View Full Version : What wood?
Hi there folks. I recently picked up this nice chunk of wood:
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/end.jpg
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/side.jpg
But I haven't the foggiest what sort it is... It's very very hard, so I put it in a bucket of water to soften a bit for working. Now I'm wondering whether that was sensible. :confused:
What do you guys think? Any idea what kind of wood it is? :)
Its difficult to tell the wood type - I'd guess maybe beech from the colour, seems too dark to be anything like Elm/Aspen, and lacking too much grain to be anything like oak.
Perhaps a fruit tree of some kind maybe?? :confused:
As far as soaking it goes, that will not necessarily soften the wood up much, especially if it is already aged. All the water will do is soak into the outer layers, and may not travel up the grain and soak the centre as you'd expect.
Also be careful when you dry it out, re-drying wet wood can often introduce new splits and breaks - do it very slowly with no rapid changes temperature.
It's hard to tell when it's wet.
Seems like it's quite old, or did you strip the bark off?
Where did you find it - that may help
If you can show me a cut through section I may be able to help.
It looks vaguely like a London Plane - or lace wood though I'd need to see a cut through section
Cheers
Venger
match:
Arg! I've taken it out of the water now - I don't want to risk splitting it for no real benefit. I doubt it's a fruit tree, but I can't really rule anything out. Maybe the bark below will help... :-)
venger:
Yeah, I stripped the bark:
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/bark.jpg
I found it in a small local wood with a mix of trees, none of which I can name (d'oh).
Thanks all! :D
Hmmm might not be London Plane.
I don't suppose you brought out any leaves did you :D
Venger
No, sadly no leaves ;) :P
I've hacked away at it a bit in the hope of exposing more grain:
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/one.jpg
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/two.jpg
And here's a marginally better view of the end:
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/three.jpg
The tree it came from was felled long ago, but it seemed to be totally straight, and quite long - about eight yards, give or take. This chunk was the fat end, but the thin end was only slightly thinner. I don't recall and obvious signs that big branches had been lopped off the sides, but I didn't look. It was definately totally straight though.
I really should start studying different types of wood - I'm hopeless at it, and every time I make something I find more and more reasons why it's essential! :(
Ok, that's a bit better.
Is the core soft or hard?
Any smell?
Take a closer look at this and let me know (don't think it is but look anyway)
http://www.chengappa.demon.co.uk/planes/text/timber.html
Venger
Yeah, that link looks pretty similar... I'll have a dig around for some sandpaper (I can only find emery paper at the moment!).
The core is hard - possibly slightly softer than the outer wood, but still bloody hard.
This is very exciting; like 20 questions but better ;) :D
lol :D
It's hard to do by internet :)
I'm generally pretty good with living trees - or at least ones with bark on them - in situ.
(leaves help too!)
You may never find an answer! (unless you go back and find a similar tree - with leaves and take a picture lol)
Venger
This may sound stupid, but I think that's Laburnum.
Here's my reasoning.
The white sap wood is noticeable - it's just discoloured.
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/two.jpg
The bark looks like Laburnum bark
The log stripped of bark looks like Laburnum logs stripped of bark that my Dad has in his back garden.
Well, whatever it is I've just given up carving it! It's so hard! :'(
;) :D
In fact, if you look back to the first 2 pictures, you can see that the sap wood is a pale colour
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/end.jpg
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/side.jpg
I hadn't noticed it initially.
Well don't make a spoon out of it for now! :eek:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=26
Well, whatever it is I've just given up carving it! It's so hard! :'(
;) :D
Don't stop, it's a gorgeous wood.
http://www.turningtools.co.uk/galleries/nevases/laburnum_lg.jpg
If you want to see it for yourself, sand a section to a high poish but dry it first. (Maybe put it in a plastic bag with some wood shavings for a while)
Just don't use it for a spoon or food bowl as it is a poisonous wood (the best ones always are!)
Doesn't laburnam have a dark core -( false ebony!)
Like I said it's hard to tell - there's so many types of tree!
Yes, thanks goose :)
Doesn't laburnam have a dark core -( false ebony!)
I've never heard it called that before and have never seen a piece that dark that I would confuse it with Ebony.
The picture of the bowl above is on the lighter end I've seen but then you do get darker too.
