# Interesting Worthless Wood



## vtgaryw (Jan 26, 2017)

So, I cut up a hunk of wood I split off from an old stump in my yard.  The stump has been sitting there at least 35 years.  I've done this quite a bit in last couple of years, and cast the pieces in PR in various colors.  I was surprised when I started cutting this one up to see the beautiful grain on the cut side.  

It looks like walnut, but I can't be sure.  The wood has no odor to it, so I can't tell by smell.  

I live in northern Vermont.  Most of my lot is white oaks and maples.  There is the occasional walnut tree around here, but they're no that common (sort of the northern fringes of their range.)

The first pic is the outside of the piece, the 2nd is the cut side, and then the 3rd are some blanks I made from it.

Walnut or something else?

Gary


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## keithbyrd (Jan 26, 2017)

I'm guessing Hickory


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## vtgaryw (Jan 27, 2017)

I hadn't thought of that, there's not a lot of hickory around here, and it's darker than most hickory that I've seen.  But looking in the Wood Database it's definitely a possibility.

Thanks,

Gary


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## leehljp (Jan 27, 2017)

It looks a tad lighter than the walnut I am familiar with in the south. However, Walnut is one of the few woods that takes a long time to rot. I have known dead walnut trees to still be standing 15 years after dying or being cut out at the top to kill it. I know one tree that was dead in the 70's out in the middle of a cotton field and they tried to burn it. They did a half way job and it still stayed up until the mid 90's. 

If your stump was there for 30 to 35 years, it could be walnut.

I took a second look and it looks similar to white oak also. White oak is quite resistant to rot. Red oak and some other oaks generally rot easily and quickly.


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## 1080Wayne (Jan 28, 2017)

I think Hank is probably correct on the white oak suggestion . Doubt if either hickory or red oak would last that long because of their open pore structures , and would think that walnut would retain a bit of it`s characteristic smell . Well sanded straight on end grain shots are usually best for accurate wood I D .


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