What timber

[Paul.J]

Hello.
I was given a log the weekend which has been outdoors used as a seat for about 2 years,believed to be Elm :?: .I was asked if it was any good to me and said i'll have a look at it. :!:
On picking it up it was lighter than i was expecting and had that rot smell to it.
Yesterday i cut a piece from it.The bulk of the wood is a creamy colour with darker brown streaks,with black veins running all the way through it.Any idea what timber this is from my detailed description.
Paul.J.

 

[Mark Hancock]

Paul

It's hard to identify timber from it's colour - I was always taught to look at the grain rather than the colour. But in your case you can definitely say you it is spalted. The black lines are known as zone lines and are caused by fungi advancing into the wood as they rot it. As the fungi work on the timber they also tend to 'bleach' out the colour so you get the creamy colour you described. The lightness of the log and the smell are further indications of how advanced the rotting process is and might mean it has gone too far to make it viable to work sucessfully.
I've known Elm to spalt as you've described so it may be with the brown streaks being the areas not fully affected by the fungi. The other timber that comes to mind is Beech which is highly sort after in it's spalted form with prominent black zone lines. The trick is to catch it in the rotting process at just the right time - before it becomes too soft to work

 

[Paul.J]

016_th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

 

[Paul.J]

Hello.
Just tried Alfs picture download,seems to have worked, "HOORAY" :shock: though i thought i put 2 piccys on their.Still ones better than none.
Hope this shows the wood better.
As you can see have tried turning a piece but can't get the end grain smooth,it's just ripping out :?: Still got that rot smell to it.Think it may be past it's sell by date
Paul.J.

 

[Adam]

though i thought i put 2 piccys on their..

Give me a moment....

Adam

 

[Adam]

It was all fine, but you seem to have got a bit mixed with some of the first URL mixed in with the second.

Best to hit space a few times between each attempt....

You have this

[URL=http://m1.freeshare.us/view/?127fs4679016.jpg][IMG]http://m1.freeshare.us/127fs4679

[URL=http://m1.freeshare.us/view/?127fs4679375.jpg][img]http://m1.freeshare.us/127fs4679375_th.jpg[/img][/URL]016_th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

and it should have been like this...

[URL=http://m1.freeshare.us/view/?127fs4679016.jpg][IMG]http://m1.freeshare.us/127fs4679016_th.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://m1.freeshare.us/view/?127fs4679375.jpg][img]http://m1.freeshare.us/127fs4679375_th.jpg[/img][/URL]

If you look at the end of the first, its not terminated with the .jpg and the [/img][/URL] amd it somehow ends up at the end of the second link.

Adam

 

[Paul.J]

Sorry Adam.
I'm afraid this is all new to me.
I've just put 2 more piccys on their but forgot to put the heading in,will these be lost now.

 

[Adam]

Sorry Adam.
I'm afraid this is all new to me.
I've just put 2 more piccys on their but forgot to put the heading in,will these be lost now.

No need to be sorry, you are doing really well. I think the photos will still be there, but I can't find them - I think maybe only you can, when you are logged in to that site?

Perhaps it has a section for "my images" or "recently uploaded files" or something similar - and then you can grab an image.

Adam

 

[Paul.J]

Adam.
Just tried again putting heading in this time but still not showing.

 

[SVB]

Looks like spalted beech to me. Other timbers can show similar signs but in my experience only beech shows the real crisp spalting as in the piece you have skillfully uploaded :wink:

 

[Paul.J]

Simon.
I can't believe i've done it.
BIG THANKS TO ALF.
I tried photobucket again but it slowed my computer right down.
Happier now though.No headache
Paul.J.

 

[Scrums]

Nice bit of spalted something - very near the point of no return if I'm not mistaken. Not sure of Beech - 'cos of the red bits, seen English Cherry with that though. Most woods will spalt, I've had beech, elm, birch, oak,sycamore and ash so far.

Hope you've got a few bits - they'll make fabulous bowls.

Chris.

 

[Paul.J]

Thanks everyone.Seem to have got side tracked here.
So i think the overall opinion is that it's a good chance of been Elm-spalted.
Tried turning again but the end grain is just crumbling.Is this because it as gone too far. It would be nice to get something out of it.
Paul.J.

 

[PowerTool]

Looking at the end-grain pictures,yes,it's probably too far gone.
When I've done spindle turning with elm before,I've found it very soft when the timber is sound.

Andrew

 

[dave armstrong]

Hello.
I was given a log the weekend which has been outdoors used as a seat for about 2 years,believed to be Elm :?: .I was asked if it was any good to me and said i'll have a look at it. :!:
On picking it up it was lighter than i was expecting and had that rot smell to it.
Yesterday i cut a piece from it.The bulk of the wood is a creamy colour with darker brown streaks,with black veins running all the way through it.Any idea what timber this is from my detailed description.
Paul.J.

 

[dave armstrong]

Hi Paul this is my first attempt so if i mess it up sorry, the type of wood appears to be spalted beach as mentioned before, though i was tricked once by spalted american black walnut which without any surviving good wood is very similar Mark gave the right info to you as i use spalted beach often the look of that is likely too far gone to produce anything viable, if you can sand it away and bits chip off easy then its done for, however if there is only small amounts of that level of damage you can superglue the bit and get away wil it though it still causes some problems

 

[Paul.J]

Hello Dave.
Welcome to the forum.Don't worry about messing things up,i'm an expert :wink:
Thank you for the info.I think that it as gone too far as it is doing what you describe.It's cutting lovely with the grain,very soft,but just crumbling on the end grain.Pity,as there is some lovely spalting gone on.
Paul.J.

 

[joekid]

ive used some the same but unspalted,creamy colour greyish brown heartwood with a funny distinct smell when cut,i got told it was beech,but the red veins?

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Dave

Welcome to the forum.

Cheers
Neil

 

[geoff_tulip]

paul
sorry i cant identify the wood - all pics from photobucket etc are blocked to my work computer unfortunately....
you generally get a little bit of torn end grain on alot of timbers - spalted beech that is a bit too 'punky' or dosey is worse than most - a good sheer cut will clean up the torn grain on most timbers and can even save a bit of punky spalted beech...the difference in cut between normal tool presentation and sheer cut is quite dramatic - you probably had already done this, but if not , it is worth the practice - it can save you quite a long time sanding...