Is this maple?

[Ron Vasser]

Hard for me to know without the leaves. If it's maple or some good wood for turning I'm going after another load while I wait on a lathe. Some of it seems to have a curly grain.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I'm sure it's good for turning, but identifying wood that is coated with Anchorseal is difficult. Looking at a picture of wood coated with Anchorseal is nearly impossible. The most accurate way to identify wood is to study the end grain with a magnifying glass and Bruce Hoadley's book, "Identifying Wood". If maple trees grow in your area you might compare bark, but that is not an absolutely positive ID since many trees have similar bark.

 

[Owen Lowe]

Hard for me to know without the leaves. If it's maple or some good wood for turning I'm going after another load while I wait on a lathe. Some of it seems to have a curly grain.

The sap and heart woods remind me of silver maple — especially the blond chatoyance of the sapwood. Silver usually has a furrowed shaggyish kind of bark and it’s hard to tell from the pics the bark details. Young bark is pretty smooth and mildly textured.

 

[Dean Center]

Certainly consistent with maple.

 

[Ron Vasser]

The most accurate way to identify wood is to study the end grain with a magnifying glass and Bruce Hoadley's book, "Identifying Wood".

Thanks, Bill, I may order that book.

The sap and heart woods remind me of silver maple — especially the blond chatoyance of the sapwood. Silver usually has a furrowed shaggyish kind of bark and it’s hard to tell from the pics the bark details.

The pictures don't show it but the rest of the log is kind of rough, almost shag. Your photo looks a lot like shagbark hickory that we have in Georgia.

Certainly consistent with maple.

That's what I was thinking. I've cut quite a bit of maple but that was when they had leaves.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Many state universities have publications that identify tree species that grow in each state and map out the areas they are most known to grow in. Just google your state and tree types and you will usually see the link on the first page that is sponsored by the state agency or university.

 

[robo hippy]

My first thought when I saw it was silver maple. Fairly typical....

robo hippy

 

[Mark Jundanian]

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/index.htm

This site is also a useful resource for wood ID.