# A little contest



## LemonadeJay (Apr 28, 2014)

I have unidentified wood that I have sent off to be identified at the USDA- Forest Products Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin.

I figured I would turn it into a little contest on WB.

Here is what I know about the wood/tree-
Grew 5 blocks outside Philadelphia, PA.
Tree was pretty large at 24-30" diameter and 40-50 feet tall as a street side shade tree.
Wood seems pretty heavy.

Rules- Each person can make up to three guesses. Exact guess to what I hear from lab wins. If more than one person makes the same winning guess, then the person who guessed it first wins.

If you have any questions let me know. I will get a photo of the end grain tomorrow.

Winner will get a piece of this wood and a manzanita burl. Oh and the lab says it takes 2-8 weeks and I am two weeks into this.

Jay

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mike1950 (Apr 28, 2014)

WAG- walnut


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## manbuckwal (Apr 28, 2014)

Cottonwood


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## Schroedc (Apr 28, 2014)

Acacia


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## khobson (Apr 28, 2014)

Ginko


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 29, 2014)

Elm

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Apr 29, 2014)

butternut


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## Mike1950 (Apr 29, 2014)

Wood...

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 2


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Apr 29, 2014)

Mike1950 said:


> Wood...


more specifically wood from Pennsylvania

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 1


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## Mike1950 (Apr 29, 2014)

Treecycle Hardwoods said:


> more specifically wood from Pennsylvania




Hold it now Greg- no stealin' my guess.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## JR Custom Calls (Apr 29, 2014)

My guess is a tree that's a member of the Magnoliophyta, Coniferophyta, or Cycadophyta family.


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## Kevin (Apr 29, 2014)

Does "Elm" or "Oak" stand to win? You want the exact species not just a family correct? I'm gonna guess slippery elm.


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## rob3232 (Apr 29, 2014)

Grey elm, second geuss White elm.


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## woodtickgreg (Apr 29, 2014)

Ok siberian elm.


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## LemonadeJay (Apr 29, 2014)

Exact guesses will win unless no exact guess has been made. Here are some end grain photos. The word written on the wood is not a hint it just tells me where I got the wood.


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## JR Custom Calls (Apr 29, 2014)

Ok a real guess. Pin oak. And that's just because I don't know much about wood

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Sprung (Apr 30, 2014)

Poplar


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## Sprung (Apr 30, 2014)

Or maybe sycamore?


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## Kevin (Apr 30, 2014)

Cedar Elm (just because my neighbor just gave me a cedar elm conk lol). But it does sort of look like cedar elm bark and wood, and that end grain shot you gave us is awesome. I think that might even get an attaboy from Paul @phinds


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## LemonadeJay (Apr 30, 2014)

Sprung said:


> Or maybe sycamore?


If this is sycamore, I will eat a piece of it.

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Fret440 (May 1, 2014)

Tulip poplar


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## NYWoodturner (May 1, 2014)

Gotta go with Walnut. The bark looks like its from a fairly young tree.


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## Mike1950 (May 1, 2014)

NYWoodturner said:


> Gotta go with Walnut. The bark looks like its from a fairly young tree.




 First Greg now you stealin my guess.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (May 1, 2014)

Mike1950 said:


> First Greg now you stealin my guess.


You have the best guesses mike everyone wants to be like you!

Reactions: Funny 2


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## Mike1950 (May 1, 2014)

Treecycle Hardwoods said:


> You have the best guesses mike everyone wants to be like you!




i do not know about that but I sure like havin fun!!!!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## LemonadeJay (May 1, 2014)

If this is wanut , the bark is different than all the others i have seen in the area. This doesn't mean it isn't walnut.


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## Nate Bos (May 2, 2014)

Honey Locust?


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## Kevin (May 2, 2014)

Jay, was that a fairly fresh cut piece of wood? Because walnut has a yellowish to even orange cambium layer that is not seen in that photo. Based on that and the bark, I can't see how that's black walnut unless the bark is one of those anomalies that does happen, and the wood was cut long enough ago that the cambium has faded.


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## LemonadeJay (May 2, 2014)

Kevin said:


> Jay, was that a fairly fresh cut piece of wood? Because walnut has a yellowish to even orange cambium layer that is not seen in that photo. Based on that and the bark, I can't see how that's black walnut unless the bark is one of those anomalies that does happen, and the wood was cut long enough ago that the cambium has faded.



The crotch shot (that just sounds wrong) was cut a week or so before the photo and the end grain was cut 2 months ago.

When I turned a piece of it it didn't smell like walnut to me either.


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## JR Custom Calls (May 2, 2014)

LemonadeJay said:


> The crotch shot


Good thing you weren't talking about this wood in @Kevin 's shop pencil thread


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## Kevin (May 2, 2014)

Ah yes I forgot you had posted those end grain shots. That is definitely not BW end grain. Looks just like elm - elm has that distinctive end grain and although it could be something else - I'm not aware of another species that has that sort of herringbone end grain pattern that elm does. When I had said slippery elm I had also wanted to say White Elm, but I will stick with my first guess.


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## Kevin (May 2, 2014)

Jay why don't you edit your intial post to also show the end grain shots so someone doesn't miss them. A lot of us do not read every post in a thread sometimes.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## LemonadeJay (May 2, 2014)

Kevin said:


> Jay why don't you edit your intial post to also show the end grain shots so someone doesn't miss them. A lot of us do not read every post in a thread sometimes.


great idea. thanks


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## El Guapo (May 2, 2014)

American Larch, American Elm, and African Blackwood.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Bigdrowdy1 (May 2, 2014)

I want to say Hickory or Locust family but hey I live in Texas


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## El Guapo (May 3, 2014)

Fellas, I'm pretty sure I got it with African Blackwood... this contest is as good as over!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Mike1950 (May 3, 2014)

El Guapo said:


> Fellas, I'm pretty sure I got it with African Blackwood... this contest is as good as over!



HMMMMM- must be the Texas sun?????

Reactions: Agree 1


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## sprucegum (May 4, 2014)

I think it looks like elm but since that is the popular opinion I am going with Hornbeam.


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## mrbelvetron (May 8, 2014)

Magnolia? Or Mulberry? Both are WAG!


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## bench1holio (May 8, 2014)

I think its elm, im not sure which elm so im gonna say wych elm - Ulmus glabra


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## Salt4wa (May 10, 2014)

black locust


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## LemonadeJay (May 11, 2014)

well i got the report from the forestry people in Wisconsin about this wood. i have good news and bad news. The bad news is they weren't able to give me the exact species. The good news is they were able to give me the family and we have a winner. To get the winner i went back to find the the first person to place a guess in the ulmus family. @woodtickgreg is tye winner who first guessed elm. Congrats and let me know what size piece you would like.

Thanks to all who guessed. I was hoping for exact species but i can't complain about this free service.

jay

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 11, 2014)

I won something! Too cool and fun. I will send a pm. Thank you!

Reactions: Like 4


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## El Guapo (May 11, 2014)

Way to go, Greg!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## El Guapo (May 13, 2014)

I'm glad it wasn't today. I'm not sure it could have been uglier out this morning in Houston!

Edit: This went to the wrong forum. I'm 100% sober and I don't do drugs.

Reactions: Funny 1


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## manbuckwal (May 13, 2014)

woodtickgreg said:


> I won something! Too cool and fun. I will send a pm. Thank you!


Congrats !!!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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