Barn wood.....What izzit?

[Tom]

Here is a fellow that is looking for the species of woods he has found in an old barn in Mid Michigan.   The question was proposed on Wood Magazines general woodworking discussion group but his web-site has an email address to him as well.

If you answer him, leave a note on this topic so we know what is going on and put a referance on your email that says it came from the Forestry Forum.  Maybe he'll come visit :-/

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/jclord1/index.htm

click on his fingernail pictures and you will get a bigger picture.

[Jeff]

Golly, I aint sure. I'm  leaning towards beech or yellow birch.

Yellow Birch


Beech


It could even be White Oak.

[ohsoloco]

I don't see too much beech or yellow birch, but it does kinda remind me of the grain on the beech mallet that I have.  One of the pics looks like it is showing some rays in the rift sawn part of the board.  

Kinda looks like white oak, too, but I don't think the pores are open enough to be white oak....a view of the end grain would be helpful  :-/

[beenthere]

Seems to look a bit like elm to me. The wavy lines within the rings seem to indicate the character of the "parenchyma" cells in elm. Anyone know for sure?

[Jeff]

The elm I see is much darker. But if this is elm and was in a barn its probably real old. Seems like that would darken it also, but I did consider elm because of the grain patterns.

When he says its heavy, that makes me think more towards Beech. If I knew what part of Michigan exactly that would help too.

[MrMoo]

I was thinking elm too. Around here elm used to be used for building timbers. Especially floor supporting timbers.
The grain seems a bit too open for beech at least compared to the beech I have.

[LeeB]

i'm going with the elm theory, but then the only elm i ever see is cedar elm. it has the same bark inclusion and grain pattern. LeeB