# A little something



## Nubsnstubs (Sep 27, 2019)

One of the guys in my woodturning club is a retired colonel dentist. A little short runt. He just found out that he is allergic to Mesquite. About 2 months ago he called me and told about a property in his neighborhood that the owners were clearing the land of all vegetation. Everything!!! That included about 50-60 Mesquites of various sizes. I got with another turner and we met up at this property. We were immediately told that "if ya want it, take it". I decided I wanted only 3 trees. We got our trees cut down, and I proceeded to cut it into 2 1/2" thick slabs. I gave the Colonel two book matched slabs. he was a happy camper, until he started itching a few days later.
Yesterday he called and said any and all Mesquite blanks and wood he has is mine if I want it. Well, it's hard to turn down wood that I milled, so I went over today and loaded up all that he was getting rid of.

To my surprise, a lot was Desert Willow, and there are 2 pieces of Maple he got in Pennsylvania. All are sealed, and ready to be mounted. Check it out below.





I don't know what to do with it because my lathe is still over at a friends house. I'll use some, but will give up most of it. When I unload the truck, I'll take individual pictures and post them here for sale or trade. the Desert willow looks interesting. It's the stuff that's wrapped......... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 9 | +Karma 2


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## Nature Man (Sep 28, 2019)

Incredible treasure trove! Seems a great time to pay it forward! Chuck

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Nubsnstubs (Sep 28, 2019)

Nature Man said:


> Incredible treasure trove! Seems a great time to pay it forward! Chuck


Chuck, that's what I intend to do with most.......... I'll unload the truck about Wednesday, take some pictures, sort through the blanks, and then post what might make some of you guys happy. I do have to give some to some of the club members though. ........ Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Sincere 1


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## David Hill (Sep 28, 2019)

Great “find”” !!
Taking care of friends is a reward in itself.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mr. Peet (Sep 28, 2019)

Dessert Willow, _Chilopsis linearis_, is usually a large shrub...?.. Based on the "milk" crate comparison, that is huge. 

Wonder if it is actually x _Chitalpa_, one of the Dessert willow and Catalpa hybrids...??..

Reactions: Sincere 1


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 3, 2019)

Today, I finally had a chance to look at this wood more carefully. Most of what is labeled Desert Willow is actually Apple wood. Then, there were a couple labeled Desert Willow that is wood I've never seen before. It also looks like there are a couple pieces of Mesquite that tried to get spalting going, but didn't quite make it. Tomorrow I'll get pictures of this stuff after I run it through the jointer to clean it up some. 

Mark, you always tell people who are going to send you a sample that they need to be a certain size. Would pieces larger work for you? I would think you have equipment to mill woods to make your sample size. I cut a piece today that might be DW, but it's about 1 1/4" thick, 4" wide and about 6-7" wide. I could send that to you if you want. I'll make up more of the other stuff, including bark if you like. .......... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Mr. Peet (Oct 4, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Today, I finally had a chance to look at this wood more carefully. Most of what is labeled Desert Willow is actually Apple wood. Then, there were a couple labeled Desert Willow that is wood I've never seen before. It also looks like there are a couple pieces of Mesquite that tried to get spalting going, but didn't quite make it. Tomorrow I'll get pictures of this stuff after I run it through the jointer to clean it up some.
> 
> Mark, you always tell people who are going to send you a sample that they need to be a certain size. Would pieces larger work for you? I would think you have equipment to mill woods to make your sample size. I cut a piece today that might be DW, but it's about 1 1/4" thick, 4" wide and about 6-7" wide. I could send that to you if you want. I'll make up more of the other stuff, including bark if you like. .......... Jerry (in Tucson)



Thank you for the offer Jerry. I have a few pieces of Dessert willow from a fellow member here. I was trying to be helpful as some sizes seemed wrong for the name. Yes, I have re-milling capabilities. I assume you meant 6-7" long, since wide was mentioned twice. I'm good for Dessert willow common growth, looking for a burled sample. Same for the Mesquite, now looking for burled samples. So if you know the species, keep me in mind. Thank you.


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 4, 2019)

Mr. Peet said:


> Thank you for the offer Jerry. I have a few pieces of Dessert willow from a fellow member here. I was trying to be helpful as some sizes seemed wrong for the name. Yes, I have re-milling capabilities. I assume you meant 6-7" long, since wide was mentioned twice. I'm good for Dessert willow common growth, looking for a burled sample. Same for the Mesquite, now looking for burled samples. So if you know the species, keep me in mind. Thank you.


oops. that should have been 6-7" LONG. Getting old as Mike. 

