# Reddish wood identification



## Danno77 (Nov 11, 2011)

That's an 8ft log that I slid (by hand) into the bed of the truck. It wasn't too heavy, maybe that will help with ID.











The color is really quite something. Reminds me of red cedar. Does not smell like anything noticeable.

Mulberry? 
Grain is oakish, but none of the red oak out there is this red, mine is usually more pale orange.
I'm thinking about cutting it square for some future project, but wanna determine whether or not it's worth it.


----------



## benjamin (Nov 11, 2011)

Looks a little like old walnut to me, the color, grain and the way it splits.  The weight is right if it's that old it will have dried.  

What's with those "buds" on the side of the log?  and that sapwood looks kinda thin for walnut so maybe not?


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 11, 2011)

benjamin said:
			
		

> Looks a little like old walnut to me, the color, grain and the way it splits.  The weight is right if it's that old it will have dried.
> 
> What's with those "buds" on the side of the log?  and that sapwood looks kinda thin for walnut so maybe not?


Definitely not walnut. Walnut is my specialty!

Weight is similar to seasoned walnut, though, if that helps make a comparison...


----------



## smokinj (Nov 11, 2011)

I am thinking red elm.


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 11, 2011)

smokinjay said:
			
		

> I am thinking red elm.


Firewood or rustic mantel (if it is red elm)?


----------



## smokinj (Nov 11, 2011)

Danno77 said:
			
		

> smokinjay said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



How wide is it?


----------



## benjamin (Nov 11, 2011)

Danno77 said:
			
		

> Walnut is my specialty!



I'd a thunk...   but walnut can sit around for decades and lose all of the sapwood, change color and even change "texture" a bit.  

What kind of log was that a part of?  How long was it sitting like that?  definitely a rot resistant wood, look at how the small hollow spot is "clean" with no punky edges around it.


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 11, 2011)

benjamin said:
			
		

> Danno77 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It was standing. Bout 20ft tall, half is firewood now.
I think I can get a 5 ft 4x4 out of it, maybe a ?x5 or ?x6...


----------



## JustWood (Nov 11, 2011)

Id guess either cherry or sassafrass.


----------



## smokinj (Nov 11, 2011)

Danno77 said:
			
		

> benjamin said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thats pretty small, and what lee see's I would call it firewood.


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 11, 2011)

Well, if it's not worth it, I'll buck it p and split it. I'm not gonna waste my time on junk with all this nice walnut sitting around, lol. 

PS, can you see the nice hickory I cleaned up, too? That's gonna be some nice firewood.


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 11, 2011)

Never noticed any cherry out in my timber, certainly no sassafras, either. Had to look that up. Course, this seems to be different from what I'm used to out there, which is why I asked! It's been dead a longggg time. I should take a mm reading for fun.


----------



## Thistle (Nov 11, 2011)

benjamin said:
			
		

> Danno77 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



+1 Yes. I have a piece or 2 of Walnut that was standing dead one of my late Uncle's gave me in the early '80's. Its that same exact purplish-chocolate color/texture,very tight grain,mellow working & sapwood was already gone.Part of original old-growth tree found near field next to river bottom.


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 11, 2011)

I am gunna run it through the table saw. It's hard to get a good handle on the grain, but darnit if this doesn't look like oak grain to me.

Measured 14% on the moisture meter.


----------



## lukem (Nov 11, 2011)

Cherry.  Firewood.  Not lumber at that size.


----------



## smokinj (Nov 11, 2011)

sassafrass. Would have never guess it. Have not seen any in over 30 years.


----------



## Woody Stover (Nov 11, 2011)

That looks redder than the Red Elm I've come across...


----------



## Fifelaker (Nov 11, 2011)

My vote is cherry I have some in th wood pile that looks just like that. Fire wood I already have a mantle.


----------



## Creekyphil (Nov 11, 2011)

pretty straight tree, any chance its a softwood?


----------



## WoodPorn (Nov 11, 2011)

Danno77 said:
			
		

> smokinjay said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'd cut it up into chunks and weigh them if I were you,,,,Check the MC then bake!


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 11, 2011)

Creekyphil said:
			
		

> pretty straight tree, any chance its a softwood?


Probably not given the top. There was just enough to tell, but it was all crap and I left it.


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Nov 12, 2011)

uncontrolabLEE said:
			
		

> Id guess either cherry or sassafrass.



Holy catfish Lee. Can sasafras grow that straight?


----------



## Joey (Nov 12, 2011)

Have lots of Sassafras in my area,,,,looks nothin like that.  Sassafras is a more yellowish green.  If ya smell it...you will definately know if its Sassafras or not.


----------



## JustWood (Nov 12, 2011)

Backwoods Savage said:
			
		

> uncontrolabLEE said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes!


----------



## JustWood (Nov 12, 2011)

Joey said:
			
		

> Have lots of Sassafras in my area,,,,looks nothin like that.  Sassafras is a more yellowish green.  If ya smell it...you will definately know if its Sassafras or not.


