# identification help



## sprig (Oct 23, 2012)

All,
I need some help identifying some reclaimed wood I picked up from a local wood dump here in eastern South Dakota. Oddly enough, I only found one 24" long X approx 12" diameter section. The rest of the tree, including all branches and leaves, were completely gone. Anyone have any ideas as to what this wood is? Not that it matters much, just looking to put a name to the wood. Thanks.

Matt

[attachment=12506]
[attachment=12507]
[attachment=12508]


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## pinky (Oct 23, 2012)

sprig said:


> All,
> I need some help identifying some reclaimed wood I picked up from a local wood dump here in eastern South Dakota. Oddly enough, I only found one 24" long X approx 12" diameter section. The rest of the tree, including all branches and leaves, were completely gone. Anyone have any ideas as to what this wood is? Not that it matters much, just looking to put a name to the wood. Thanks.
> 
> Matt


 I would guess elm.


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## phinds (Oct 23, 2012)

Color looks like honey locust, but that' just a swag and I don't know anything about bark (well, that's not entirely true ... I DO know it's the stuff on the outside of trees).


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## DKMD (Oct 23, 2012)

Not sure, but cottonwood popped into my head when I saw the second photo.


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## Kevin (Oct 23, 2012)

I don't think Honeylocust because HL has a distinct ring of sapwood, and the bark doesn't look anything close to the HL down here at least. It doesn't look like any kind of Elm bark I am familiar with either. 

Sorry I cannot give an idea what it is, I've never seen anything like it down here.


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## sprig (Oct 23, 2012)

DKMD said:


> Not sure, but cottonwood popped into my head when I saw the second photo.



Due to the size of the growth rings, cottonwood is the only close comparison that I could think of. But, the bark is unlike any cottonwood I have ever seen. It's got me stumped.


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## woodsmith (Oct 23, 2012)

looks a bit like a conifer (pine) the color is correct for a fresh cut and the bark is similar, but then we are a world apart.


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## NYWoodturner (Oct 23, 2012)

woodsmith said:


> looks a bit like a conifer (pine) the color is correct for a fresh cut and the bark is similar, but then we are a world apart.




+1


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## phinds (Oct 23, 2012)

Can you post a pic of a cleaned-up section of the end grain AND of similarly surfaced face grain?


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## Kevin (Oct 23, 2012)

I don't think Cottonwood. Wood color is not right and bark is not right either. But I'm on board with the pine suggestion all the way. The bark at least is very piney, though I have never seen pine wood that had that kind of color.


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## sprig (Oct 23, 2012)

phinds said:


> Can you post a pic of a cleaned-up section of the end grain AND of similarly surfaced face grain?



Unfortunately no. I didn't think about taking pictures until the two bowl blanks I processed were already roughed out on the lathe. The pictures were an afterthought and I only had a few cut-offs left......and that was two weeks ago.:dash2:


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## sprig (Oct 23, 2012)

Kevin said:


> I don't think Cottonwood. Wood color is not right and bark is not right either. But I'm on board with the pine suggestion all the way. The bark at least is very piney, though I have never seen pine wood that had that kind of color.



+1 at not being cottonwood due to the bark being too different. Could definitely be some type of pine but I agree that the color isn't quite right. I would have also expected some sap to seep at the endgrain bark edge after sitting in my pile for a couple weeks.


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## Ancient Arborist (Oct 23, 2012)

It's definitely cottonwood. I've cut lots of eastern hybrid and narrowleaf cottonwood with the same colors. If it has a peculiar smell like swamp water or faint rancid smell its 
cottonwood. Also cottonwood is somewhat tricky to finish sand due to long fibers.


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## Kevin (Oct 24, 2012)

It's surely peculiar how a species can vary in it's appearance so dramatically from one region to another. AA speaks with such authority it's scary to challenge his confidence (not being cheeky I respect that) and yet I would challenge anyone to find a Cottonwood down here with bark or wood that looked similar. Yet also my close northern neighbor (bones) is the one who suggested it first, and this is what gives the suggestion the most merit when added with AA's. Jonathan you call it _Eastern Hybrid_ or _Narrow Leaf_ so maybe I haven't ever been exposed to either _non-thoroughbred_ species. 

I guess that's one thing that makes wood so fascinating. It comes in many forms and I wonder how many of us really appreciate the admonitions of our parents that not only was paper money something that once grew on trees, and at the same time never did in their minds (do you think money grows on trees, son?) but as we now know, something much more valuable than money grows on trees . . . . our drug. 



AKA "wood".


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## woodsmith (Oct 24, 2012)

[attachment=12551]

I think we have a winner.

I was thinking the log had been drug around and was a bit slicker for the ride it took across the ground, here is an image of a young eastern cottonwood and a link to many more.

https://www.google.com/search?q=narrowleaf+cottonwood+wood&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=pYL&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=09eHUNCPJdC30QGfzICoAQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1608&bih=801#hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=yYL&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=narrowleaf+cottonwood+bark&oq=narrowleaf+cottonwood+bark&gs_l=img.3...128036.129153.0.130126.4.4.0.0.0.0.128.510.0j4.4.0.cesh..0.0...1.1.93wsSJ08p_Y&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=4e96fb5c6741d750&bpcl=35466521&biw=1608&bih=801


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## DKMD (Oct 24, 2012)

I wouldn't put any credence in my WAG... I'm awful at identifying trees! I've become decent at identifying cut blocks just from handling a few of them over the years, but weight and smell are two factors that are hard to get from a photograph... These photos smell like grape jelly, but I think that's from my daughter playing with my phone.

I've turned a bit of curly cottonwood, and it's a bit of trouble relative to harder species, but I thought it was worthwhile. FWIW, Mike Mahoney uses a lot of it for his utilitarian pieces... He calls it Mormon poplar which allows for a higher price!


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## Vern Tator (Oct 24, 2012)

DKMD said:


> I wouldn't put any credence in my WAG... I'm awful at identifying trees! I've become decent at identifying cut blocks just from handling a few of them over the years, but weight and smell are two factors that are hard to get from a photograph... These photos smell like grape jelly, but I think that's from my daughter playing with my phone.
> 
> I've turned a bit of curly cottonwood, and it's a bit of trouble relative to harder species, but I thought it was worthwhile. FWIW, Mike Mahoney uses a lot of it for his utilitarian pieces... He calls it Mormon poplar which allows for a higher price!


Yup, That's Mike1 :rotflmao3::rotflmao3::rotflmao3:


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