Mark, do you think it could be Desert Elm if that's the proper name? I know where there's a lot of that growing........ 

Mesquite burl?? Heck, I got some of that. It's about 60 years dead. Color is gorgeous...... Want some? Got a ton of Cottonwood burl. Want some of that? .......... Jerry


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## Mr. Peet (Oct 4, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> oops. that should have been 6-7" LONG. Getting old as Mike.
> 
> Mark, do you think it could be Desert Elm if that's the proper name? I know where there's a lot of that growing........
> 
> Mesquite burl?? Heck, I got some of that. It's about 60 years dead. Color is gorgeous...... Want some? Got a ton of Cottonwood burl. Want some of that? .......... Jerry



Dessert elm is a name often used for Chinese elm, _Ulmus parviflora_, a common landscape tree. A quality end grain picture should reveal if it is in the the elm family. Siberian elm, _Ulmus pumila_ is also an invasive common tree in AZ.

Yes, I have interest for sure in a burled sample of Mesquite. Do you know which one (species)?

Likewise, Yes for the cottonwood too. Which species? I lack having any samples of Fremont cottonwood (_Populus fremontii_) and Narrowleaf cottonwood (_P. angustifolia_). These two trees also hybridize to produce Populus x hincleyana, which I also lack.

Thanks Jerry


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## vegas urban lumber (Oct 4, 2019)

i have gotten a couple of desert willow logs, landscape removal, grows as a tree here, it has pink flowers. when i find it on wikipedia they call it desert willow commomly but
Chilopsis scientifically

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilopsis, nice looking wood, mine are drying whole haven't been slabbed yet


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 4, 2019)

Mr. Peet said:


> Dessert elm is a name often used for Chinese elm, _Ulmus parviflora_, a common landscape tree. A quality end grain picture should reveal if it is in the the elm family. Siberian elm, _Ulmus pumila_ is also an invasive common tree in AZ.
> 
> Yes, I have interest for sure in a burled sample of Mesquite. Do you know which one (species)?
> 
> ...


Mark, I am certain the Mesquite would be Velvet. It's our native, and where I got the burl is out in the desert. The tree was pulled out of the ground by the ranchers back in the late 60's- very early 70's so grass would grow for their cattle. Most of the tree trunks are still around even today on one ranch I visit.

All I can say about the Cottonwood is it grew along Milk Creek in the Bradshaw Mountains west of Prescott, Arizona. I have a thread here from a few years ago showing the actual tree I got the burls from. Just under a year year ago, I posted a thread showing the pieces of burl I got.

As far as the Elm goes, what I have was collected grew along Milk Creek, but it just happened to be where a small mining settlement was in the late 18 hundreds. It could be a transplant. The Elm I got from there had open growth rings like Ash and Oak. ................ Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 4, 2019)

vegas urban lumber said:


> i have gotten a couple of desert willow logs, landscape removal, grows as a tree here, it has pink flowers. when i find it on wikipedia they call it desert willow commomly but
> Chilopsis scientifically
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilopsis, nice looking wood, mine are drying whole haven't been slabbed yet


Thanks, Trev. the link posted has this at the end of it._ The wood was used to make bows and baskets.[7] 
_
Apparently it's a native also. On Valencia Road from my cross street to I-19 is about 6 miles. There has to be at least 300 of them planted along it in the last 6-7 years. I haven't gotten any of the wood from that species yet, so don't know what it looks like...........


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## Mr. Peet (Oct 4, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Thanks, Trev. the link posted has this at the end of it._ The wood was used to make bows and baskets.[7]
> _
> Apparently it's a native also. On Valencia Road from my cross street to I-19 is about 6 miles. There has to be at least 300 of them planted along it in the last 6-7 years. I haven't gotten any of the wood from that species yet, so don't know what it looks like...........



It looks a LoT like Catalpa...


