# Is this pignut hickory?



## GAMMA RAY (Mar 23, 2012)

I think it is but may be wrong. I am still trying to learn wood id.
There is a lot of it and it is free. Should I be excited with this score?
Thanks in advance for your time.


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## smokinj (Mar 23, 2012)

Hard for me to tell by those pic's. Split one and if the center is darker than its pignut. Those pic reminds me of elm!


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## GAMMA RAY (Mar 23, 2012)

smokinj said:


> Hard for me to tell by those pic's. Split one and if the center is darker than its pignut. Those pic reminds me of elm!


 
Chit, I knew it would be hard to tell without a split pic. I tend to think you guys have "xray vision" because you are so good at id's. I was on my way home from work and had nothing with me to split.
If it is elm eff that...
I will try to get back and split one.


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## smokinj (Mar 23, 2012)

GAMMA RAY said:


> Chit, I knew it would be hard to tell without a split pic. I tend to think you guys have "xray vision" because you are so good at id's. I was on my way home from work and had nothing with me to split.
> If it is elm eff that...
> I will try to get back and split one.





GAMMA RAY said:


> Chit, I knew it would be hard to tell without a split pic. I tend to think you guys have "xray vision" because you are so good at id's. I was on my way home from work and had nothing with me to split.
> If it is elm eff that...
> I will try to get back and split one.


 
If its elm you may not!


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## JustWood (Mar 23, 2012)

Grain screams oak, bark kinda looks like butternut. I dunno for sure.
 I see some oak leaves so maybe it is oak.


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## ScotO (Mar 23, 2012)

GAMMA RAY said:


> I think it is but may be wrong. I am still trying to learn wood id.
> There is a lot of it and it is free. Should I be excited with this score?
> Thanks in advance for your time.
> 
> ...


 I agree with SJ, Gamma........I say that's elm, looks exactly like the elm I get off of the farm here......Not a bad wood (till you split it)


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## GAMMA RAY (Mar 23, 2012)

LEES WOOD-CO said:


> Grain screams oak, bark kinda looks like butternut. I dunno for sure.
> I see some oak leaves so maybe it is oak.


 
Maybes Lee is right, I did see some brown "pods" on the ground...
I don't recollect reading here about burning butternut....I will do the search...


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## GAMMA RAY (Mar 23, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> I agree with SJ, Gamma........I say that's elm, looks exactly like the elm I get off of the farm here......Not a bad wood (till you split it)


 
I know it is a PIA to split from what I have read here....maybes I will not split it (if I find out it is elm for sure)...and let that for Mr Gamma....


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## Flatbedford (Mar 23, 2012)

If you can't split it, you'll know it is Elm and that you should leave it there to rot.


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## BobUrban (Mar 23, 2012)

I do not think it is elm from the pics but I also am no expert.  It just does not look like any of the elm I have cut.  Regardless - it is free and it looks like some really decent hardwood.  My guess is oak but that is just a guess.  The splits will smell like oak if it is.  Also, I find elm burns HOT with very little ash so I would take all the elm I can get but I have a splitter.  If you are spliting by hand that is certainly a different story.


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## Thistle (Mar 23, 2012)

GAMMA RAY said:


> Maybes Lee is right, I did see some brown "pods" on the ground...
> I don't recollect reading here about burning butternut....I will do the search...


 

Butternut is fairly soft & light weight,similar to most white pine.Getting scarce now because of Butternut Canker,a fungus disease that's killed up to 90% of trees in most eastern states.If those are butternuts,save them,plant a few & let local DNR/Forestry division you have them.They might be from a blight-resistant tree.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butternut_tree


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## jruttle3 (Mar 23, 2012)

The bark on the long trunk section ( center right pic) looks like it could be hickory. So does the curved branch in far left pic. If hickory, it is probably either bitternut, pignut or mockernut, judging by the bark.  Mockernut is the most common and it has very little dark heartwood, even in big diameter pieces. Some call it white hickory. Your pic shows cross sections that look like pale wood, so I suspect mockernut might be your tree. It's excellent firewood — can be knotty and stringy to split; the "strings" are very strong. But other pieces will split fine. I'm whacking up a fair bit of it now, thanks to the Halloween snow.


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## thewoodlands (Mar 23, 2012)

Gamma my guess by looking at the bark would be Elm.

Policenut Hickory 
zap


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## iskiatomic (Mar 23, 2012)

My guess, have 3 raisons and see if that chit will split. Otherwise I am going skiing tomorrow. Give me a report!  DAMNIT


KC

PS, just might be the last time this season,  that groan muther nature!!

However Lake Tahoe is getting hammered...............road trip!!


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## fishingpol (Mar 23, 2012)

I don't know what it is, but more importantly is how do I get the wife to look for wood scrounges?


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## Pallet Pete (Mar 23, 2012)

I am with Zap on this one 

Pete


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## TreePointer (Mar 23, 2012)

I have no experience cutting willow, but could it be that?

Otherwise, I'd say the bark does look elm-ish.


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## nrford (Mar 24, 2012)

Red Oak, no doubts in my mind!


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## NH_Wood (Mar 24, 2012)

I think it may be oak as well. Not elm in my opinion, but you can check a cross-section of the bark for alternating light and dark layers (vanilla and chocolate) - see the attached photo - I don't see them on the last photo, but a fresh piece of bark would tell you for certain (this is the best and easiest way to check for American elm (not red/slippery). Cheers!


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## weatherguy (Mar 24, 2012)

nrford said:


> Red Oak, no doubts in my mind!


 
Thats what I thought too and I see the brown oak leaves. A split will decide fir sure.


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## smokinj (Mar 24, 2012)

weatherguy said:


> Thats what I thought too and I see the brown oak leaves. A split will decide fir sure.


 

look at pic 2...lol


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## nrford (Mar 24, 2012)

smokinj said:


> look at pic 2...lol


 
And what does that mean?? This is Red Oak and only RED OAK, I would bet my families lives on it!


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## smokinj (Mar 24, 2012)

nrford said:


> And what does that mean?? This is Red Oak and only RED OAK, I would bet my families lives on it!


 
I would not go throwing my familys lifes over a piece of wood. I see slinder leaves not oak leaves.


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## weatherguy (Mar 24, 2012)

smokinj said:


> I would not go throwing my familys lifes over a piece of wood. I see slinder leaves not oak leaves.


 
I see pine needles too, lol,  but its not pine.The split will decide if nrfords family lives or not


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## chvymn99 (Mar 24, 2012)

I'm with the Oak, the leaves, the bark, and end cut appears to point that direction. The bark just doesn't look to be Elm like.


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## GAMMA RAY (Mar 24, 2012)

The only person I spoke to about the wood was the wife until today. The wife did not know what it was. The husband was home today and I asked him what it was. He said butternut.
Hmmm...the split will tell.
It never never hurts to stop and knock on a door when you see some potential free firewood....second time I scored so far and I have another one in the works....
I am diggin this scrounging thang...


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