Yet another Wood ID.

[CHJ]

Paul.J provided this conundrum for me when he donated this about 12 months or more ago.
Got round to giving it a coating of looking at today whilst converting some of the stash in an attempt to reduce the wood pile.

I've never come across such before, judging by the growth rings I would say it's branch wood or the tree was growing at a very stressful angle. If it's branch then it must have been a substantial tree, sorry no bark as Paul had cleaned up the outside before I got it.

My main stumbling block is that it is as hard as iron, sanding the ends to display the growth rings on a 30cm disc sander was a long job that created more heat than dust and suspect it would be easier to turn on the metal lathe than with wood tools. Bandsaw did not jib all that much cutting it in half with the grain to clear the split that had developed or across the end to level for sanding.

It was obviously slow growing, either by natural characteristics or very dry stressful location.:-

• 
  1. Looking as the end grain I would have said Laburnum.
  2. Looking at the face grain I would guess at sycamore/maple although it has a bit more colour than I would expect with sycamore.
  3. I Have never experienced the hardness level with either of the above.
  4. I can't touch the end grain with my planes.
  5. I can plane side grain with considerable effort and get a high shine surface and shavings straight off the plane.

Here's hoping Paul knows where it came from and species.

 

[paulm]

Robinia (Black Locust) or laburnum Chas ?

Cheers, Paul

 

[blackrodd]

The planking looks very similar to wych elm, to me, but it is not usually the hardwood that you have just described,
Rodders

 

[Kalimna]

My first thought, too, was laburnum, especially the end grain. I have some planks that, whilst a bit darker, do show the same sycamore-like radial rays. Any particular smell when cutting?

Adam

 

[CHJ]

No distinctive odour, I was cutting quite a bit of Laburnum today and I'll admit it's almost impossible to see a difference in end grain other than much narrower growth rings in its earlier growth than any other I've worked, it's harder than some 40+year old Hornbeam I've been keeping for handles and some Damson that's just about workable to make a mallet head out of, Oh and a lump of Australian Myrtle that is put aside for a similar project.

 

[JanetsBears]

Laburnum is my guess, particularly from the end grain, and if you were to ask my mate Martin how hard it can be, he'd tell you that his dad's chainsaw wouldn't touch it. Mine did though, so he ended up with a tree removed and I ended up with loads of it :wink:

In fact, I still have some of it stashed away drying out for turning. What I've used already has gone a very rich chocolate brown colour and it's extremely heavy. It's been cut for about 10 years so I really should check how it's doing!

Chris

 

[Paul.J]

Hi Chas.
Was that the lump wrapped in clingfilm?
If it was it was what Geore (Cornucopia) gave to me at one of the Brummie Bashes.
I didn't do anything to it just left it wrapped up and only found it when i was clearing the wood stock out.
I always thought it was Laburnum meself looking at the endgrain, but as you say does look like Sycamore on the sliced piece :?:

 

[CHJ]

Yes that's the piece Paul, took the cling film off months/years ago having checked moisture as down to reasonable level.
Currently awaiting decision as to whether to blow it on two conventional bowls or three or four shallower boles/dishes.
Come to conclusion it must be Laburnum but it's hard enough to make a sound mallet head out of, certainly a new one on me.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Laburnum, laburnum, laburnum. But where's the pale softwood?

 

[CHJ]

Laburnum, laburnum, laburnum. But where's the pale softwood?

It has all been turned off while still green,just the slightest traces of sapwood evident.

 

[Paul.J]

Laburnum, laburnum, laburnum. But where's the pale softwood?

It has all been turned off while still green,just the slightest traces of sapwood evident.

Yes as chas says this blank had been prepped for turnng but wrapped and left to dry out,think it had a tenon on one end??

 

[Bodrighy]

Laburnum can be rock hard once dry.

Pete

 

[mikec]

This looks like Laburnam.
I have a piece about the same diameter heartwood cut down 8 years ago and stored as 5 ft length.
I recently cut a slice off the end with a bandsaw to check the grain and it is virtually identical to the photos.


mikec

 

[cornucopia]

you have a good memory Paul.J :shock:

yes it is Laburnum Chas, I seem to remember I brought quite a few lumps in clingfilm to the bash not knowing how much I might need that day.

 

[CHJ]

Thank you George for confirmation, unfortunately Paul's loss due to circumstances beyond his control was my gain.

It's been in a very dry hot environment at times in the interim so suspect that contributed to the, shall we say, toughness rather than hardness, far different from my other acquisitions and locally garden sourced samples.

Been playing with it today

 

[Paul.J]

you have a good memory Paul.J :shock:

yes it is Laburnum Chas, I seem to remember I brought quite a few lumps in clingfilm to the bash not knowing how much I might need that day.

Hey George good to see you back on here
I kept it with every intention of doing an hollow form out of it George but just didn't get round to it so it got put to one side at some point and found again when i was clearing the wood out,but gave this piece to Chas as i knew he would do good with it