much Rick, a bit of a haul for me. I look at craigslist quite a bit, but "dam" people are fast scooping the wood up! I get lucky once in a while, I got a friend who has some property and lets me take stuff when it goes down.
I do wish I could get up there, thats some SWEET pickings

 

[ScotO]

I concur with the others.....ash and oak. And as the Ol' Captain pointed out, keep the oak separate from the ash. Oak takes three (yes you read that right) years to be REALLY ready for the stove after being split and stacked, the ash will most likely be ready in a year. OR, you could do like lot of us do in here......get three years ahead on your woodstack and not worry about seperating it so much....

BTW, welcome to your newest addictions......cutting firewood in every spare moment AND Hearth.com!!