Decent find, and confusing wood species.

[pyrocasto]

Well just got back from a trip to my grandma's house in WV. Did some hiking around looking for interesting pieces to turn. I found a good looking walnut burl, but cut it to find it hollow. Oh well, it will just make me be more creative in carving it.

Another burl though which looks like Jim Carry as The Grinch, or a bulldog. I cant quite figure out what type of wood it is though I think it may be Cucumber Tree. Smells like cucumber) ), looks like the leaves. Any help would be appreciated, here are some pics.

 

[Steve Worcester]

Got leaves?

http://www.washington.edu/home/treetour/cucumber.html

 

[pyrocasto]

Sadly I dont, as the nearest leaves were on a branch about 20 feet up. The leaves look right, but no limbs all the way down as the picture in your link shows.

 

[TurningDog]

can you describe the leaves? were they singles or in a bunchor lining small twigs?

 

[pyrocasto]

They were pretty much singles, but lined side by side all down the end of the branches. Wish I had more info or got a picture of it.

 

[DMcIvor]

tree form

Sadly I dont, as the nearest leaves were on a branch about 20 feet up. The leaves look right, but no limbs all the way down as the picture in your link shows.

If it was growing in the forest understory, or with close neighbors, it probably wouldn't have branches and leaves all the way to the ground. So, maybe still a candidate.

 

[pyrocasto]

Very true. I guess I'll get another picture when I get something carved out of it and you can see the insides.

 

[TurningDog]

They were pretty much singles, but lined side by side all down the end of the branches. Wish I had more info or got a picture of it.

it is not a cucumber tree, bark is wrong, but from your leaf descriptions it sounds like one of any number of regional hickory varieities its size indicates an imature tree so it is hard to be more precise on exact species.

 

[Anthony Yakonick]

As for the burls, you just found the difference between a burl and a scab. Burls are lumps on trees, but not all lumps are burls.

 

[pyrocasto]

Turningdog, the bark is a little different on the main tree, since the bark in the picture was from a 2" wide branch. Looking through many different WV tree pictures and drawings, I've no clue. I'll worry about it later and get a picture when I go up next.

Anthony, good to know. But which one is the scab, and which the burl? The hollow one, or the one that looks like something crazy?

 

[Griesbach]

Chris,
There are a number of different kinds of abnormal growths that can occur on trees. Last winter a turning buddy and I scored nearly 100 cherry "burls" from a neighbors woods prior to a timber harvest. These turned out to be more correctely classified as "gauls" - information I recieved here on this forum. I searched for this same information for you but was unable to locate the same reference. I thought it came from the Forest Products Lab. Perhaps Michael Mouse will follow up on this reference as I believe he refers to the FPL frequently.

In any case, the "gauls" I have show wild and irregular figure much like "burls" and for simplicity I refer to them as "burls". Still, in most cases, one won't know what's inside till they're cut open. Hope this helps.

 

[pyrocasto]

Well darn! I was hoping figuring out what kind of wood it was could be the only hard thing, now there's different types of growths.

I have 2 "adnormal growths" now that I can't figure out the wood species. I'll post a picture of one carved today, but no sure how much that will help. Between the spalt and the "burlness" of it it's pretty crazy.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Chris,
In any case, the "gauls" I have show wild and irregular figure much like "burls" and for simplicity I refer to them as "burls". Still, in most cases, one won't know what's inside till they're cut open. Hope this helps.

One hopes you're not turning Frenchmen!

Galls mean one thing in goldenrod, another in wood. Difference between burl, a cancer, where growth is uncontrolled and inappropriately located, and a scar, where the tree has merely overlayed bad wood with good is the "eyes" which seem to be failed branches of some sort.

http://www.ag.auburn.edu/aaes/communications/bulletins/figureinwood/ is one of the best places to get a quick and dirty.

 

[Griesbach]

MM,

An obvious misspelling I'm glad to be corrected on it. Changes the meaning as well. Thanks for the link as I hope it helps Chris to identify the type of abnormality he has if not the type of wood.

The link I recall on these growth abnormalities showed color photos and descriptions of the causes. Still can't find it.

Now, to the Frenchmen. Politeness restrains me from expressing my thoughts on the French. Politicians mostly, not necessarily the citizens.

 

[dkulze]

I've never personally tried turning a Gaul but I'd imagine they'd squirm and yell alot. Would you turn one green or dry? How would you firm one up if it was punky (you know, black spiky hair, lots of piercings, etc)?

Just curious.

Dietrich

 

[Richard Baker]

More Gaul

According to the first line of Latin I book (I think it was seventh grade, about a hundred years ago), "All Gaul is divided in three parts." So when you tried to turn it, it would probably fly apart all over the shop.

Too bad those few brain cells still work when so many that I really need don't.