Wood Identification

[Redman54]

Just thought I would throw this out there, I've been finding these "logs" all in the river swamp on our property. They are different sizes, but all share the same end characteristics, ie they look like they have been cut with an axe. I took a few home that I was able to carry and ripped them with a chainsaw. them planed them down. The wood has absolutely no smell. Any idea's what they may be? Old lops...or perhaps beavers. Thanks for the help.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

I see those often in the swamp also. Most are only 3-4 foot long, no bark of any kind and solid dull black. Their not petrified, maybe old water logged punks of wood.

 

[Swamprat]

Possibly steps that were wedged into the buttress or base of cypress trees so that the loggers could stand on them and use a saw or axe on the straight trunk portion.

You can google for pics of what I am talking about.

 

[westcobbdog]

Great Euro Mount wood.

 

[Redman54]

Great Euro Mount wood.

Yep

 

[Anvil Head]

Lighter than oak, about the weight of pine? My guess would be cypress. If heavier and denser maybe gum, however the last shot with the knot looks like oak. Can you supply a clean smooth sanded close up of end grain? Would be more definitive.
I tend to agree with Swamprat on purpose, quite common in old logging days. Pretty much an "artifact" these days.

 

[fishfryer]

Possibly steps that were wedged into the buttress or base of cypress trees so that the loggers could stand on them and use a saw or axe on the straight trunk portion.

You can google for pics of what I am talking about.

You could have something there, they’d be old if they are

 

[Redman54]

Lighter than oak, about the weight of pine? My guess would be cypress. If heavier and denser maybe gum, however the last shot with the knot looks like oak. Can you supply a clean smooth sanded close up of end grain? Would be more definitive.
I tend to agree with Swamprat on purpose, quite common in old logging days. Pretty much an "artifact" these days.

They are heavier than a oak, about like a lighter knot. I'll get some pics of the end grain for you.

 

[RedHills]

Bald Cypress | The Wood Database (Softwood)

www.wood-database.com

 

[Anvil Head]

They are heavier than a oak, about like a lighter knot. I'll get some pics of the end grain for you.

If it's lighter wood, scrape a spot and give it a sniff. Lighter will smell strong turpentine/pinesol smell. If not strong it's not lighter. Old stump kicker here, I bought untold tonnage of fat back in the day working for Hercules.

 

[Big7]

If it's lighter wood, scrape a spot and give it a sniff. Lighter will smell strong turpentine/pinesol smell. If not strong it's not lighter. Old stump kicker here, I bought untold tonnage of fat back in the day working for Hercules.

What did Hercules do with fat wood?

Did you ever work at the Covington plant?

 

[Anvil Head]

Ground them up, extracted the "juices" for making all kinds of polymers and oils used throughout the manufacturing industry. The list would take up as many pages of print as what you'd have found in the old school Sears & Roebuck catalogue.
Originally they were called Hercules Powder Company for the obvious reason - they made all kinds of excellerents from the extractions. If you reload your own ammunition you have most likely used some of their product.

No, did a little time at the Brunswick and Hattiesburg plants during union strikes. I was a procurement forester back in the early 70's. I cruised and bought lighter stumps all across the Low Country of SC and managed 3 harvesting crews. I'm talking hundreds of thousands of tons of stumpage a year. My forester buddies just called me "Stump Knocker" most the time and on the radio.