Wood ID - black stains on splits

[CarbonNeutral]

Yellowish grain, black blotches everywhere. I was told there was locust in the pile when I picked it up, but I don't know if this is it. Split really nicely. Thanks.

 

[smokinj]

any picks of the splits? right now id say locust

 

[CarbonNeutral]

The second pic is the surface of the split

 

[gzecc]

The wood could pass for black locust but not the bark. Take some pictures from further away- 2-3'

 

[CarbonNeutral]

attached

 

[CarbonNeutral]

and a stack of (mostly) it.

 

[gzecc]

I was going to say bingo until I saw the stack. How long as that stack been stacked? It must be in the full sun!

 

[CarbonNeutral]

It has been stacked all through the spring/summer, not in sun, but good air flow. It was at least a year old when I picked it up (though not split). Do you mean that from the looks of it, it must have been in the full sun, or that locust must be in the full sun to have any hope of drying?

 

[gzecc]

It looks very dry. Black locust actually doesn't need much seasoning. Six months is probably all it needs. It starts out with only 30% MC. Second only to White Ash in green moisture content.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Phew. let's hope it's locust then. Thanks.

 

[Hurricane]

I do not think it is locust. Locust has a much thicker and furloughed bark. Here is two pictures of the locust I picked up the other day. Locust does have a yellow tint to it. The black may be from some old nails or some thing painted on the tree, like tar. the black almost looks like oil stains or mold.

 

[Jags]

Spalted red oak is my guess.

 

[andybaker]

Looks like Red Oak to me. I get stains like that all the time in Oak I pick up over at the golf course. These are very old trees, probably 100' - 110' tall. The stains go from black to blue and even purple sometimes. I usually try to season 2 years, burning the second year unless it bakes in the sun all summer and seems as though its dried out well.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Fairly certain it's not red oak (though don't know what spalted oak is) - I have plenty of normal red oak to compare it to - none of the characteristic oak grain or smell. Quite of lot of it has been bored by something. The rings I have are similar to the picture Hurricane posted.

 

[Jags]

(though don't know what spalted oak is) -

Spalted is just a fancy word for the beginning stages of decay. This is the stage that the most "colors" would develop in wood if at all. Sometimes highly sought after in the wood working world if the timing is right and the wood is still solid.

 

[Hurricane]

Maybe it is honey locust I do not know anything about them. I think the variety I have is black locust.
Was it easy to split ? Locust is very easy to split.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Maybe it is honey locust I do not know anything about them. I think the variety I have is black locust.
Was it easy to split ? Locust is very easy to split.

Knife...butter...etc.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I know it is difficult but compare the pictures.

 

[ICY99]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say White Ash.

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Looks pretty close to me

 

[boostnut]

Never seen locust like that. Locust resists decay for decades, thats why farmers use it for fence posts. Your pictures indicate a decaying wood, or spalted as mentioned above. Sorry, not locust.

 

[Chief Ryan]

I know it is difficult but compare the pictures.

Is that you Dennis?. Nice to put a face with the name!!

 

[gzecc]

Post a picture of an end of a split. so we can see the grain. A green one.

 

[PapaDave]

Yep, that's Dennis, and I think he's begun his log house building practice sessions.
Nice cross stacking Dennis. I use posts or poles sunk into the ground on the ends, but that means having to dig holes. Since you have to stack the wood anyway, your method seems pretty slick. I may do my next stack like that.

OP, bark doesn't look like oak to me. Stack looks like maple, and the black stuff is most likely mold.
Someone else's turn.

Dave

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Not maple, or at least nothing like my known maple. Will post a picture of the end grain when the sun shines again.