Both of these are Laburnum.
http://www.nfwg.co.uk/images413/12Laburnum4Alan%20Southworth%2 0BwDfeb2005.jpg
http://www.bobsticks.co.uk/images/laburnum002g.jpg
breif update: I've found a way to work this wood without killing myself (by strapping the wood to my thigh with a belt :eek:), so my secret plan is underway again! I'll post pics later - I've taken a bit of the outer wood off, so you can see the grain much better. It's very pretty! :D
Well I checked out some Laburum logs this weekend (3 - 4 dia) it's definatly not laburnum.
Laburnum (on all the logs I saw) has a dark centre, compared to the light wood, (not black but very dark)
If I had a camera I'd have taken photos
Venger
Good to know it's not poisonous! :-D
It has a wonderful grain - hard to describe really, and I can't seem to get it to show up in photos. I'll have another go once it's oiled. :)
Povarian
04-07-2005, 16:02
Looks somewhat like yew to me. :) I've got some in my garden that looks quite similar. Admittedly, mine is 7ft long, but the bark has peeled on some of it in just the same way. (Goes flakey and then falls off). Hard to tell exactly due to possible discolouration, and that yew frequently has a darker heart wood. Yew would also match the toughness, being a hard "softwood".
C_Claycomb
04-07-2005, 17:17
Well, it isn't yew, and it isn't laburnum. Bark is wrong for both, as is colour of wood and lack of heart wood.
Just to throw everyone, it is possible, from the little info available, that it could be some kind of gum tree? The rings seem quite wide, and the great length with few branches sound right for something that grows fast, even if the bark looks a bit wrong.
If I had to put money on something native though, I would go with hornbeam, grown in a dark wood. The bark looks about right, hornbeam is sometimes called "ironwood", in the right places it can grow tall, spindily and straight. I always thought it was a little whiter, but can't say that I have seen any seasonned stuff that big up close.
Nice puzzle!
As for carving. Don't give up, just change tactics! If it is too hard to whittle, use saws, chisels and rasps! I have made a couple spoons from box wood, very hard, using rasps and files. Its nice to whittle something with only a knife, but that is a bit big to be doing a "bushcraft" spoon, I don't think there is any shame in using carpentry tools to make something beautiful from it. Good luck :D
I work for a joinery company and will take the photos to work tomorrow to see if the guys have any ideas.
Here's a better picture of the grain:
http://jim.fears.d0s.info/~jim/big.jpg
I would use capentry tools, if I had any! I'm a primitivist by necessity rather than choice - my toolbox contains lots of nets, a hammer, a saw, a pair of pliers and a screwdriver. Oh, and my knife :D
Here's a better picture of the grain:
http://jim.fears.d0s.info/~jim/big.jpg
I would use capentry tools, if I had any! I'm a primitivist by necessity rather than choice - my toolbox contains lots of nets, a hammer, a saw, a pair of pliers and a screwdriver. Oh, and my knife :D
By the look of your hand you should include a pair of gloves too :D
Gloves... Pfffft. ;)
Actually, I'm doing quite well at the moment - no new cuts in the past week or so. That one you can see there was the last nasty one. Here it is when fresh:
http://www-student.cs.york.ac.uk/~jw222/ouch.jpg
I'm getting better though. One day I'll look down at my hands and there'll be no cuts or scabs at all... Then I'll probably slip and cut my hand off due to the shock!
Sorry to take so long to get back to you but my puter is down at the mo (borrowing my mates Libretto).
The general consensus at work is Chestnut. The grain looks right and it would be very hard to work as it is "the poor mans oak". Hope this helps rather than adds more confusion. :D
Big John
19-09-2005, 13:46
Looks a bit like cherry, but the chunk I carved wasn't very hard - maybe it was a bit past it's best though!
Think you probably need to start with the basics. The identification of timber (hardwoods anyway) is done from an examination of a cleanly sliced section of end grain. You can then establish if the timber is diffuse or ring pourous and go on from there.
As someone else has already mentioned it's a bit difficult from photos.
manofthewoods
21-09-2005, 22:28
Its Sweet chestnut, its been on the ground for over a year, the centre has rotted out.
Its a lovely wood, woodsmans freind, great in the ground, slow to rot, and with the large grain, is beautiful to split, worth splitting with an axe into quarters make some tent pegs or spoons.. But be carefull.... :)
Its Sweet chestnut, its been on the ground for over a year, the centre has rotted out.
Its a lovely wood, woodsmans freind, great in the ground, slow to rot, and with the large grain, is beautiful to split, worth splitting with an axe into quarters make some tent pegs or spoons.. But be carefull.... :)
It also spits on the fire and stains your blade purple....