Sawing and Drying

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Lumber ID

9/13/15       
Doug Member

Sawing boards for my barn loft floor and decided to saw a dead fallen tree to see if is was still solid inside. The tree had been dead over 15 years and laying on the ground the last three. Friend thinks it is a chestnut oak. What is it and it too good to use the rest on my barn floor. Light brown in color and East Tennessee if that helps.


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9/14/15       #3: Lumber ID ...
muehlenbergii

If it survived three years in ground contact and is still in good condition, it is definitely in the white oak family.

The bark would help identify it, as would any leaves that remain in the vicinity.

9/15/15       #4: Lumber ID ...
Tennessee Tim

Website: http://tsmfarms.com

I've not seen enough American Chestnut BUT I have sassafras and sass is used as replacement for Am. Chestnut. The pics favor sass highly EXCEPT the grain is finer which makes me think Am.Ch.

Find a old sawyer or log home restorer for best info. A young sawyer as I will only see recuts and not new unless some of the few being grafted or planted get large enough for processing.

Keep us posted...that's a awesome find!!!

9/16/15       #5: Lumber ID ...
Blighty

Chestnut oak, not chestnut.

The reason you don't see chestnut is that most of the trees were killed nearly a century ago.

Chestnut oaks are plentiful.

9/16/15       #6: Lumber ID ...
Gene Wengert-Wood Doc

I am unable to see any ray fleck, which should be abundant in white oak and even fairly common in red oak. So, I believe this is American chestnut. I had some property in SW Virginia that still had an old, dead chestnut tree and logs, although a few worms and the sapwood was gone. Color is right.

9/16/15       #8: Lumber ID ...
Dale Lenz

Dr. Gene<
One the bottom pic of the fresh sawn lumber I can see Many surface rays that is common in oak lumber. Like you, don't see not ray flecks.

9/16/15       #9: Lumber ID ...
Tennessee Tim

Website: http://tsmfarms.com

DEFINITELY NOT Chestnut oak...I saw a lot of Chestnut Oak in the spalted/aged stage...and it definitely wouldn't last 15 yrs laying around.

I personally wouldn't want to use it as barn flooring or siding UNLESS I was going to live there!!! IF its Am. Chestnut sell it and buy your flooring or build some furniture.

9/16/15       #11: Lumber ID ...
Doug Member

There are a few boards with flakes and rays. Does chestnut lumber not have flakes and rays?


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9/17/15       #12: Lumber ID ...
Keith Newton

No Chestnut does not have visible ray cells, nor does Sassafras, so it looks like an Oak.

9/17/15       #13: Lumber ID ...
Gene Wengert-Wood Doc

This last picture indeed makes me change my mind to one of the red oaks. Keith is correct about rays in Am. Chestnut being invisible.

9/17/15       #14: Lumber ID ...
Ray Fleck

The medullary rays were visible in the 3rd picture in the first post. Enlarge the picture.

The oak was not in ground contact for 15 years, only 3 - most white oak can survive that.

It is not clearly not chestnut, finding a log that size would be news, not just a post on a random wood site.

Common courtesy restrains me from writing more.

9/17/15       #15: Lumber ID ...
Tennessee Tim

Website: http://tsmfarms.com

Ooops!!! My bad, I misread the how long on ground time frame. White Oaks will last a long time (they used them to build ships many years ago) BUT Chestnut oak is not true to the resistance but just the pattern.

Thanks Gene and Ray on the flakes and rays tidbit. The close-up pic made the difference. Sorry to have misspoken.

I've sawn several oaks that I found in the woods that the sapwood was completely gone but all the heart wood was sound.

White oak species this may be but All the chestnut oaks I've seen and have don't stay solid as this one looks in that time frame.

Again sorry for the misspeak.


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