# Worst Smelling Wood



## MechanicMatt (Dec 30, 2012)

Talking about green wood, not seasoned. My buddy had a lot of trees come down in the last storm. He even went out to TSC and bought a 460Rancher so he could cut it up for me. I was skeptical cause he has a lot of pines, but he assured me there is wood there that took a lot longer to get through than the pines. I show up and load up. Not sure what the one kind is but WHEW, does it STINK when split. Im TALKING HOLD YOUR NOSE AND STAND UP WIND. The middle is a bit rotten, which might cause some fermentation Im thinking, but man does this stuff reek. Im talking like dog barf. Its awfully wet too, water pours out when the maul is sunk into it. So I dunno, what the deal is. Whats the worst smelling you guys have ever smelled?:msp_confused:


----------



## Fifelaker (Dec 30, 2012)

Red oak can smell bad when green but it sweetens up during seasoning. Do the ends turn blue where the maul hit? If they turn blue you have red oak.


----------



## howard270 (Dec 30, 2012)

Red oak is the worst smelling wood I can think of, but once you realize the BTU value you get used to it. Also, cottonwood had a very distinct stink to it as does willow. Both of which could very well have the water pour out of them when hit with a maul but get feather lite when seasoned.


----------



## MechanicMatt (Dec 30, 2012)

Which oak is the PISS oak? I know there is one that smells like piss when split? This wood smells way worse than the oak.


----------



## Ayatollah (Dec 30, 2012)

wood with a fungus is what can smell really bad


----------



## Icehouse (Dec 30, 2012)

Sounds a lot like our cottonwood, really stinks when cut full of water and when dry feels like balsa. On rare occasion there is a pulp market here, after a day of falling and skidding wife won't let you in house until pants and shirt are left outside.


----------



## KenJax Tree (Dec 30, 2012)

Ginkgo Biloba smells like dog shizz and dogwood isn't much better.


----------



## Fifelaker (Dec 30, 2012)

Got any pics? End grain,bark and a split. You will have the answer in a short order.


----------



## MechanicMatt (Dec 30, 2012)

Fifelaker said:


> Got any pics? End grain,bark and a split. You will have the answer in a short order.



Ill have to post them up, it won't be today. But good idea.


----------



## Mac88 (Dec 30, 2012)

I cut up something earlier this year that smelled like piss. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't oak. I think red oak stinks, but this was way worse.


----------



## brewmonster (Dec 30, 2012)

Ginkgo is a possibility. Also Ailanthus, Tree of Heaven.


----------



## Sethsfirewood (Dec 30, 2012)

In my experience, the only wood which consistently stinks even without the rottenness in the middle is Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) or a Princess Tree. 

Both have smooth bark, grow really fast (lots of space between rings), and the wood has a yellowish tint. Sound familiar?

Also, since it is a weak tree it would come down in the same type of wind conditions as a pine or some other conifer.


----------



## Gologit (Dec 30, 2012)

Bad smell? Cottonwood.


----------



## Tiewire (Dec 30, 2012)

Green hackberry smells almost as bad as my old lady's feet!


----------



## Ayatollah (Dec 30, 2012)

Tiewire said:


> Green hackberry smells almost as bad as my old lady's feet!



Now, now....


----------



## Tiewire (Dec 30, 2012)

Ayatollah said:


> Now, now....



You are'nt going to tell on me are you?


----------



## gcdible1 (Dec 30, 2012)

I burned some type of white birch once. It really stunk when cut and split. Smoked like crazy too. Crappy stuff but I burned it nonetheless.


----------



## Ayatollah (Dec 30, 2012)

Tiewire said:


> You are'nt going to tell on me are you?



Why spoil it for her, when she may very well be using that as a deterrent


----------



## Tiewire (Dec 30, 2012)

Ayatollah said:


> Why spoil it for her, when she may very well be using that as a deterrent



It's not working for her.


----------



## blueknobbuck (Dec 30, 2012)

i once cut up some catalpa that had a nasty stench; even worse when you burned it. :bad_smelly:


----------



## Mac88 (Dec 30, 2012)

brewmonster said:


> Ginkgo is a possibility. Also Ailanthus, Tree of Heaven.