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## vegas urban lumber (Oct 4, 2019)

here's a table i made that includes some of what we commonly call desert willow. landscape mullberry on the out side and desert willow squares in the middle this was a small shrub like tree no bigger than 6 foot tall with about a 6" trunk, the center had gone soft like areas in peckywood cedar, the last one i got was 30 ft tall and about 14" across at the stump, growing in the front yard of a house, tree was probably no more than 30 yrs old, good solid wood throughout, nice medium brown color, very little sap wood

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 2


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## Mr. Peet (Oct 4, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Mark, I am certain the Mesquite would be Velvet. It's our native, and where I got the burl is out in the desert. The tree was pulled out of the ground by the ranchers back in the late 60's- very early 70's so grass would grow for their cattle. Most of the tree trunks are still around even today on one ranch I visit.
> 
> All I can say about the Cottonwood is it grew along Milk Creek in the Bradshaw Mountains west of Prescott, Arizona. I have a thread here from a few years ago showing the actual tree I got the burls from. Just under a year year ago, I posted a thread showing the pieces of burl I got.
> 
> As far as the Elm goes, what I have was collected grew along Milk Creek, but it just happened to be where a small mining settlement was in the late 18 hundreds. It could be a transplant. The Elm I got from there had open growth rings like Ash and Oak. ................ Jerry (in Tucson)










This is what Wiki says...


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## vegas urban lumber (Oct 4, 2019)

we have fremont cottonwoods here in las vegas


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 4, 2019)

Mark, looking at those maps, up near Prescott, both species would be there. I've only seen Fremontii leaves on any of the Cottonwoods around the area. I suppose I'll have to pay more attention to them when I go back up there at Thanksgiving. Trouble is, if it's a cold fall, the trees have shed the leaves. 
I have access to several properties along the Hassyampa River that is loaded with Cottonwoods. Last time though, I found a dead Walnut tree about 1/4" mile above the river. Cottonwood was the last thing on my mind. I think I need a bigger trailer.... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Maverick (Oct 4, 2019)

@Nubsnstubs very nice haul. Let me know if you are making a road trip west.


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## Mr. Peet (Oct 6, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Mark, looking at those maps, up near Prescott, both species would be there. I've only seen Fremontii leaves on any of the Cottonwoods around the area. I suppose I'll have to pay more attention to them when I go back up there at Thanksgiving. Trouble is, if it's a cold fall, the trees have shed the leaves.
> I have access to several properties along the Hassyampa River that is loaded with Cottonwoods. Last time though, I found a dead Walnut tree about 1/4" mile above the river. Cottonwood was the last thing on my mind. I think I need a bigger trailer.... Jerry (in Tucson)



I hear you. I saw the overlap and simply thought "Screwed" for ID. same with the walnut, my mind may have been just as focused.

We'll see in time what may be...thanks.


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 8, 2019)

Maverick said:


> @Nubsnstubs very nice haul. Let me know if you are making a road trip west.


John, I can't go into California any more. I'm a fugitive seat belt felon. ............... Jerry (hiding out in Tucson)

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Maverick (Oct 11, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> John, I can't go into California any more. I'm a fugitive seat belt felon. ............... Jerry (hiding out in Tucson)



Well darn....maybe there’s a statute of limitations on something like that. Or just hide under all that wood you have in the back.


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 12, 2019)

Whenever I went into California, I was actually afraid to bring in any wood because of those agricultural inspection stations at the state line entry points. 
I used to live there, in Orange and Irvine from 61-73. I moved to Tucson because California was too crowded......... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Mr. Peet (Oct 12, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Today, I finally had a chance to look at this wood more carefully. Most of what is labeled Desert Willow is actually Apple wood. Then, there were a couple labeled Desert Willow that is wood I've never seen before. It also looks like there are a couple pieces of Mesquite that tried to get spalting going, but didn't quite make it. Tomorrow I'll get pictures of this stuff after I run it through the jointer to clean it up some.
> 
> Mark, you always tell people who are going to send you a sample that they need to be a certain size. Would pieces larger work for you? I would think you have equipment to mill woods to make your sample size. I cut a piece today that might be DW, but it's about 1 1/4" thick, 4" wide and about 6-7" wide. I could send that to you if you want. I'll make up more of the other stuff, including bark if you like. .......... Jerry (in Tucson)



@phinds 
Well this morning I was greeted with a USPS flat rate box at the door when I got home. Surprised it was here in 2 days. Have not got the new camera from Paul figured out yet, so post the pictures you have of what you sent for others to see. 

The unknown, first glance I thought elm, and seeing the bark, Siberian. Made a cleaner cut with the chop saw and a razor blade slice to see it does not match elm, no ulmiflorum. It is loaded with tyloses (maybe prismatic crystals), but does not fluoresce with black light, so not a locust. Has a sweet smell, about 58 lbs/cu.ft...to be continued in the wood ID forum in a few weeks.


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## phinds (Oct 12, 2019)

For those not familiar w/ it, the "ulmiflorum" (aka ulmiform pore groups, meaning elm-like pore groups) that Mark mentioned are the wavy bands that are highly characteristic of elm but that also occur in somewhat attenuated form a few other woods such as hackberry.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## Maverick (Oct 12, 2019)

@phinds Are all three of the pics elm? Or are they each a different species?

