Help me identify this hateful tree.

jblyttle

jblyttle

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Sep 3, 2014
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I did a rare thing today and actually chopped down a tree. I'm more of a wood splitter usually. Anyway, I have of few of these unidentified hardwoods in my side yard and a couple are leaning over my fence starting to lean on it. The bark is weird, I don't know if this is normal or if they are diseased. All that I can tell you is that whatever it is, it is hard. One 8" tree that was maybe 25" tall chipped two of my axes. I finally brought out a full sized Dayton that was not properly sharp to finish. It worked but because it was only kinda sharp and the hardness of the tree it was more work that I expected. Sample pics of other of the same type as well as closer shots of the bark and woodgrain. I'm planning on using it for firewood as well as for some green woodworking and handle material and probably a couple walking sticks.






 
Excellent, thank you. I don't know much about the properties of cherry wood, is it normally that tough? I imaging that it isn't great for longer striking tool handles, but probably good for under 20" handles, knife scales, walking sticks etc.?
 
Thanks for posting this.
I picked up some wood from the side of the road and I think this is it.
Doesn't burn worth a darn and is hard as heck.
I was thinking of trying to make something out if it too since the color and grain are so nice.
 
Cherry would make fine short handles. It's really not tough enough for axe handles, though it's one of the most stable woods when dry..
 
Any fruit wood is hard and burns great in the fireplace or the smoker. Fruit woods add a real sweetness to the smoke. Best blended with hickory or mesquite for some bite.

As that particular variety is quite hard I'd save a few pieces to make mallets and wooden mauls.
 
Square_peg said:
Any fruit wood is hard and burns great in the fireplace or the smoker. Fruit woods add a real sweetness to the smoke. Best blended with hickory or mesquite for some bite.

As that particular variety is quite hard I'd save a few pieces to make mallets and wooden mauls.
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Great idea. I also have some large rock maple limbs that I took down that I was planing on making a mallet to pair with a froe. In Maine last week we went on a few hikes and all of my kids are obsessed with having walking sticks so these are both good choices. It was the heartwood BTW that was so tough. It is nice looking wood.
 
Square_peg said:
A Maasdam puller will help you fall those trees back into your yard.
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Thanks. Luckily I get on great with my neighbor. I cut over the fence from his side and it fell there. I took it apart on his lawn, moved big parts then raked up the debris. From there I just had a fence high stump on my side to take down.
 
If I had that wood to play with, I'd make some walking sticks, knife handles/scales, spoons, kuksas and all things outdoorsy....


Kooksas look like this:

https://www.google.com/search?q=kuk...sJMi1ggSI-oHAAg&ved=0CCsQsAQ&biw=1242&bih=585

kuksa-sm.jpg
 
"Cornflake" bark up this way indicates Black Cherry. It's not particularly hard, heavy or tough and in many ways is comparable to White Birch. This wood shouldn't be chipping blades on you. Back off on your blade tapers. The log ends will turn a lovely red colour within a few weeks of being exposed to air. Alder out west does the same thing.
 
300Six said:
"Cornflake" bark up this way indicates Black Cherry. It's not particularly hard, heavy or tough and in many ways is comparable to White Birch. This wood shouldn't be chipping blades on you. Back off on your blade tapers. The log ends will turn a lovely red colour within a few weeks of being exposed to air. Alder out west does the same thing.
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Both of these, a boy's axe and a hatchet I sharpened but didn't profile. You may be right however. I'll try to post profile pics.


 
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I'm not a nut for razor sharpness except on kitchen knives and the small blade of my SAK Spartan. Takes a lot of work to maintain an axe in this condition whereas if you lower your standards and don't make such a fine tip the axe will chop just fine and won't have to be re-sharpened every time you use it.
 
I've felled and split a couple 18" thick cherry trees and never had a real problem... Lovely wood, and mine burned wonderfully.
 
Be sure to really get down and smell that wood. Fresh cut cherry has a nice aroma that's very distinctive. We catalog smells in the primitive "lizard" part of our brain, which will stick in your memory better than other physical identifiers.
 
An easy way to identify fruit trees is to look at the leaves. Right where the stem comes off the leaf you'll see two little nubs on the stem. That siginifies a fruit tree. Plum, apple, pear, cherry etc. It's not the best picture but it was the best I could find. See the little nubs? Technical term those nubs. :D

Cherry-Leaf.jpg
 
Black cherry trees are common in Arkansas. It's soft wood but good for smoking meat. They are soft wood and not burned for stove wood, they shouldn't chip you're bit...
 
The have very small bitter fruit that is good in jams and jellies but are poisonous to cattle but the wood is terrible for heating.
 
Shotgun said:
An easy way to identify fruit trees is to look at the leaves. Right where the stem comes off the leaf you'll see two little nubs on the stem. That siginifies a fruit tree. Plum, apple, pear, cherry etc. It's not the best picture but it was the best I could find. See the little nubs? Technical term those nubs. :D
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll use that in the future, but these don't have leaves yet.
 
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