Another wood ID Question

[N/A N/A]

To light to be red oak. To red to be white oak....so I will say pin oak???????? But I have to agree its an oak.

 

[Duetech]

Well what do you know. I've seen wood that looked like that. From a dead silvery tree you say?. I had to stop and look at it when I was splitting it because it was a different color than what I remembered trees of that species looked like. Only the stuff I was working with died from elm disease. The big rounds of this stuff don't usually exhibit the brownish color but sometimes they do. Usually the stuff around 14" and less will. And there is an odor. Look at the grain. Red oak appears bigger grained than elm. Dry oak will usually split better than dry elm in my experience. Oak will pop or flake fairly well but elm just stays hard to split. Since you had to take it to a friends to split because it was so hard and even though it didn't seem string it was probably elm. Save a piece of it and when you get something you know is red or white oak of the same size weigh them. The oak will be heavier. You will also probably find the stuff you have now will "lighten" in color over time. either way it is good burning wood and well worth "getting the rest of it...Cave2k

 

[HittinSteel]

The wife and I went back for another truck load of this wood. Brought home some rounds that were 20-24". I was able to split these with my 8 lb. maul (would take about 2 or 3 strikes on the same line, then it would crack nicely- very little stringyness). These rounds came from the base of the tree and in some spots bright red in the center and had that somewhat foul odor.

 

[Duetech]

The wife and I went back for another truck load of this wood. Brought home some rounds that were 20-24". I was able to split these with my 8 lb. maul (would take about 2 or 3 strikes on the same line, then it would crack nicely- very little stringyness). These rounds came from the base of the tree and in some spots bright red in the center and had that somewhat foul odor.

That sounds about right. Red oak would stay red most of the way right to the outer ring where weathering/sun/rot would discolor it. White oak should only have a stronger reddish coloration near the heart and the rest of it should be fairly uniform in color. That being said not all trees are the same. If you have a moisture meter you could check the moisture of the fresh splits from the big round and you would probably find higher moisture than you would with the lighter colored stuff. The oak has a predominantly consistent smell where diseased Dutch elm has a stronger unfriendly odor than non diseased elm. Watch the browner colored stuff for the moisture as that has always been a creosote maker with cooler/restricted draft fires in my furnace. I.e. moisture...Cave2k

 

[jeffman3]

Hopefully this works, I have spent the last hour trying to figure out how to post pictures (yes I have read the sticky and the other threads on how to post pics, I am just slow!)

I cut this stuff up the other weekend and the farmer said it was elm. I had a hard time splitting it, but it does not look stringy like elm. Had to take some to another farmer's place to use his splitter and he gave it a good sniff and said it was oak. Sorry there is no bark as it was standing dead and shiny silver.

Thanks for your help.

That looks like the elm we cut and split. I cut downed and/or dead (4 year) elm, and take it straight to the stove, (after a brief rest in the wood racks.) The color is slightly red, and the split grain pattern is the same as what we run into, allot. Dry elm won't be stringy like green elm, it splits pretty clean when it splits. Spitting this stuff by hand is a trip the chiropractor waiting to happen. Straight grain pieces are fine, but get any twist or knots and forget it! Time for a splitter! btw...dry elm burns great!