Sethsfirewood said:


> In my experience, the only wood which consistently stinks even without the rottenness in the middle is Ailanthus (Tree of Heaven) or a Princess Tree.



I don't think we have those around here.


----------



## unclemoustache (Dec 30, 2012)

Hmm - I've cut and burned some of the woods listed here (red oak, catalpa, hackberry), and while they all have their own odors, I wouldn't say any of them stank. Maybe a fungus has something to do with it.

The strongest smell I've noticed from a tree was from Sassafrass. It was _really _stinky when I went back to grind out the stump.


----------



## Shmudda (Dec 30, 2012)

I think the thick bark of Black Locust stinks the worst when burnt. It burns damn hot but you want to reload quick and shut the door before the bark gets going. 

I don't think Red Oak smells that bad. I cut it a lot and work with it in the wood shop and has a nice smell when worked.

Craig


----------



## autoimage (Dec 30, 2012)

i like the smell of red oak... piss oak by the way is pin oak


----------



## BrokenToys (Dec 30, 2012)

Ah Stinkwood thread; we meet again. 

I hate even cutting and ripping the stuff out [Tree of Heaven]....I refuse to even burn that crap in the chimnea. Most foul smelling junkwood in North America in my humble opinion.


----------



## BrokenToys (Dec 30, 2012)

Shmudda said:


> I think the thick bark of Black Locust stinks the worst when burnt.
> Craig



I peel the bark when splitting. I agree; it is a foul stench. Worth the effort!


----------



## stihl023/5 (Dec 30, 2012)

Red oak smells:msp_scared:


----------



## Uncle John (Dec 30, 2012)

I might guess elm. But op didn't say it was hard to split.


----------



## trophyhunter (Dec 30, 2012)

Another vote for hackberry, smells like a three foot deep barn stall that hasn't been cleaned in a year.


----------



## Bushmans (Dec 30, 2012)

Funny, I love the smell of red oak. Some say it smells like ralph. To me it has a butter smell. Butter not bitter.
The stinkiest thing around here is of course the box elder. But it really isn't as bad as yor description.

I've been cutting hard maple and when i burn it.....smells like bacon and pancake syrup! Should be able to get $100 a face cord for scratch and sniff firewood don't ya think?


----------



## forestryworks (Dec 30, 2012)

Gologit said:


> Bad smell? Cottonwood.



Agreed.

The stuff leaves one with a noticeably odoriferous foul aura; to the extent that house flies give you a wide berth


----------



## H 2 H (Dec 30, 2012)

The nasty smell of Cottonwood

Neighbor is burning it now; even tho my pace is about 200 yards away you can still smell it at my place when the wind is blowing my way


----------



## MechanicMatt (Dec 30, 2012)

Some one mentioned a birch, I thought it was birch. I am no expert. Ill say it was a be-otch to split. The middle is black and the outer area white. The outer area would come right off and leave the black area with the main piece Im splitting. It reeks the whole time. Ill take a pic, maybe its that pricness type wood, was a kinda smooth bark like soft maple. :bang::bang::bang: Gotta take some pics


----------



## Sethsfirewood (Dec 31, 2012)

MechanicMatt said:


> Some one mentioned a birch, I thought it was birch. I am no expert. Ill say it was a be-otch to split. The middle is black and the outer area white. The outer area would come right off and leave the black area with the main piece Im splitting. It reeks the whole time. Ill take a pic, maybe its that pricness type wood, was a kinda smooth bark like soft maple. :bang::bang::bang: Gotta take some pics



Probably not Ailanthus or the Princess tree like I suggested. It is a breeze to split and the wood is noticeably yellow.


----------



## Whitespider (Dec 31, 2012)

Are we talking “strong” smell or “offensive” smell?
Personally I don’t find the smell of Red Oak offensive, but I agree it can be strong.
Cottonwood? Don’t believe I’ve ever cut “green” Cottonwood… and not much dead either.
Never cut some of the others mentioned here… not even sure I could identify them.
In my book, the most offensive is Box Elder… but I’m also a wood snob I guess.


----------



## aaron (Dec 31, 2012)

American Elm


----------



## boilerwood (Dec 31, 2012)

I've burnt some catalpa, smelled like I was burning tires.


