AWGB Woodturning Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: georg on April 17, 2017, 12:40:40 PM

Title: What Is It
Post by: georg on April 17, 2017, 12:40:40 PM

  Tom ( flames ) dropped this tree last week this bit is 6" diameter and about 40 years old ( by rings ) we are still
  in debate as to what it is. Any Ideas?
  Regards Tony

 
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: Les Symonds on April 17, 2017, 12:46:44 PM
In the picture of the finished piece, it looks remarkably like ash with a good deal of mineral staining/olive heart in the heartwood.
Les
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: Tim Pettigrew on April 17, 2017, 02:42:29 PM
I would endorse Les's identification of Ash with Olive heartwood.

Tim
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: Mark Hancock on April 17, 2017, 06:47:59 PM
It doesn't look that olive to me. Maybe Rowan/Mountain Ash
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: Bryan Milham on April 17, 2017, 10:09:45 PM
Also Ash, but the dark area is the result of damage or a fungal infection, early signs of rot.
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: seventhdevil on April 17, 2017, 10:27:45 PM
some more info might help.

was it multi stemmed or a maiden, does it have a noticeable scent, is it heavy or light for a green bit of wood, are there any form of visible rays in the endgrain and are any present on quartersawn surfaces, does it react with iron and were there any leaves for identification?


it's location could help as if it was grown on an estate then it could be an unusual species but if it came from the side of the road then it's likely to be a native.

some images of the grain closer up would be great.



it looks like fungally infected ash so far...
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: georg on April 18, 2017, 03:13:30 PM

      Thanks Guys for your  response much appreciated.
    The tree was a maiden tree in woodland . When turning certain cuts on the end grain it came off as cotton wool with a very
    light pleasant smell. It is of medium weight in whole form. As I have turned quite a lot of Ash over the years , this does not
    resemble ash in any way while turning.
    Kind Regards Tony
    I will now try again to post some more pics in macro/

   
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: Bryan Milham on April 18, 2017, 08:07:48 PM
The pleasant smell could come from the rot, it completely changes the odour of wood.
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: seventhdevil on April 19, 2017, 12:27:50 AM
thanks for the extra info, it helps me a little bit but i'm still not really sure as to even which genus it's in.

in saying that i think it may be an obscure species in the ulmus genus.

without it in my hands i can't say any more.
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: georg on April 19, 2017, 04:38:37 PM

   Bryan I agree the pleasant smell probably does come from the rot.

   Originally Tom thought of the genus ulmus ( Elm )..... I turned something similar about 6 years ago and was told it
  was Norway Maple, after looking on the net I tend to think it is Norway Maple with verticillum wilt ( rot ) ... But I realise
  without a piece in ones hand it will be very difficult make a positive  conclusion .. Jury is still out
   Regards Tony
 
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: seventhdevil on April 19, 2017, 05:05:55 PM
if you turned something like that years ago and you were told it was norway maple then they were wrong.

as far as i can tell the timber you have is ring porous and no species of acer is ring porous so it's definitely not that genus.

if tom also thought ulmus then that might be the route to go down.

the only other species i can think of that looks a bit like that is the golden raintree.

look up koelreuteria paniculata and see if it's that.

the bark is not quite right so i'm not sure myself but it's the only other white ring porous species i can think of that can have a dark heart. i'm not sure that all of the colour is fungi...
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: georg on April 19, 2017, 05:37:48 PM

              Have taken on board your comments and will carry on looking.
               Kind Regards Tony
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: flames on April 20, 2017, 12:39:27 PM
Wych Elm, I'm pretty sure. I was in the wood again last night... there are other trees the same as the one I felled, now coming in to leaf.

Tony - if you sand up some end grain - this is why I thought Elm despite the colours.

Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: georg on April 20, 2017, 01:26:10 PM

     As requested even put a bit of oil on for you Tom
     Tony


Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: seventhdevil on April 21, 2017, 12:19:09 AM
regrowth (hence the whiteness) ulmus glabra...
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: flames on April 21, 2017, 12:42:14 PM
Thanks Tony, nice looking end grain.
Title: Re: What Is It
Post by: georg on April 21, 2017, 12:59:01 PM

  Well like a lot of people out there I am more than surprised that it could be Elm , but after searching the net I never
  realized there are so many different shades and colours of Elm.... Thanks everyone for taking the time on this thread.
  Much Appresiated
   Regards Tony