Oak or Maple?

[gabriel]

I picked up this wood from someone last night and she claimed it was oak but I think it's maple...cause the bark looks the same as the grain on several other maples I've picked up. Can anyone tell which is which from just the wood without leaves? I don't know what an Oak would really look like.

Thanks,
Josh

 

[trapper]

It is hard for me to tell from the picture but my first impression is elm or maybe ash. Sure doesn't look like oak or maple to me but I could be easily mistaken.

 

[DanMcG]

the first pic looks like ash to me, can't really tell from the second.
but the more I look at it maybe a young oak...burn it and see if ya like it. it's a hardwood for sure :)

I don't see maple.

 

[gabriel]

Yah sorry, the forum only lets me put up 90k worth of pics. Let me try to host them elsewhere and link. Be right back!

Try this link to more pics!
http://s696.photobucket.com/albums/vv326/tomee638/Tree/

Thanks everyone!

 

[vtanker]

looks like poplar or ash to me.

 

[alx]

Hard to tell.What type of maple grows in your area -as it doesnt look like silver or red.Looks like vines grew up it or maybe thats my eyesight.Could be young oak.Heck of a challenge not being from your area and such.

 

[capt dan]

Its not maple, looks more like ash to me. possibly white oak, but not the red oak

 

[cigarbque]

Josh,

I live in a heavly wooded area of north western NJ. 80% of what we have here is ash and that sure looks like what you have there.

 

[trapper]

Just to add, I went to a pig roast last year and the guy used ash (by mistake). He thought he was using hickory and when I told him it was ash he told me not to tell anybody. The pork tasted just fine to me and nobody else seemed to notice.

 

[meat hunter]

It is not Oak. Id say Chinese Elm or Ash. Leaning more towards Chinese Elm by the way those shooters coming off the main parts and the loose growth rings. Chinese Elm is known for use in windbreaks and is a very fast grower. The leaves off an Elm are medium in size (2-4") and somewhat football shaped with jagged edges. I would burn it in a fireplace but not a smoker. Maple will have a flatter bark and smoother bark to it. UPDATE. Just looked at your photobucket pics. Photo number 5 is Maple. Untrimmed, maple will grow like a cluster, which looks like that one in pic #5.

 

[capt dan]

Nothing wrong with ash, its a great fuel wood for stickburners, light in flavor or taste. even lighter than maple.

 

[sagittarius]

Actually, that stuff looks exactly like box elder, which is a type of maple. It is very soft, does not burn well, makes alot of ash. Been slowly trying to get rid of that stuff on my property for years.

 

[hell fire grill]

If you can cut the end off of a round, to show the end grain, that would help. And if you can split a round and show the grain that will help to ID the wood also.

 

[trapper]

If it won't split I am calling it elm. That stuff sux!

 

[gabriel]

I'm probably going to try to rent a wood splitter. I have probably 15-20 large logs like that in my garage now. The wife's getting a bit annoyed and now that it's getting warmer I plan to stack it in the back yard. Hope the splitter's not too expensive and easy to use.

 

[DanMcG]

You store logs in your garage? Man I can't even get my car in there!!

 

[pinkmeat]

Dude. Get a $20 axe and grow a pair.

Splitting wood is good stress relief.