Wood Identification

[David S. Lynch]

I am in Western North Carolina and have run across a species of wood I have never seen around here. My woodman is also flummoxed, and he tells me he has shown it to some woodworker friends and they are also puzzled. At first, I thought it might be green ash, but the more I work it, the less sure I am. It's got a yellow tint and a strong spicy smell, especially when wet. It's very hard, meaning most woods flex a little in the instant before it splits. Not this stuff, It's got no give. When I split it, it just pops in two. There are sections of fairly straight grain, though I found many areas of tight waves in the grain. The oddest thing is that there are areas where the wood seems to separate (following the rings), and the layers are about 1/4" thick. In between the layers is a think layer of grey-purple color. I love a good challenge, but after poring over lots of wood identification sites, I can't quite pinpoint this stuff. Any help is appreciated!

 

[johneh]

It looks to me somewhat like figured maple
the stuff you have we called Zebrawood
It is the way some maples grow

 

[David S. Lynch]

Thanks for your response. This wood is much harder than maple! This stuff is harder than locust, so I don't think it's figured maple. And, it doesn't show the flaming that maple grain would have. Zebrawood only grows in Africa, som maybe that's your nickname for another species? This wood grew in Western North Carolina. At this point, I'm leaning toward Osage Orange, which does grow here.

 

[Qvist]

Maybe Honey Locust?

 

[David S. Lynch]

The wood doesn't have that ring of lighter color close to the bark. This stuff is harder than locust, and has a spicy smell that locusts don't have.

 

[gzecc]

Looks like chestnut

 

[Simonkenton]

I am in western NC and it looks like ash to me. Was the tree dead standing? Because, most ash trees are kaput these days.

However, ash is not as hard as locust. Looks like some ash that took some LSD.

 

[David S. Lynch]

If it's Ash, it's Green Ash, which was one of my first guesses. The grain looks a bit like Ash when it's straight, but the wood is not white like most Ash. The thing is, it has a strong spicy smell. It's overpowering the oak that is seasoning along with it.