Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998
Mystery wood?
Carole in VA
>When I found this log, I thought it was dogwood, but now I am not so sure! Pulled the rough-out from it's alcohol bath to take a pic. It is heavy and dense, turns like butter and no bad smell other than just "green." Anyone know for sure what it is?
Pine?
Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level
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Re: Mystery wood?
Carole in VA
>Nope. The grain does sort of look like it but it is definitley not pine, at least not any pine I have ever seen! No turp smell like with pine or other evergreens either.
Re: Pine?
Carole in VA
>You know, Thomas now that you mention it, the grain looks so darn much like pine that the more I look at it, the more I am starting to wonder if it isn't some sort of conifer ( not our longleaf or southern pine though.) The bark looks just like dogwood and it just doesn't have the smell of any evergreens I have ever cut, but that doesn't mean it isn't.
Ash?
John Trant (Baltimore/DC area)
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Re: Ash?
Carole in VA
>Don't think so, but then that's why I'm asking...I'm no wood expert! LOL It has no visible pores like ash (of course I have only seen dry ash) and the ash trees I have seen have a rougher, deeper, more linear bark texture rather than the little squares. Keep coming with the ideas, guys! I don't want to call this bowl the "Mystery Wood Bowl"
Re: Ash?
John Trant (Baltimore/DC area)
>You are right, ash is quite rough grained (open pored). Obviously, I misread you pictures.
John
Re: Mystery wood?
Darryl Hansen
>Carole doubt that it is dogwood since that which I have turned does not have the grain pattern. Ash discription in the link seems to indicate ash. Also the prononced grain leads me that way as well
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/forestry/Education/ohiotrees/treesindex.htm
Bass wood?
Scott in NH
>Cuts like butter= basswood.
No smell= basswood.
Dense= not basswood.
Was it really wet?
Bass will give you a shower!
Scott
Re: Bass wood?
Carole in VA
>Nope, it didn't give me a shower! LOL Plus it is very dense and heavy so I don't think it is basswood.
Re: Mystery wood?
Carole in VA
>Well, could be except the pores are invisible, unlike what I recall in Ash. Maybe it will look different when dry.
might be persimmon
Tom Sontag - St. Louis
>Persimmon is a member of the ebony family, so that accounts for the hard-heavy-dense part. I understand it turns like a dream. And if that end grain shot of the log is accurate, persimmon usually shows a very small amount of black heartwood. It has pronounced but not open grain, just like your nice bowl. Put me down for Diospyros spp.
Re: Bass wood?
Donna Banfield
>Boy, judging from the bark, it looks like hemlock. I've turned hemlock very green, and it is dense when wet. When it dries, ) and will do so quickly), the wood becomes very light. In fact, so light that you almost can't turn it dry, because it cracks easily and the tear out is awful.
Re: Bass wood?
Carole in VA
>Donna, did the Hemlock have any turp smell or anything to it when you turned it?
Re: might be persimmon
Gary Evans, Tallassee, TN
>I'll have to agree with Tom. I haven't seen any with grain exactly like yours, but the bark and the end grain are most definitely indicative of Persimmon.
Lucky you!
Gary
That bark sure looks like persimmon.
Clem Wixted
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nope, ain't simmon
tdaniel
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Whatever it is...
Carole in VA
>it's starting to crack like crazy. Been out of alcohol and wrapped for 4 hours. Oh well...
Re: Put my money on a pine...
Danny Wells
>From a forester's viewpoint, the wood grain is definitely a pine, and could be Virginia Pine, Scotch Pine or Austrian Pine. They all have bark looking similar to your example.
It is definitely not dogwood (does not cut like butter), not ash, not basswood and not persimmon. None of those woods have a structure like your wood.
Sorry it is cracking, but that would also be typical of a pine species.
Re: Bass wood?
Donna Banfield
>After reading the followup postings, especially about the cracking like crazy, I don't think it's hemlock. There was a somewhat pungent odor to the wood as I turned it (not unlike a pine), but as it dried, it didn't crack like crazy. It was relatively stable.
Maybe...
Glenn Madsen
>I've got some Sweet Gum (Liquidamber) with similar characteristics. They are (were) planted widely for street trees here, but the seed balls are a major source of consternation. Three of them were taken down last week on the back property line.
Not Basswood
Brad Vietje
>Carole,
I love these mysteries -- this is a fun one !
Basswood has a thicker bark, and the inner bark rarely cuts well -- rather fibrous. It's usually got scattered darker flecks, too. Plus, the Basswood I've turned has a peppery scent that I rather like.
That wood sure looks like a softwood, but then I don't collect logs down in VA too often ;-)
Safe Spinning,
Brad Vietje
Thetford, VT
Re: Mystery wood?
tdaniel
>bowl looks like pear.
I think you might be right, TD
Carole in VA
>This was driving me nuts, so I rode by the house where I got the wood. It was still at the curb. There was now a pile next to it that looked to be the cut up top and branches. No leaves, but definitely had bloom buds, so it is some sort of flowering tree.
Re: I think you might be right, TD
Keith Tompkins
>Possibly a Bradford Pear, they are a common lawn ornamental, white flowers, the wood has little to no smell. the stuff turns great....if there is more, grab it!
