brother's chunk of wood

[Charlie Knighton]

my brother went camping last weekend on the new river near blacksburg va, he brought me a chuck of wood 18 inches high by 19' across

the locals call it "red ash" i can not find red ash in tree book suspect it is box elder

please help idenitfy

what finish would keep the red color so it would not fade??????

 

[MichaelMouse]

Looks more like a maple than an ash to me. I think all the ash varieties are ring-porous. Using a finish with a UV inhibiter seems to delay the fade to brown in the few boxelder I've turned, but I think it's a Ferrous-Ferric oxidation state change that makes the color change, which is why UV with higher energy affects it.

 

[ahoiberg]

can you get us another shot of the bark?

it looks like box elder from the preliminary shot, which would support Michael's notion that it's a maple... as the box elder is a maple.

Acer Negundo to be specific...

I don't know of too many other trees that "bleed" like that. I've got some Juniper that looks similar, but yours definitely isn't Juniper.

 

[ahoiberg]

to add to the box elder argument, it is normally found growing along rivers or streams... so i bet that's it (although it can be found as a weedy species in urban areas). and you'll normally see dark brown bark on mature trees, which it also looks like you've got.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

bark

brother's chuck bark

it has some moss ?? growing on the bark

 

[Charlie Harley]

I compared it to a few chunks of box elder in my pile. That's where I'd put my bet though there's a LOT more color in the core than I've seen in other pieces. Yea for you!

And I'm intensely jealous of your brother being on the New in that area. I've always wanted to explore that part of the river.

 

[Mr. Don]

Tree

HHHMMMM!!! 18 inches by 19', huh??? Now that's one helluva wide stump!!!!HAR-HAR!!!! Yup...'tis some pretty wood. Do something nice, like a bowl or vase for your missus.

 

[Angelo]

Box Elder

Another name for Box Elder is Ash Leaf Maple. The wood in the photos sure looks like Ash Leaf Maple to me.

Would stake my bowl gouge on it

Angelo

 

[Ken Grunke]

I'll back you up, Prez, it's almost surely Box Elder. I'm not betting any of MY tools on that though

 

[ahoiberg]

cultivate that moss and use it in your turning somehow... some kind of zen garden vase!

 

[flyrod444]

Looks like box elder to me also. We have several growing around our area that I take a large limb off of to turn, and the pic's look very much like it. Turns great have fun.
Jack

 

[dkulze]

Yup, absolutely box elder/ash maple. Can tell by the bark and the candy. Final clue would be if it smells like old gym socks when you turn it.

Watch out for one thing, the dust is a pretty strong irritant. One of the few woods that will give me sinusitis every time.

Dietrich

 

[David]

If its box elder

Box elder green has a odor when turning that my wife refers to as a wet dog on a bad day smell. After its dry no problem. makes pretty bowls but the red does fade over time. We have made several bowls over the years out of it and just cut a burl tree of box elder a couple of weeks ago.

 

[dkulze]

You don't get figure much nicer than box elder burl. The wood fibers are very transparent to light lengthwise and so figure really "pops". Got a big hunk myself that will get cut up at some point. Nicely spalted too.

dietrich.

P.S.(UV resistant finish will help maintain the color, as will keeping it out of the sun)

 

[Mr. Don]

Peee Uuuu!!!

YUP... Got some Mountain Mahogany from a barnyard that has that and better aroma.....stinks while turning, but clears up when drying. Beautiful wood, worth the trouble.