What kinda wood is this?

[FinsnFur]

As some of you know, I'm going into my first winter with a wood burner in the house. I'm sucking at identifying the wood types.
I've been buying loads of wood, and the guy lets me toss aside what I dont want.
I know pine and basswood based on how light they are and by the chainsaw marks. Been avoiding those.
The hardwoods are much denser and heavier, duh.
I picked up a load this afternoon, and spent the later part of the day adding it to the wood pile and had a lot of this one. Anyone recognize it?

[coyotehunter_1]

I picked up a load this afternoon, and spent the later part of the day adding it to the wood pile and had a lot of this one. Anyone recognize it?

A pretty nice chunk of stove wood?








Red Oak, maybe?

[Okanagan]

The bark looks like fir to me, but the wood color isn't right for Douglass fir, though it may be aged or weathered a bit, or some other variety of fir.   I didn't think any fir grew back your way but when I checked, some variety grows in WV.

If you blindfold my eyes, float the chunk of wood in a pond and let me jab it with a pike pole, I would know for sure whether it was fir!  I worked on a mill pond a couple of summers way back.  The sound and feel of a pike pole chunking into each species of wood is distinct.


Happy New Year!  My wife is sick and we are being home bodies tonight.

[FinsnFur]

Dave dont feel bad. Your not missing much. I worked on websites and watched TV. Maybe were getting old...but it's so much safer.
These pieces seemed much heavier then Douglas Fir, or a Ponderous Pine, but I'm the rookie here.
I was hoping the deep thick bark would give it away for someone.

[bigben]

Looks like white oak. Was it hard to cut but splits in fairly straight chunks with some stringy splinters here and there?

[FinsnFur]

I'm buying all my wood right now Ben, so I dont know how it cut. But yah I knew that oak got stringy, I got a lot of that. I dont recall seeing any of that on this piece or the others like it.

[centerfire_223]

I agree with Chet, looks like red oak to me.

[bigben]

It ought to burn good. Get yourself some black or yellow locust.  That is plentiful around here and is good hardwood for woodburners

[FinsnFur]

I dont where in the pile that piece ended up, but I found what I believe to be another piece off the same tree while bringing some in the house this morning and you can see the stringy grain.

[Dave]

The bark looks more like a red than a white oak to me.  I remember that the pores, or cells of red oak are open, while white oak is more 'clogged' (I think it's called tylosis or tylosues in white oaks).  Tough to see the ends close up in those pics.

[FinsnFur]

Close up you say? Close ups are are my specialty

[bigben]

That looks like red oak. Red oak typically has a deeper bark then white oak. Both burn the same. Its good stuff.

[Dave]

You gotta sand it down and put a coat of Thompsons on that.
I agree w bigben - red oak.

[Dave]

Just found a link showing the difference b/e red and white oaks.  It's a big long link, but it does show the diff.
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&tbo=d&rls=en&biw=1086&bih=817&tbm=isch&tbnid=WI_c2Z_jPhAkpM:&imgrefurl=http://lumberjocks.com/gfixler/blog/14785&docid=L-dzewlMxZqRSM&imgurl=http://www.wood-database.com/wp-content/uploads/oak-endgrain.jpg&w=603&h=407&ei=_mjjUOHLCuqD0QHOw4HQCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=543&vpy=143&dur=1024&hovh=184&hovw=273&tx=157&ty=102&sig=117475552008253451846&page=1&tbnh=161&tbnw=239&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:99

[FinsnFur]

Yeah. Thats a cool link. Thanks

[FinsnFur]

What do ya think this is?
It's not as heavy as the Oak. It's not real soft but it's not as hard as the oak either. It's kinda weird and stupid looking but it looks a lot like an Elm tree. Is this White elm?

[bigben]

It looks like a tree with its bark knocked off.

[FinsnFur]

Nope  But your close.

[Dave]

Just a guess based on nothing - Basswood?  No?  How bout ash?

[FinsnFur]

In my other post I accidentally said, " It's now real soft but it's not as hard as the oak either."
I meant to say, "It's NOT real soft but it's not as hard as oak either."

The old fella I'm buying wood from pointed out Basswood to me. One day while getting a load I showed him a few pieces and told him I'd rather not have those. He says, "Thats Basswood. We'll just throw them aside then, I can burn it in my outdoor burner."

This stuff isnt that light and douty.
Someone said White Elm begins to get douty after a year or so, and this wood is about a year old so Im wondering if this piece is White Elm