----------



## haveawoody (Dec 31, 2012)

Nastiest smelling thing i ever cut was a box elder with some seroius rot in the core of the tree full of a liquid ooze.
Old Diesel and Vomit together as one new special smell.
I think if you bottled that liquid it could become a biological weapon 
The bonfire it went on smelled some kind of nasty with a sour black smoke.

Even the non rotted box elders are pretty nasty smelling things at the best of times.


----------



## leonardo (Dec 31, 2012)

after 40 years of turning trees into firewood i kind of like the smell of red oak. hickory smells like horse sweat to me, but again not unpleasant. the worst, at least in my part of the world is ailanthus! nauseating! usually though, on our tree farm it only grows to a maximum 3" diameter. then it gets cut at ground level and treated with tordon.


----------



## Steve NW WI (Dec 31, 2012)

Whitespider said:


> Are we talking “strong” smell or “offensive” smell?
> Personally I don’t find the smell of Red Oak offensive, but I agree it can be strong.
> Cottonwood? Don’t believe I’ve ever cut “green” Cottonwood… and not much dead either.
> Never cut some of the others mentioned here… not even sure I could identify them.
> In my book, the most offensive is Box Elder… but I’m also a wood snob I guess.



Green Cottonwood will top box elder, trust me on this one. I'm really hoping the 2+ cords I've got seasoning don't smell as bad going through the stove next year, or I'll be looking for different wood for the fall heating. Had the wind been right, you'd have smelled that thing clear down to Ioway when I was bucking it.

No idea what the OP has, doesn't sound like anything I've cut before.


----------



## djones (Dec 31, 2012)

Without seeing the wood I'm thinking Poplar, black inside the bark, dark middle after the ants get in there and rut away at it, smells mighty rank when you split it, I've even seen some awfully large larve come out of it, almost 1 1/2" long and very smelly. For the New York area I stand by Poplar. Pics please.


----------



## MechanicMatt (Jan 1, 2013)

*Pictures*

View attachment 270845

I let my wife smell it, she gagged. This stuff is rancid. What is it???:msp_confused::confused2::msp_confused:


----------



## AIM (Jan 1, 2013)

Dead elm.
At least for the first 15-20 minutes then the stench seems to go away and it smells just fine.


----------



## MechanicMatt (Jan 1, 2013)

I don't think this stuffs stink went away in 15 days. Its not as strong but still there.


----------



## djones (Jan 1, 2013)

Matt. look at the bark, it's Poplar. Got plenty of it here on the farm, want some ??


----------



## MechanicMatt (Jan 1, 2013)

djones said:


> Matt. look at the bark, it's Poplar. Got plenty of it here on the farm, want some ??



Great, I just waisted my time hauling and splitting junk. Oh well, I hope the smell goes away by next year. Or Im gonna have one heck of a bonfire outside. Will the smell go away eventually? I guess I can mix that junk wood in with some good hard wood, but if it always is gonna smell.......


----------



## djones (Jan 1, 2013)

Once it dries it doesn't smell bad at all, it does normaly have a lot of water in it, I've seen a stream of water come out of blocks when I split them, just last month I was splitting some Poplar and it looked just like I hit a gusher, it must have sprayed 4 to 5 ft when the splitter started into it. When I split Poplar the chickens come around because I always turn up large amounts of carpenter ants in the center of the bigger blocks, 1000's of ants at a time and the chickens go crazy chasing the ants around the wood pile, unfortunately I also get them up my pants legs and they bite now and then, when wifey helps she gets all squeamish about it and stops helping. If you have a lot of Poplar you can mill the logs for planking, it's sometimes used for trailer planking because it turns real hard when dried. It's still light weight compared to real hardwood and it will burn, I use it mostly early in the season just to get rid of it. Good luck with the smell for now, just don't bring it into the house to burn just yet. Make sure you split it all up now because it will turn punky if you let it sit till next season without splitting it.


----------



## beerbelly (Jan 1, 2013)

MechanicMatt said:


> View attachment 270845
> 
> I let my wife smell it, she gagged. This stuff is rancid. What is it???:msp_confused::confused2::msp_confused:



Looks like poplar to me...but what do I know? I eat cabbage & love it.....talk about stink!