Sass is  milk chocolate colored. You're thinking of locust which has a similar bark.


----------



## chinkapin_oak (Nov 12, 2011)

I'm 100% sure it's walnut.  Aged walnut will often get a reddish tint to it.  It also loses it dark brown/black color as it ages, giving it a light brown color, often with a red tint.
You have a perfect example of a stressed, slow-growth walnut. I'm guessing it has some pretty tight growth rings?


----------



## basswidow (Nov 12, 2011)

It looks like cedar to me.  

How's it smell?


----------



## billb3 (Nov 12, 2011)

I've had some dead standing (for a real long time)red oak get an odd color and texture like that (hard as a rock, too) and the one I was pretty sure was pin oak had little nubs like that for branches but ( if I RC ) the centers of the nubs were black.


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 12, 2011)

basswidow said:
			
		

> It looks like cedar to me.
> 
> How's it smell?


It's almost devoid of any smell at all!

If walnut looks like that when aged for a realllly long time, then explain why walnut furniture that never gets that color... The grain is similar, though, so I don't really have much else to argue with that ID other than I've never seen some that color!


----------



## basswidow (Nov 12, 2011)

Looking at it again,  I would swear its cedar.  We've got a ton of field cedar like that.  Makes great fence posts.  Looks just like it.


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 12, 2011)

basswidow said:
			
		

> Looking at it again,  I would swear its cedar.  We've got a ton of field cedar like that.  Makes great fence posts.  Looks just like it.


It is the exact same color as cedar. That was my initial thought. BUT, my experience with cedar is that it smells no matter how old it is, especially on a nice fresh cut.

Also, this thing had a top on it like a decidous type tree. Mostly gone at this point, but still a few branches there.

It was standing, no punk or rot on it at all


----------



## Rob From Wisconsin (Nov 12, 2011)

I'm going to chime in here.
It looks like old red oak to me.
Does it look like it has been laying around for a bit?
Thin layer of "punk" on the outside?
Sure looks like some of the old stuff we
have laying around in our woods.
Probably 5 - 10yrs+ old.


----------



## ScotO (Nov 12, 2011)

chinkapin_oak said:
			
		

> I'm 100% sure it's walnut.  Aged walnut will often get a reddish tint to it.  It also loses it dark brown/black color as it ages, giving it a light brown color, often with a red tint.
> You have a perfect example of a stressed, slow-growth walnut. I'm guessing it has some pretty tight growth rings?


I agree...looks alot like American Walnut........esp. after he cut it with the table saw....my banisters and balusters are from the 1840's handmade out of virgin Walnut and they have the exact look, pores, and grain......not black walnut, but American Walnut......black walnut is really dark, American is more reddish....I am 100% certain of this.....I may have a leftover piece of that banister I will get a pic of the fresh cut end if I can find it.....


----------



## Thistle (Nov 12, 2011)

Black Walnut & "American" Walnut are the same species - Juglans Nigra


----------



## benjamin (Nov 12, 2011)

Danno77 said:
			
		

> It was standing, no punk or rot on it at all



Sounds like walnut heartwood to me, all of the sapwood rotted off which is why the top was mostly gone.  It could have stood dead for 50 years easily.  The color looks just right to me, but I've got a lousy pic here.

Take a hand plane to it and see if it cuts even smoother than fresh walnut.


----------



## krex1010 (Nov 12, 2011)

Looks kinda like Kentucky coffee to me


----------



## ScotO (Nov 12, 2011)

Walnut, like I said earlier.......


----------



## Backwoods Savage (Nov 13, 2011)

uncontrolabLEE said:
			
		

> Backwoods Savage said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



 :lol: 

Well on occasion we've found one or two that are straight but around here most are really crooked things.


----------



## firefighterjake (Nov 14, 2011)

Not very good at IDing trees solely by their inner wood . . . but it looks like a cherry that may have lost most of its bark to me . . . assuming that the other rounds were not part of the same tree.


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 14, 2011)

firefighterjake said:
			
		

> Not very good at IDing trees solely by their inner wood . . . but it looks like a cherry that may have lost most of its bark to me . . . assuming that the other rounds were not part of the same tree.


Nope, the other rounds were from hickory and walnut trees nearby.


----------



## ScotO (Nov 14, 2011)

Definately no cherry, but the more I look at the piece you cut through the saw it looks alot like mahogany...can't understand what it is growin up there for.....lol.....is it heavy wood?


----------



## Danno77 (Nov 14, 2011)

It's pretty light. I lifted that 8ft section into the truck bed on my own, FWIW.


----------



## krex1010 (Nov 16, 2011)

I only know of three trees that could possibly be, walnut, sassafras and Kentucky coffee.  Walnut and sass have a pretty distinct odor, the odor isn't as noticeable as the wood ages, but you should be able to smell it when you cut it up, sass smells like trix cereal to me, walnut smells like walnut can't think if anything comparable.


----------

