WOOD ID

[HDRock]

I don't have that big inner ring like you do on the ends, .my dark ring is right down the middle and is an inch thick at most...

That's just some moisture that soaked in the from the rain last 2 days ,inside It's all the same color

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

That's just some moisture that soaked in the from the rain last 2 days ,inside It's all the same color

Oh ok, where is Scotty when you need him...lol

 

[HDRock]

Oh ok, where is Scotty when you need him...lol

Scotty, Scotty where are you
nrford, nrford where are you

 

[nrford]

Ram that is Norway Maple

 

[Thistle]

Is soft maple really hard to split?

It depends on the tree & its location.I've had some yardbirds in more open area that were gnarly,twisted & a real pain.And some in a more enclosed 'forest' type that were pretty easy.Size & growing conditions are a factor too.
And versa-visa

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Ram that is Norway Maple

Thank you, in arbor site, they said it was easy to split, this stuff is not at over 20 plus in.
The bark definitely looks like Norway as I search the Internet.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

It depends on the tree & its location.I've had some yardbirds in more open area that were gnarly,twisted & a real pain.And some in a more enclosed 'forest' type that were pretty easy.Size & growing conditions are a factor too.
And versa-visa

Thanks Thistle, a couple gnarly s in there but most was long 18-20 and about 20 plus wide. To me it just seems hard, with everything else I have been doing lately, it's gotta have some good btu' s into it, I would think....

 

[Paulywalnut]

now that I see the bark its Maple. Your pictures are much better.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Scotty, Scotty where are you
nrford, nrford where are you

Nford has spoken.... Norway then...

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Sorry nrford for mis spelling, iPad is loco

 

[ScotO]

HD's is sugar maple, Ram's is Norway maple.....100% positive.
Norway can definitely be a beotch to split....I've had several over the years that split easily...and several others that were a PITA, big time!
Just depends on different factors, I guess. The ones I had a pile of trouble splitting were trees that had been topped several times over the decades. Hidden knots can be a real pain to split. Even with hydraulics. But Norway maple seasons a lot like soft maple, maybe just a little longer. Hard maple seasons more like hickory or oak.....2 to 3 years to be at it's prime...

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Thank you Scotty, now that i have Norway maple, what do you all think about its btu? How does it stack up? What can I expect from it, if it burns quick, should I split it larger, if i split it now, when will it be ready? Thank you all...

 

[ScotO]

Thank you Scotty, now that i have Norway maple, what do you all think about its btu? How does it stack up? What can I expect from it, if it burns quick, should I split it larger, if i split it now, when will it be ready? Thank you all...

It's not bad....I'd put it right up there between soft maple and ash......I burn tons of Norway. It grows like weeds around here, I usually cut several of them a year for people....

Split it now on the medium size (4x4") it'll probably be ready by this winter......it's not an overnight firewood, but it definitely puts out the heat. Burns down to powder, with a clinker from time to time...

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

It's not bad....I'd put it right up there between soft maple and ash......I burn tons of Norway. It grows like weeds around here, I usually cut several of them a year for people....

Hmm that doesn't sound too good, is it good for the insert in January ?

 

[ScotO]

Hmm that doesn't sound too good, is it good for the insert in January ?

If you keep it on the smaller to medium size splits and get it put up now, you should be good for January. But with this damm wet weather we are having here in the northeast, who knows! It's gonna be a long, cool, damp summer....me thinks....

 

[Wood Duck]

I think Ram 1500 has Norway Maple.

 

[rideau]

Half my woods are sugar maple. My trees don't have that color differential between heartwood and sapwood. All of mine is light colored...big difference in density, not color. Very Interesting, and I wonder why. I'm on limestone, maybe has something to do with the soil.

 

[nrford]

Rideau, many variables there. It seems mostly to do with the age of the tree and maybe even more heavily with soil conditions. In the hardwood lumber biz, the whiter the wood the better. The Northwest quarter of the lower peninsula of Michigan is generally regarded as the best Hard Maple country, and most of our H. Maple has very small hearts as well. Many other areas also produce good H.Maple as well, with parts of Ontario and New York being considered very good.

 

[HDRock]

Finished up today, this is some GOOD WOOD

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Is soft maple really hard to split?

Absolutely not! At least most of it splits super easy and dries fast.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hmm that doesn't sound too good, is it good for the insert in January ?

Just burn that soft maple during the daytime as it won't hold the fire for the long January nights as well as the harder woods.

 

[ScotO]

Just burn that soft maple during the daytime as it won't hold the fire for the long January nights as well as the harder woods.

Or mix it with beech, locust or white oak.....perfecto!!

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Just burn that soft maple during the daytime as it won't hold the fire for the long January nights as well as the harder woods.

Upon doing some research on the Internet, it seems that Norway maple is a hard maple. The wood is heavy and was not easy to split, any thoughts?

 

[nrford]

As I said earlier it is Norway, and while not as good as Sugar Maple it is better than either Red or Silver(both considered SOFT).

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

Ok thanks