Tree identification

[AaronB]

There was a dead tree at my church and has been dead for about a year. Well this week some of the members cut it down and had heard about me doing chainsaw milling. They said it was walnut, and they are assuming that because almost every other tree there is walnut, but I went and looked at it at its a pure color inside, like a ash or white oak color.

Walnut doesn't turn this color when dead does it? I have cut up walnut before and this doesn't look anything like walnut, but I wanted to make sure.

I will post a pic when I can so you can see the tree, I am not very good at identifying some types of wood when its not a board.

No matter what the wood should still be good in it since it was dead standing right? , but also wanted to see what you guys thought about it being walnut.

Thanks

 

[qbilder]

Probably not walnut, but could be butternut. It looks a lot like walnut as a living tree. Otherwise, could be anything. Sometimes immature walnuts have huge sap:heart ratio so it could be walnut that simply hasn't darkened yet. Pics would help. And yeah, it should be fine for milling. I cut dead standing trees a lot, almost exclusively. If it's dry then it may be a little slower going & harder on your blade (chain in this case), but will still be fine.

 

[Andrew96]

Yup, I agree. I've been tricked before also. Walnut and Butternut sort of look the same to me when looking at the tree. Once opened up though...not dark. They don't call butternut 'white walnut' for nothing you know. I expect it's tricked people for years.

 

[AaronB]

thanks for the information guys, I will go grab a picture tonight after work then post it and see what you think.

 

[AaronB]

Here are the pics, tell me what you think.

 

[betterbuilt]

Its not walnut and its not butternut. huh

the more I look the bark looks like butternut but I've only cut it When its fresh. The bark sure looks like butternut but the wood doesn't. I know I've seen it but can't place it.

 

[madman39]

Good luck, that bark looks like it could be a number of different types, your best bet would be make a list of tree's its not! And it ant walnut!

 

[smokinj]

Split one open and take a pic my first impression is silver maple, or white oak.

 

[Timberframed]

Cottonwood.

 

[AaronB]

Split one open and take a pic my first impression is silver maple, or white oak.

Will go grab one of the logs tonight and split it and see if that helps decide.

Cottonwood.

If it is cottonwood, is that worth milling?

 

[qbilder]

I'm another for some type of maple. Smaller hackberry looks kinda like that, too. And as mentioned, could be cottonwood. You'll know if it's cottonwood because it'll be feather light if dry.

 

[thepheniox]

looks like White Elm to me

 

[VT_Tree_Wrecker]

My guess is Elm also.

 

[betterbuilt]

The wood does look like Elm but that inner bark is more like Walnut. I just looked at the elm I have and it doesn't have that inner flesh.

How about English Walnut.

 

[AaronB]

Well here is the wood split, granted I split this with my sledge and wedge and man was it hard. I tried using a splitting maul but I was not making any progress, but I got it eventually. Hope these help maybe decide what it is, no matter what I will still mill it this fall, you guys might be able to really tell then.

 

[betterbuilt]

well that says it all. Its elm

 

[smokinj]

Sure makes things easy after its split...lol elm

 

[betterbuilt]

Here is a picture of a slippery elm i cut a few years back.

 

[Woodcutteranon]

Here is a picture of Butternut Walnut and American Elm . This walnut was positively id'ed by an arborist as butternut.

What the heck I made a clock out of one of the cookies. The wood has not split since I made it.

 

[betterbuilt]

This is what my butternut looked like. Before I cut into it I couldn't tell if it was walnut or butternut. It's definitely Butternut.