Guess that tree/Another log gathering adventure

[Ocklawahaboy]

Thursday afternoon came and it was time for me to quit my job, just like Magic Man, of course I've got back to it after the first of the year too.  It also meant that it was time for another log loading adventure.  My first stop was at Oscar Scherer State park, one of the prettiest ones I've been to in FL.  The 2nd pic is the view from the picnic table in my site.  No logs loaded here - just a really nice place to spend the night.




It was great to have an evening by the fire eating smoked mullet dip and having a bit of barley, malt, and not very many hops. The weather was just about spot on perfect.  Cold enough to keep the bugs down but only about 48 for a low so still very pleasant. 

The next day it was up bright and early to drive another couple hours south a pick up a couple of logs from one tree.  They were in a back yard - ugh.  There was a vacant lot katty-cornered behind and we got permission to drive in the other neighbor's lawn.  Could only get the truck within about 35 ft of the log and it was on the other side of a hedge row that only had about a 5 ft gap in it.  Plywood, PVC rollers, come-alongs and ramps and it only took about 2 hrs to get the two pieces (8ft and 5ft) loaded.

I rewarded my hard work with a lunch of fried livers, greens and dumplins - yum!

After that it was back to Wesley Chapel to get another Uhaul and pick up the remainder of the cypress that was supposed to be disposed of and wasn't.  Got done with that just before sundown and headed home. 

This morning, it was up in the AM to try to tidy up the pick-up-sticks log pile I had left the week before and unload the 7 that I brought home Friday. 

The whole trip went really well.  I forgot the hard-to-find trailer light adapter and was 100mi away when I realized it.  Luckily my smartphone found me one 6 miles ahead of me on the road I was on.  I saw lots of wrecks and break-downs and wasn't involved in any of them.  The 20 year old truck made it to 180K total miles on this trip and didn't miss a beat. 



So now to guess that tree.  I do this for two reasons:
1. It's fun to read everyone's guess.
2. I want to double-check that I properly identified the species as the one that it was advertised as. 

Here's a close-up of the butt end where it came off the stump



Here's a side view of the log
It's the one laying across the Cypress



Here's a view of the small end of the first log, where I had to trim a corner to get the tailgate to shut.


Here's a view of a nob that I had to trim off the 2nd log.



I'll reserve additional hints for if they are really needed.

[thecfarm]

All I know is,that is no Ash tree.  :D

[wetdog]

Hickory?

[Ocklawahaboy]

Two species down, thousands to go. 

[wetdog]

Elm?

[Ocklawahaboy]

Elm?

3 down.

[wetdog]

Okay, I'm only get one more swing. Mahogany?

[Ocklawahaboy]

Okay, I'm only get one more swing. Mahogany?

That guess is probably closer. 

[wetdog]

Okay, I'm only get one more swing. Mahogany?

That guess is probably closer. 

So does that mean I got a base hit or just a fowl and need to keep swinging?

[Dave Shepard]

Chinaberry?

[Ocklawahaboy]

Okay, I'm only get one more swing. Mahogany?

That guess is probably closer. 

So does that mean I got a base hit or just a fowl and need to keep swinging?

You still struck out but you should have a better chance your next at bat.

[Swatson]

Catalpa?

[Ocklawahaboy]

Catalpa?

No... At least I don't think so.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Another Christmas contest?  ;D

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Osage Orange?

[Ocklawahaboy]

Osage Orange?

No, but that one is on my "wish we had them here" list

[Ocklawahaboy]

A couple of hints.  This tree has been down a few months so the color isn't what you'd expect from a fresh cut. 
It is quite hard.

[SAnVA]

Locust!

[JB Griffin]

Mulberry

[Mark W]

A wild wild guess I would say Teak

[WDH]

Is it a native hardwood or a foreign imposter?

[Ocklawahaboy]

Is it a native hardwood or a foreign imposter?

This would be a foriegn imposter.  There are varieties from several continents.  If it is what the owner said it is, the color is faded from oxidation.  The bark, shape, grain etc seemed to match pics I found online.  I never saw the leaves.

[Chuck White]

Don't know, but it's a nice whack.

Could it be a Palm tree?

[Ocklawahaboy]

Don't know, but it's a nice whack.

Could it be a Palm tree?

I need to find some good palms to saw.  One of my favorite "woods" is palm.  This is not that.

[Mooseherder]

Australian Pine?

[coppolajc10]

Spanish cedar

[Dave Shepard]

Chinaberry?

I never got a ruling on my guess.

[Ocklawahaboy]

I didnt see that guess... nope. 
The country of origin is not in the name but sometimes used to identify the subspecies.

[dchiapin]

Chinese tallow

[Ocklawahaboy]

Nothing to do with china.  supposedly this is the Indian, as in subcontinent, variety.

[LeeB]

a rubber tree? I don't see any latex.

[Swatson]

Last guess for me and I'm out...Rosewood?

[dchiapin]

Carrotwood

[Ocklawahaboy]

Last guess for me and I'm out...Rosewood?

That is what I was told it was and what I tentatively believe it to be.  not the deep red color you see in images o fresh cuts but images of tables, instruments etc have the rich brown color mine does.  we'll see what it looks like milled.

[dchiapin]

try cutting some thicker slabs like 3", should make some nice turning stock for a wood lathe "thinking bowls". Even though it is a catagory 1 invasive, looks like some really nice wood for odd work.

[Ron Wenrich]

Some of that tropical hardwood changes color after the air hits it.  I was at a mill that was cutting cocobolo.  It came off the mill a bright orange.  It dries to a dark brown. 

[Swatson]

Purple heart turns brown too, eventually.  I turned a pen out of purple heart, and let it oxidize to a nice purple then finished it with CA.  I was still kinda new at making pens and that one I gave to my wife to see how the finish held up and she really liked it but it lived in her purse.  A couple years later she told me she must have lost her purple pen because she couldn't find it and she asked me when I gave her the plain brown one. :D :D

[Ocklawahaboy]

try cutting some thicker slabs like 3", should make some nice turning stock for a wood lathe

Thats my next quandry.  I Was planning on some turning stock but I was also wondering if I could get some tonewood out of it.  want some 1" stock too.   

[Kasba]

When I turn purple heart I use something with a UV inhibitor( Armorall ) or a car wax containing it. People laugh at the idea, but I have some cabinet door handles that are about 15 years old I made for a customer and they are still as purple as they were when I first turned them.

[Ocklawahaboy]

When I turn purple heart I use something with a UV inhibitor( Armorall ) or a car wax containing it. People laugh at the idea, but I have some cabinet door handles that are about 15 years old I made for a customer and they are still as purple as they were when I first turned them.

Ideas like that are why I read these forums.  I best that would work on ERC too.

[Kasba]

I have never worked with ERC but it would be worth a try. good luck

[Swatson]

Yeah UV inhibitors help purple heart keep its color.  I know now but still have a brown pen from when I didnt... ;D ;D ;D ;D