----------



## tooold (Jan 1, 2013)

I'm just finishing up burning some hybrid poplar I cut. That stuff stank when I first split and stacked it but wasn't bad once it dried out. Then when you burn it, it smells like burning old tennis shoes filled with puke. Now that the weather has went cold, it is nice to start burning the oak.


----------



## cheeves (Jan 1, 2013)

MechanicMatt said:


> Talking about green wood, not seasoned. My buddy had a lot of trees come down in the last storm. He even went out to TSC and bought a 460Rancher so he could cut it up for me. I was skeptical cause he has a lot of pines, but he assured me there is wood there that took a lot longer to get through than the pines. I show up and load up. Not sure what the one kind is but WHEW, does it STINK when split. Im TALKING HOLD YOUR NOSE AND STAND UP WIND. The middle is a bit rotten, which might cause some fermentation Im thinking, but man does this stuff reek. Im talking like dog barf. Its awfully wet too, water pours out when the maul is sunk into it. So I dunno, what the deal is. Whats the worst smelling you guys have ever smelled?:msp_confused:


Piss oak and locust bark!! Catalpa ain't nice either!!


----------



## TreeTangler (Jan 1, 2013)

Another vote for poplar. As much as everybody seems to dislike it, it is one of my favorites to burn. It's easy to cut and split, seasons quick and well, and burns hot. Granted I have to fill the stove more, but I have zero creosote problem. When it gets real cold, I'll use some denser hardwoods at night. 

As for the smell, I'm pretty biased. I've cut a large amount of what you guys say is stinky wood. I love the smell of all wood, especially when green. Takes me back to my days in the woods. Ahhhh, zero degrees, fresh pine, and burnt diesel. I'm strange though, I also like the smell of basements and gasoline.


----------



## Fifelaker (Jan 1, 2013)

djones said:


> Matt. look at the bark, it's Poplar. Got plenty of it here on the farm, want some ??



:agree2:

Yeppers that be poplar. The stink will fade in time. We call it gopher wood. Throw in a chunk and gopher another. Let it season and use it during warmer weather as it burns fast and hot.


----------



## Fred Wright (Jan 1, 2013)

Yep, red oak has a distinctive pew. I like it, it smells like free winter heating to me. 

Had a stack of black gum rounds, cut green in the yard this fall. It turned black on the ends. That was a wall of stink, smelled like horse apples.


----------



## Bushmans (Jan 1, 2013)

Yep looks like poplar to me too. It's pretty much all we burn at deer camp. The woods are full of it and you can burn it a bit green (campfires). Burns fast and hot. Only problem we have is at deer camp we get a lot of the pulpy stuff and it spreads ash over the whole camp. We keep the camper tarped for protection.
This is a pile of poplar and beech we cut during the 2012 season.

View attachment 270913


----------



## Fifelaker (Jan 1, 2013)

Bushmans about where is your camp located? Looks like I could be close. Oh and I have used that same kindling machine, they do work well.


----------



## Bushmans (Jan 1, 2013)

Fifelaker said:


> Bushmans about where is your camp located? Looks like I could be close. Oh and I have used that same kindling machine, they do work well.



Little town called Comins. Just south of Atlanta on 33 or North of Mio. 
The torch is nice when you get in from hunting and its dark and cold. Need heat fast!


----------



## MechanicMatt (Jan 1, 2013)

I always thought poplar was too soft to burn? You guys burn it? I should just mix it with the hard wood? or burn it in the warmer months, closer to spring/fall. I don't understand what my buddy was thinking when he said this wood took longer to get through than the pine, poplar to me is hero wood - makes your saw look like a hero how fast it goes through it.


----------



## Steve NW WI (Jan 1, 2013)

Poplar, "popple" locally up here, is butter soft cutting. Technically it's a hardwood, except in your state, which won't even let birch be called a hardwood for firewood purposes (stupid I know, I love birch for firewood).

It's been said, but it burns hot and fast. Good to mix with the super dense stuff like white oak or ironwood, gets the fire going fast and the good stuff keeps it going all night.

Poplar is probably the most common bundled campfire wood I see around here.


