Archive through January 13, 2008

[blanasa]

Got some free firewood. Can anyone identify it from these pics for me? TIA

Seems to be some type of hard wood.(It's heavy anyway.
Brian L

 

[kide]

Looks pretty much like what we call red oak to me, based on the 3 cords or so I've split this winter... Best way to tell is look at the leaves around the base of the stump (assuming that's where you got it from).

 

[blanasa]

Thanks Kendell. Didn't see the stump, just a trailer load of free cut up wood.

 

[hsimon]

Brian- it is red oak and it splits best when it is colder than a witches ya know what in a brass brazziere. I've got a bunch to split with the old armstrong woodspliter when it gets down around 0* or so.

 

[blanasa]

I use the same kind of splitter. It has been splitting pretty easily since it is still kinda green. Good for next year.

 

[lhinds]

Brian; (I think )this is Locust wood. It makes good fence post also. It isn't good for lumber. When seasoned it is hard as a brick.

 

[kweaver]

Sorry Kendell but Luther's right.

 

[kmcconaughey]

I have to agree, that's not Red Oak or any kind of Oak. In the photo of it split the grain is way to straight and not "stringy" enough to be Oak.

 

[kide]

OK, you win.... I've split six trailer loads of oak in the past 4 weeks (from the stump, where there were oak leaves) and the grain sure looks like his pics. I split a load yesterday that popped open, not stringy, except where there were burls from branches. I also started the season splitting a honey locust, but hey - what do I know??

Heres's <u>Michigan</u> Honey Locust..........and..........Red Oak:
Grain

Bark

So you can see why I might think it's Red Oak...

 

[kmcconaughey]

Kendell, the photo that Brian posted of the split piece, the grain appears to be too fine to be Oak, Oak has a coarse grain. I'll agree that in the photos Brian posted of the bark and the end grain that it looks like Oak but the split photo removes any doubt at least for me that it's Oak. FWIW, in the last 16 years I've split 3, 10 cord semi loads of mixed hardwoods (mostly red and white Oak and Birch) not to mention several smaller trailer loads of locally cut Oak each year. But then....

 

[kweaver]

To many open "low places" in the bark fer oak. I've split alot of each too for firewood and fence (fece) post back on the farm. I've got a locust walking stick that I cut back in the fall but it was to little to compare the bark but locust has sort of a yellow hue in the wood.
I figure my locust walking stick will be good for giving copperheads a headache

 

[kide]

Kinda like trying to diagnose a bad motor remotely.. I know what I've got here - just trying to tell just from a pic is kinda a shot in the dark.

BTW Kraig, I may have kept up with ya on the splitting - we've heated <u>this</u> house about 98% with wood since 'fall of '79, actually have burned quite a bit since '75 (first house had a fireplace in the basement that we tried to use for supplemental heat - remember the tube grates with a blower??) and I figure between 3 to 4 cords per winter (real 4x4x8 cords..).

Kentuck - yes on the yellow hue on the locust - heres an end shot of each (last ones - I promise)
Honey (not Black) Locust

Red Oak (Michigan )

Here's my splitter - my first stick welding went into this (two pieces of I-beam butt welded, as I was too poor to get one piece long enough..). The first pump/motor was a 3 1/2 horse Briggs with a 65 Chevy power steering pump. That got replaced in about '80 with the 5 horse Briggs and a regular two stage splitter pump. That Briggs has started anytime I asked it to, even down to about zero.
Cylinder is a bucket tilt cylinder from a trash hauler - heavy duty! the tie rods on it are at least 1/2". The truck was being parted out in '77 when I bought the cylinder, so you can figure how old it is.. Only problem is stroke is only about 21". I may build a new one this year for the new furnace..

 

[kweaver]

DON'T anybody say anything about the black lowrider in his pic ... let's not get him started posting pics of it ...

 

[kmcconaughey]

 

[kide]

The effie's uglier than the splitter...

 

[blanasa]

Thanks to all.The wood does have a yellow hue and it doesn't have that oak 'smell'. Either way I got some good firewood tho I probably can't use it till next year.
Brian L

 

[blanasa]

KENtucky I'm glad that at least one person got the joke (fece)

 

[hcole]

I was gonna say that was Locust too but I didn't want to sound like a Dumbarse, I thought the inside of red oak was RED , at least that's what they told me when I worked at the sawmill.

 

[kide]

Henri - I don't know how RED you expect to see it, and most of these pictures aren't going to do it justice, but the OAK in the last set is RED OAK. It doesn't look like a fire engine.....

Based on vote (since we don't have it in our hands to analyze it) Brian's is Locust - probably Black Locust, since it doesn't appear to have the same yellow tinge as the Honey Locust I showed... this horsey is DOA

 

[lhinds]

Brian; I should have said black locust.It grows alot faster than honey locust.Is a nuisance here. The roots will sprout and tear up A paved driveway. The only use far as i know is firewood or fencepost.
Luther