Thanks


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## rocky1 (Oct 12, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Whenever I went into California, I was actually afraid to bring in any wood because of those agricultural inspection stations at the state line entry points.
> I used to live there, in Orange and Irvine from 61-73. I moved to Tucson because California was too crowded......... Jerry (in Tucson)



The Ag stations out there are frequently occupied by retards. Your concerns are very much warranted!! 

Trip I went out with the nephew, they insisted on a street address where we were unloading the truck, so they could inspect "the bees". He told them... 

1.) It's empty equipment, it doesn't need to be inspected. And, 
2.) It's going to a cow pasture out in the middle of nowhere, there is NO street address. 

They insisted! He finally came out to the truck, got the address for the motel, and gave them that. Couple days later bee inspector called up and asked where the load of bees was that were supposed to be at the Motel 6. Nephew told him it was empty equipment. He said, "Oh I don't need to inspect that." He said, "That's what I told them, but they insisted!" Told him if he went to the next exit on the interstate, headed west 2 1/2 miles past the convenience store, there was a grass trail north next to the fenceline, go a mile in, it broke out into a big flat hay meadow, and the empty equipment was there if he wanted to look at it. 

While he was inside dealing with the yo-yo at the desk and his request for address, I had 2 women out there doing a walk around inspection on the load. Had to loosen all of the straps, so they could raise the net, and look under all of the pallets with their flashlights, in broad daylight. Had 2 - 3000 lb. bags of sugar on the truck and one had leaked a little sugar on the truck bed, and Oh My God!! Told them, "It's Sugar for God's sake. Table grade!!" Raised the net and showed where it was clearly written on the bags. It looked and tasted just like SUGAR. While one collected a sample to be analyzed, the other proceeded to tell me that I should put the net on OVER the straps, so I didn't have to untie the entire load so they could inspect the truck. To this day I am not sure how she thought we were supposed to keep the net on the truck for 1300 miles of Interstate speeds, but at the time I just agreed and tied it all back down. 


Trip before the nephew said a fly fell off the truck and the guy had a meltdown. He said, "You'd have thought someone threw a murder weapon down or something. Threw his arms straight out, backing away, shoved me out of the way, then he was digging for sample bottle and tweezers." Said he told that one... "It's a fly dude. And, it's your damn fly, because this truck has been parked outside in ND for the last two weeks, in -20 weather." Locked him down, wouldn't let him leave until they got an entomologist on the line, and sent him pictures of the common house fly, that had fallen off the truck! 


When you go in with a load of bees from anywhere in the south, they will open cat food or cut chunks of Spam and place them in 4 - 6 locations beneath the net on the trailer, and make you wait 15 minutes. If they find a single ant, of any nature on the cat food/Spam, they turn the truck around. Claim they don't want to import fire ants... they already have fire ants in California. But, you have to go back to Nevada where they run load cleaning services, and pay someone $1500 - $2000 to unload your bees, pressure wash everything (_truck, trailer, all the bee equipment on the truck, nets_), reload it, and send them back with a certificate that says the truck has been cleaned, and they will frequently sample your load again when you get to the border!!

It is absolutely insane!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 12, 2019)

Mark, good for the quick delivery. Now you can be bewildered as to what the Mystery wood is. 

This morning at my woodturning meeting, the guy that gave me the wood adamantly stated the mystery wood is Desert Willow that is growing in his yard. I remember him mentioning that when I was to to get what he gave. It's a huge tree. 

The first piece is Mesquite stump Burl. This is the top half of the tap root. It's well over 6" square and about 1 1/4" thick. The piece was so rotted I was surprised at how well preserved the interior was. It would have been a fine specimen about 60-70 years ago. I'm pretty sure if mark was to sand this in a circle, there would be eyes all around it. I have the other half of this with the tap root sticking out of it. . 





 

The next two pics are another burl, gotten off the same property. 99% certain this and the piece above are Velvet Mesquite. probably pulled out ot the ground back in the 40's when the house was built. It's at least 4"+ diameter and long enough for a sample. 


 

 
Cottonwood from Milk Creek in the Walnut Grove area west of Prescott, Arizona. It's not as yellow or whatever color (I'm CB) it's showing, but is a burl. I have about a hundred of these burls, and can get a couple hundred if I wanted.. 





Below is a very small Olive piece with some burl. 



