DOWORKSON Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Names Jack, i'm an aircraft hydraulics mechanic by trade, interested in cabinetry. Currently in the middle of redesigning and building some new cabinets for my garage, trying to get things organized. But sense i cant stick with one project for too long i have now started getting into building my own hand planes, mostly research and planning at this point but....i have some wood from a couple trees i cut down in my yard that were already dead so i have no idea what kind of wood it is or if its hard enough to use for what im doing, but it has a lot of nice coloration, so im working on a few pieces of that right now. If any body can help identify this stuff id appreciate it, or if there is some place else i should be asking that please let me know. Thanks and i look forward to learning from some more experienced folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Welcome to the forums! My first guess would be maple but, it's kind of hard to tell from the pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Welcome ! It is hard to tell from those photos but if it's maple and it was standing dead then the dark streaks could be spalting, which is one of the early stages of fungal rot. That could mean that it's not hard enough to be used to make plane bodies. Still might be good for a decorative raised panel. But this is all conjecture , I could be way off base ! A few well lit clear photos of a planed smooth board and a clean sharp close up photo of a highly sanded end grain will get you opinions from a lot more people . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Welcome, Jack! Do you know if this tree ever produced a fruit, or what the leaves looked like? Those clues might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Welcome to the forums Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3nry Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Welcome Jack, Nebraska isn't exactly famous for its great maple forests. So I'm going to guess cottonwood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddclippinger Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Welcome! Those are some cool looking chunks of wood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOWORKSON Posted May 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Here is a close up of the end grain, and bark. unfortunately i never saw this tree alive, so unknown if it produced fruit or what the leaves looked like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Bob Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 3 hours ago, h3nry said: Welcome Jack, Nebraska isn't exactly famous for its great maple forests. So I'm going to guess cottonwood. I grew up around cottonwood, and the bark sure looks like it to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOWORKSON Posted May 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Thanks for the replies, I guess that would answer the question of can i use this for hand planes lol, cotton wood being softer then cedar, id say not. I suppose i'll just have to make something decorative with it then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 That is definitely not maple. I'm not familiar with cottonwood trees but the name does lead to some conclusions . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Check the pictures at the bottom of the pages: http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/eastern-cottonwood/http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/black-cottonwood/http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/poplar-cottonwood-and-aspen-whats-what/http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/pecan/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Bob Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 2 hours ago, wdwerker said: That is definitely not maple. I'm not familiar with cottonwood trees but the name does lead to some conclusions . If your conclusions lead to the fact that it is a crap tree that grows like a weed, sheds it's branchs in a mild breeze, breaks in half during a storm, and will attract every bug known to man, then you are correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Seems like I had read that somewhere but my clues were "cotton" and "wood" did not seem promising. Is it native or invasive ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Bob Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 1 hour ago, wdwerker said: Seems like I had read that somewhere but my clues were "cotton" and "wood" did not seem promising. Is it native or invasive ? I grew up in the foot hills of Colorado, (plains mostly) everybody used the trees for wind breaks, which is kind of funny, because that is exactly what is does. No clue if it is native or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Eastern and swamp cottonwood are both native here. They grow like telephone poles to 80' or more with smooth bark until quite old. This means 40' or so off the ground of a mature tree the bark is all pale and smooth. Branching is quite thin. Seeds fall shrouded in cottony material and here they float like snow. The cotton clogs window screens AC condensers, radiators etc. When I mowed full time it was wise to blow the radiator clear twice a day. The wood is soft. Without research I would say like white pine. Fallen branches are common, but nothing that cannot be raked easily. Next time I go to my dad's house I'll try to get some pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOWORKSON Posted May 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 So counting the rings on the logs i have it seems the tree was about 22 years old, and is about 12" across, just guessing but it couldn't have been more than 50' tall when i cut it down, does this still seem on par for being a cotton wood tree, reading the links that were posted those get between 80-150' tall and 5' across. how old it a tree that size. I will say that it wasn't a strong tree because a few years ago the trunk split down the middle and the previous home owner put a huge bolt through the trunk to keep it together, which is why you can see the rot in the center of the logs i'm working on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 28, 2016 Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 This is an impossible question to answer. Available light will determine a variance across many species. Open field white oaks top out at near 80' here while down in virgin forest, the first branches are at 80'. The same species have dramatically different growth patterns based on how they need to reach to get sunlight. I will say those hairy stripy chunks look more like elm to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOWORKSON Posted May 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2016 Well these two were basically alone with nothing around them to fight for sunlight. i understand that getting this question answered definitively is pretty impossible, but your guys guess will be a heck of a lot closer then mine. I just really like the color in the wood, so id like to use it for something, just depends on hardness as to what i will use it for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddclippinger Posted May 29, 2016 Report Share Posted May 29, 2016 The coloring in the wood you have is really attractive. If it is cottonwood, the grain is typically very interwoven and not straight, which means it is not very stable. Boards tend to twist after milling. How much that would affect what you have may be different since you have smaller chunks. The cottonwood here in Montana tends to be a softer wood, definitely not hard like maple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddclippinger Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 We have one cottonwood in our backyard. Fortunately it is cotton-less, is not very old, and is not close to the house. I love walking through the cottonwoods down by the Yellowstone River behind our house. I think they are so majestic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOWORKSON Posted May 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 I found a couple pictures of the day i was cutting the two trees down, maybe this will help some. one tree was completely dead and one was dying, the branches that still have leaves in the picture is the wood im using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 Those branches don't look like cottonwood to me. Speaking of, it has begun... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddclippinger Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 2 minutes ago, C Shaffer said: Those branches don't look like cottonwood to me. Speaking of, it has begun... Uh-oh! I won't be able to leave the doors or windows open when I finish! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mds2 Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 I have no clue on the lumber, but hello back from Nebraska! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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