yellow wood

[Robert Long]

I need help again!

Today I milled an old log that had been buried at the bottom of the log pile for probably 5 years, it was going to be sent to the fire wood pile but was so heavy I had to see what it was and so I put it on the mill instead......well, to my surprise it began spitting out yellow saw dust that looked like a very dark corn meal.  I found the outer edges of sap wood to be bright white, tinges of walnut like purple running through to the center and the wood itself is a brilliant yellow.   At first I thought it to be osage orange, but that's rare around here and they are very small in size, so I ruled that out, could it be catalpa?  I cut catalpa in the past but it was a yellow'y brown.  I took pics and hope I can post them and I will try in the next post.   

[Robert Long]

Here is the first pic, hope it works!

Robert

[Robert Long]

Here is another look at it



Robert

[footer]

I cant tell from the pictures, but black locust is yellow and so is mullberry. Catalpa is light weight, almost like western red cedar, and you would never forget the smell.

[Robert Long]

footer

Thanks for the suggestions, but I have cut much mulberry and it's brownish yellow and yes, catalpa is light weight, this log was very, very heavy and did not show signs of decay even after 5 or 6 years of laying on the ground under a pile of logs. 

Robert

[SwampDonkey]

Did you submerge a piece of the heartwood in water to see if it colors the water? Osage does. Black locust does not. My guess is black locust, since it is so decay resistant and commonly planted.

[Dodgy Loner]

That smells of mulberry from over here.  Neither black locust nor catalpa are quite that yellow.

If you don't reduce the file size quite so much, we'll be able to get a better idea.  Those pictures are less than 10 KB; you can load pictures into the forum that are up to about 33 KB if I remember correctly.  When you compress the file, don't compress it to more than 60-70% and you'll get better results.

[ely]

i am guessing mulberry.

[SwampDonkey]

Red mulberry would be a good candidate to, although it's heart is orange brown. Where as black locust is often dark yellow or a golden brown.

Robert, didn't you have mulberry tree in the yard? So, it's something people plant around there or your living right on the waterfront of the Lakes. Windsor certainly would put you in red mulberry country.

[Dodgy Loner]

I've sawn white and red mulberry, and both are bright yellow when fresly sawn, aging to a dark brown with time.  I don't think you can tell one from another once you cut the branches off.

[SwampDonkey]

A 5 year old log ain't too fresh. 

[Dodgy Loner]

No, but it is freshly sawn.  Notice how the ends and edges of the boards have already started turning brown.  A combination of sunlight and exposure to oxygen hastens the darkening of the wood, and both were probably in short supply in the bottom of the pile.

[OneWithWood]

A 5 year old log ain't too fresh. 

That depends on your work ethic 

[SwampDonkey]

Red is the only native to Canada, but white is widely planted. I think Robert's was a Asian white mulberry if I remember. Hard to tell from the pictures, but it's probably darker along the grain from exposure to the air and light.

[SeeSaw]

My Bet is Osage Orange which is really yellow when freshly split or sawn.  It will turn to orange after sitting and the air gets to it.

[caz]

Osage Orange here any bark left on it ?

[SwampDonkey]

Osage is also a good guess, but it's a non native to Canada. I'm waiting for the water test.  Mulberry, Osage and black locust all have visible rays without magnification. It's one of the three Dang it!!

[Robert Long]

Not much time to look further into the yellow wood thing today' I must mill while the sun shines'

I did cut a piece of heart wood 6"x6"x1" and dropped it into a pail of water, it floated!

Also, I noted the cut boards are still very yellow not like mulberry that colors fairly soon after milling.

Robert

[SwampDonkey]

I did cut a piece of heart wood 6"x6"x1" and dropped it into a pail of water, it floated!

 

[Robert Long]

OOOPs

I think I was tooo tired    it did not discolour the water

Robert