What wood?

[DWFII]

Does anyone have any idea what wood this might be? I got a log from a power company cut along a cross street in my town. The cut was at least a day old so there were already some cracks developing in all pieces. The wood seems dense and fine grained. The tree was not massive--more an ornamental--you could see that just by the pile of logs that resulted.

I live in high desert country...but I am in town. Where juniper might rule the outlying areas, there are hardwoods in the town itself.

Any help would be appreciated....


DW
In the High Desert of Central Oregon

 

[dkulze]

Looks a bit like locust to me. Got any branches or leaves? Also need to see the end grain up close.

Dietrich

 

[DWFII]

Dietrich,

I have several good pieces of black locust. It seems coarser and has more chatoyance than this wood. Do different locusts have different grain characteristics?

I can get a end grain photo but the pieces are sealed with Anchorseal and I suspect that throws the identification off. If you don't think that would be a problem, I'll get an end grain shot.

Thanks


DW
In the High Desert of Central Oregon

 

[dkulze]

I was thinking Honey Locust. The heartwood is that same pinkish/orangish color, the sapwood is the yellow/cream color, and the bark has those ridges. Also, the grain tends to be very poruous, with clear differentiation between summer and winter wood.

Did the original tree have spines and thorns?

dietrich

 

[DWFII]

Dietrich,

I went back and took a good look at it...used a cabinet scraper on some of the face grain. It might be some sort of locust...although I sure didn't notice any thorns in the pile of logs I rummaged through, and the end grain doesn';t seem particularly porous...but it does have that sort of speckled look tot he face grain that the black locust has. I still think it's a little less coarse than the black.

You're not the only one who has suggested locust so you may be correct. Heck, why don't they label trees? 🙄


DW
In the High Desert of Central Oregon

 

[arbud]

I have a chunk of catalpa that's very close to your pic. Catalpa is a good carving wood but thurning is a bit "ify."

 

[dkulze]

What makes me think that is the bark. I'm in New England and we have lots of it up here. Could be a tree endemic to your area, though.

Dietrich