Wood ID please???

[Hammock Hamster]

Hi all,

I have just procured some wood courtesy of the local forestry commission who were doing a bit of felling in one of the woods I use regularly!

It's quite easy to work (at least at the mo whilst it's green) but my id skills leave a lot to be desired.

Anyone here able to help identify it?

Cheers Hamster

 

[treadlightly]

Could that be hornbeam? I'm sure someone with more knowledge will be along shortly.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I'd go along with hornbeam.

 

[Ivan...]

A bit difficult , without it being in the hand obviously , but could be whitebeam , but more than likely hornbeam as already put forward.

 

[wattsy]

isn;t hornbeam really hard? the name comes from its hardness (likened to horn) and the old english beam (tree), american hornbeam is also called ironwood for the same reason. used to be used to make gears in early windmills

 

[Hammock Hamster]

Hi all and thanks for the replies so far, i have done a google search and it looks very similar to hornbeam but as wattsy said it seems to should be a very hard wood and this is actually a delight to carve with.
I can only think, if it is hornbeam, it will harden when it dries?

Any other takers, the main reason for the question is i am planning on making a kuksa and a few spoons with it and dont want to use anything that contains any nasties.

I guess i really should step up my efforts in getting to some meets and get a crash course in tree identification from the pros. :notworthy

Cheers, Hamster

 

[ex-member Raikey]

If it freshly felled, then even hornbeam is workable,..

i,ve made a few bits from it when green,..and as said, its a joy,..(has a distinct smell when burnt green too)

as for the hardness when seasoned,..dunno as the items i made (uprights for a shelter and a spoon) are still in the woods.

 

[xylaria]

I tried to make a kuksa from seasoned hornbeam. It split along the spiralling grain, was a hard work before this. It is now weird shaped mallet. It is very good mallet. I made a spork from green.

 

[lannyman8]

burn the wet bark, if it smells sweet and very fragrant then its hornbeam, as stu said its really nice to carve, i still have a spoon half done some place...