DruBokkens Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Have you guys experienced a strong sour smell on hickory, basically identical to manure? I have several slabs of Shagbark, Bitternut and Pignut, and only the Pignut displays this thrilling quality. I should note it's in the heartwood only, so I wonder is it normal, or does it signify undesired transformations within the wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dknapp34 Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 I've cut a fair amount of hickory, although it was all from a single tree, and it didn't smell bad to me. I also regularly burn it in my fireplace (the best use for hickory, other than BBQ), and it smells just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prov163 Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 You may have gotten the lignum fecal vitae I know that chestnut trees when they bloom sometimes smell like an open sewer, but never had that particular scent from hickory. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Steve Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 I don't think wood should smell like manure unless it's rotting. It must also still be quite wet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DruBokkens Posted February 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 I've read somewhere that someone had a similar experience, but no details were provided or conclusions made. I got the wood from a family-owned mill and all of it seemed dry. One thing I can see is that the heartwood has dark outlines where layers are cut through, as if there's a dark grey layer between the rings but I don't know that much about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 You sure it's not red oak? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Heat it and see if Black Ants crawl out. reply test. issue seems to have resolved itself after asking about it. Nope. It merged it to my last reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 15 minutes ago, Lester Burnham said: Red oak is cat pee, not moo doo. True, officially. But red oak just smells all kinds of nasty, which is why I asked. I don't have too much experience with hickory but I've never noticed a foul odor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 As a city boy, when ever I do get a chance to visit a place that has cows, I think the smell of cow manure is refreshing and country fresh. When I buy the bagged stuff for my garden, I will tear open a bag and if doesn't smell like manure, I don't buy it. And no, it's not a poop fetish! I also like working with hickory and pecan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 No poo smelling wood, but I have some crappy home center ply that smells like cinnamon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmotjr Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 5 hours ago, K Cooper said: As a city boy, when ever I do get a chance to visit a place that has cows, I think the smell of cow manure is refreshing and country fresh. When I buy the bagged stuff for my garden, I will tear open a bag and if doesn't smell like manure, I don't buy it. And no, it's not a poop fetish! I also like working with hickory and pecan. Next time you want "country smell", go drive by a chicken farm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freedhardwoods Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 2 hours ago, Marmotjr said: Next time you want "country smell", go drive by a chicken farm. I've been around all of them all of my life. Hogs are the worst. 9 hours ago, Eric. said: You sure it's not red oak? 9 hours ago, Lester Burnham said: Red oak is cat pee, not moo doo. I worked in a sawmill for 5 years. I don't remember hickory smelling bad, but we cut plenty of pi** oak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 Walnut always smells like a stable to me. Try milling a lamitated block of walnut and red oak sometime. Unique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drzaius Posted February 23, 2017 Report Share Posted February 23, 2017 7 hours ago, freedhardwoods said: I've been around all of them all of my life. Hogs are the worst. You got that right! I had my jacket hanging on a hook in a hog barn for an hour & it stunk so bad the rest of the day that I couldn't wear it till I washed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DruBokkens Posted February 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 I'm pretty sure it's hickory, and I'm mostly sure it's pignut. Now that you mentioned possibility of rotten wood, do you guys think you could tell if these pictures suggest that problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Doesn't look rotten to me. I like's it. But being hickory, if you can put your fingernail into it, it might be past it's prime. I hope not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DruBokkens Posted February 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Has the same hardness as the rest of it. I wonder what could it be, then, from the tree growth point of view. Looks interesting, thanks to the fact that the board has a very rapidly increasing runout towards the end seen as getting darker, on the pictures. Maybe it was closer to the basis of the trunk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tech413 Posted February 26, 2017 Report Share Posted February 26, 2017 I have been working with a very large amount of hickory lately (have over 30 doors to build plus stairs) and I can say that some of it does have an off smell, maybe even manure like as you say. I don't think it's anything to worry about. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.