This last piece is Salt Cedar or Tamarisk, collected from the Salton Sea, in California, before I became that Seat Belt Felon.. I had to cut the piece in half in order to fit into the box. 




............... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 12, 2019)

Rocky, what do you think those guys would do if I had some Cholla and a scorpion crawled out of it?? Heart attack or loaded shorts???  Maybe they would sample their shorts to see if it was fresh or days old... I'm quitting this before I get booted. Bye. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)


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## phinds (Oct 12, 2019)

Maverick said:


> @phinds Are all three of the pics elm? Or are they each a different species?
> 
> Thanks


I don't recall, but likely different. There are TONS of samples of elm of a several types on my site with end grain pics included.

EDIT: Oh, I misread your question. They are all elm, just not necessarily all the same species.


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## Maverick (Oct 12, 2019)

phinds said:


> EDIT: Oh, I misread your question. They are all elm, just not necessarily all the same species.



Thanks Paul,


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## rocky1 (Oct 12, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Rocky, what do you think those guys would do if I had some Cholla and a scorpion crawled out of it?? Heart attack or loaded shorts???  Maybe they would sample their shorts to see if it was fresh or days old... I'm quitting this before I get booted. Bye. ............. Jerry (in Tucson)




Go in at Needles, supposed to be semi normal and more laid back there. You'll be good gettin in, once you get there, it's hard saying what they're liable to say about the cholla. Them Liberals out there are some strange ducks!! 

Mile after mile of hillside that looks like this... 



 



 



 

And, 5 miles down the road they make them disguise the cell phone tower!


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 12, 2019)

Rocky, aren't those windmills near Palm Springs on 1-10? ......... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## vegas urban lumber (Oct 12, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Rocky, aren't those windmills near Palm Springs on 1-10? ......... Jerry (in Tucson)


i thought that looked like the area over by tehachapi west of barstow, close to boron CA

Reactions: Like 1


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## rocky1 (Oct 13, 2019)

On 68 about half way between Bakersfield and Barstow Jerry. Out there on the edge of the Mojave. 

The cell tower was more back toward Bakersfield before we got into the desert. 

Somewhere out there just before you get to the "River"


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## Nubsnstubs (Oct 13, 2019)

rocky1 said:


> On 68 about half way between Bakersfield and Barstow Jerry. Out there on the edge of the Mojave.
> 
> The cell tower was more back toward Bakersfield before we got into the desert.
> 
> ...


Ok, I'll buy that. The trees near the cell tower don't look anything like the one or two trees in the wind farms near PS. The highway is 58, not 68. I did that drive once about 12 years ago. Pretty up there, but it still has Californians driving it and living there. hehehe

The middle picture looks just like the hills east of Cabazon on I-10 where the Brontosaurs is. They've been working on that puppy since at least '61. . ..... Jerry (in Tucson)


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## Mr. Peet (Oct 13, 2019)

Nubsnstubs said:


> Mark, good for the quick delivery. Now you can be bewildered as to what the Mystery wood is.
> 
> This morning at my woodturning meeting, the guy that gave me the wood adamantly stated the mystery wood is Desert Willow that is growing in his yard. I remember him mentioning that when I was to to get what he gave. It's a huge tree.
> 
> ...



Somehow I missed your post but saw Rocky's....
@
The mystery wood, can you give some dimensions or definition on your "huge"?

Dessert willow - _Chilopsis linearis_, the piece I got from Texas (Roger) works out to 43 lbs. per cu.ft., the piece from Arizona (A. B. C.) has a soft, spongy pith, ring porous to semi ring porous, peppery smell, with multiple false rings and works out to 42 lbs. per cu.ft. Natural machined face has low sheen on both. Matches insidewood website, matches the Wood Book for ray size, color, end grain and nearly all descriptors (no mention of tyloses).

The questionable is 58 lbs. per cu. ft., has a high sheen to the machined face, has similar color to the 2 above samples, but a sweet smell, same size rays, heavy tyloses. The face still looks elm / hackberry like with...zig zaggy lines between growth rings. The knots look like elm, hard pith, but the end grain is off. Need to clean up a bigger end grain area to assure it was not an anomaly area.

So, if I read correctly, the mystery wood was harvested from a tree that is still growing in your friends yard. If so, we can get pictures of the leaves, twigs, buds, bark (both juvenile and mature), flowers and fruit...?... and so on...


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## rocky1 (Oct 14, 2019)

Yes sir that would be correct, typo there, was supposed to read Hwy 58.


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