----------



## stihl sawing (Jan 1, 2013)

Red oak smells like extra money in the bank to me.:msp_thumbsup:


----------



## IthacaMan (Jan 1, 2013)

MechanicMatt said:


> I always thought poplar was too soft to burn? You guys burn it? I should just mix it with the hard wood? or burn it in the warmer months, closer to spring/fall. I don't understand what my buddy was thinking when he said this wood took longer to get through than the pine, poplar to me is hero wood - makes your saw look like a hero how fast it goes through it.



Im burning some poplar now.I mix when I load the stove,poplar,white oak,and cherry is what is in this part of the stack.:cool2:


----------



## crowbuster (Jan 1, 2013)

wet mullberry smells like a trash fire, I second the nastiness of hybrid poplar:msp_scared:


----------



## Jakers (Jan 1, 2013)

worst smelling to cut in my area is box elder. worst smelling smoke ive ever had was from basswood. its like raw gasoline vapors coming out of the stove. box elder is close on the smoke but basswood takes the cake


----------



## missouriboy (Jan 1, 2013)

pin oak hands down smells the worst.


----------



## arborealbuffoon (Jan 2, 2013)

As a general rule of thumb, wood and women have some similarities. If it smells THAT bad, you might wanna try a different one!! (please see disclaimer at bottom of post)


----------



## kd460 (Jan 2, 2013)

Jakers said:


> worst smelling to cut in my area is box elder. worst smelling smoke ive ever had was from basswood. its like raw gasoline vapors coming out of the stove. box elder is close on the smoke but basswood takes the cake



I hate boxelder, I will take basswood over boxelder any day. Boxelder in just plain old nasty and I agree with you 100%! I wont touch the stuff! Even if cut up and stacked for me at my back door, I would not burn it.:msp_biggrin:


----------



## mountainmandan (Jan 2, 2013)

my vote for best smelling wood is white oak that has been down a couple of years, but not full of ants. Smells like vanilla mixed with an expensive chardonnay. The white oak from central missouri makes some of the best wine and bourbon barrels in the world. They don't make barrels from the wood around here, but we are close.

Dan


----------



## MNfarmer (Jan 4, 2013)

The worst smelling around here would either be basswood or boxelder, the best smelling would probably be black ash.


----------



## 513yj (Feb 2, 2013)

Looks to me like "big tooth aspen" which is a Poplar tree.


----------



## BigDaddyR (Feb 2, 2013)

Love the smell of Red oak when working it and stacking fresh green. When I first started burning I made the mistake of taking some into the house still green/wet and within the next day smelled horrible like mildew.

I heard that sycamore smells like piss when you burn it. Can anyone tell me the truth on that. Just curious. Most of what I have to cut is red oak and wild cherry. 


Sent from my iPhone using My Fingers


----------



## MechanicMatt (Feb 2, 2013)

This stuff burns pretty poorly too, have to mix it with some real wood.


----------



## Woody912 (Feb 2, 2013)

Bushmans said:


> Funny, I love the smell of red oak. Some say it smells like ralph. To me it has a butter smell. Butter not bitter.
> The stinkiest thing around here is of course the box elder. But it really isn't as bad as yor description.
> 
> I've been cutting hard maple and when i burn it.....smells like bacon and pancake syrup! Should be able to get $100 a face cord for scratch and sniff firewood don't ya think?



2nd the box elder. Most useless tree in the woods


----------



## Woody912 (Feb 2, 2013)

MechanicMatt said:


> View attachment 270845
> 
> I let my wife smell it, she gagged. This stuff is rancid. What is it???:msp_confused::confused2::msp_confused:



aspen with fungus in it. I fill gullies with it


----------



## Tiewire (Feb 2, 2013)

arborealbuffoon said:


> As a general rule of thumb, wood and women have some similarities. If it smells THAT bad, you might wanna try a different one!! (please see disclaimer at bottom of post)



If it smells like fish, do as you wish, if it smells like cologne leave it alone.


----------



## Platoon Daddy (Feb 3, 2013)

I dont much care what the tree smells like when I'm cutting it so long as I'm getting to smell the 2-cycle exhaust of my saw


----------

