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Tree ID please

Joined
Dec 25, 2019
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Glen Spey, New York
Just picked these sounds up from a tree that was cut. The rest of the tree besides branches and these 3 huge rounds were left. No leaves of course this time of year, but any ideas on what kind of wood this might be.
There's some great spalting going on with it so I'm really looking forward to turning some of this no matter what it is.

BTW, I suck at tree ID, if it's obvious to you maybe not so much to me, thanks.

25" diameter rounds.
IMG-0483.jpg

IMG-0479.jpg

IMG-0480.jpg

IMG-0482.jpg
IMG-0481.jpg
 
Joined
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Peoria, Illinois
When it has a single color streak head out towards the bark like that, it probably took a lightning hit. Not a big one, but could be the reason it has core rot like that. Definitely hard maple.
 
Joined
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I see the streak your talking about, interesting, thanks for the info.

And BTW, none of this is punky, a tap here and there with a hammer and all is solid as a rock.
 

Emiliano Achaval

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Just picked these sounds up from a tree that was cut. The rest of the tree besides branches and these 3 huge rounds were left. No leaves of course this time of year, but any ideas on what kind of wood this might be.
There's some great spalting going on with it so I'm really looking forward to turning some of this no matter what it is.

BTW, I suck at tree ID, if it's obvious to you maybe not so much to me, thanks.

25" diameter rounds.
IMG-0483.jpg

IMG-0479.jpg

IMG-0480.jpg

IMG-0482.jpg
IMG-0481.jpg
What a great score, that looks great!!
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
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Nebraska
If you can collect a few leaves or seed pods from the trees you harvest they can help with identifying the tree species.
Another technique I have used is to look up the street address on google street maps where you source your tree from you can zoom in on the trees and usually narrow the tree type
by looking at the shape of the tree, leaves and color of the leaves. The bark texture and color can also help narrow the identification process. Most state universities publish a book on identifying regional tree species in your area, just google your state by name and tree identification and you will find links to resources in your state.
 
Joined
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We don't get much sugar maple out here on the West Coast. I used to think it was all white like the gym floors, but that is a 'select' grade, and there tends to be a lot of calico type variations of color. One side note here, I did get one tree, and got some nice white bowls out of it. I let one piece sit in the rain for about 2 months before turning it and it was a dull grey color, kind of like what happens to holly if you don't dry it correctly. All the sugar in it is great food for all those things that turn fresh wood into mulch.

robo hippy
 
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Trees are like people, no two alike, depending where they grow and how old they are will make for differences in how the wood looks like.

Big older Maples have often darker centers, after all it is the dumping ground of the tree for unwanted materials, also storms will break tops out of them and decay comes in, but they do keep on growing, the old center wood is dead and only the outer shell is needed for it to continue growing, I’ve seen very large old Maples that had only the outer 6 inches or so still there when they got cut down.

I don’t know, but maybe the wood for floors might be steamed and then kiln dried making it more equal in coloration, anyway here are a couple pictures, the log cut up was from our next door neighbor, it was being cut up by some tree compagnie employees, as the tree grew on his front lawn it had a short stem and a lot of limbs, and they were cutting in-between those limbs, so some were pretty short pieces.

I stopped them and I was allowed to do take care of the log wood, as they took away the limbs and thin wood moving on to the next job, I hauled it all to my house and cut it all into blanks, and anchor sealed it all, took me all day to do and placed some sheets of plywood over it to keep the sun off of it, then stacked it in my shop out of the sun and wind, and started roughing it out, took a bunch to the turners guild, where the guild sold tickets and then draw them till it was all gone.

As this was a fairly young tree, planted some 40 years earlier and grew good with the fertilizing and watering of the lawn, that wood was pretty light in color, but did start to get the darker heart already as you can see in some of the blanks, also a large Maple crotch bowl 28” in finished size, where you can see the darker pith area of the limbs and a larger fruit bowl I turned from some Sugar Maple that shows the typical coloration of larger Maple tree wood.

This is a 28” sugar Maple bowl where it was much larger, but had to turn it down till I was below the pith of the limbs, as there was some splitting in it.
28' bowl & miniatures.jpg

This was my next door neighbor’s Suga Maple that was cut down by a Tree service Co., some too short chunks as you can see, but the price was right ;-))
Sugar Maple.jpg

This bowl my youngest son has, used as a fruit bowl, it is a nice Sugar Maple shallow bowl, well liked and used.
Sugar Maple bowl.jpg
 
Last edited:
Joined
Dec 25, 2019
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Location
Glen Spey, New York
I'm going to take yours and Robo's advice in the storage and preparation of these large rounds I have.

I'll do just as you say and cut them up into blanks, I have actor seal I'll do all that and I have space for storage under roof.
It's going to have to wait for a few days, my son and I are headed out in the morning for a little backpack camping/fishing trip, our escape from Covid 19, if you will.

BTW, beautiful work Leo.
 
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