any idea what type of wood this is?

[cwcannon]

Pic is profile pic also if attachment didnt show up. Also any recommendations on someone in charlotte-hickory area that would do rustic furniture
Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[golfdad]

Spalted maple ?

 

[KenOfCary]

Looks like wormy maple to me - also known as Ambrosia Maple. The pattern is made by Ambrosia Beetles.

 

[CrealBilly]

Looks like silver maple or is could be a small red maple that hasn't had enough time on the stump to develop any heart wood. But in any event it's soft maple. The streaks you see are from the ambrosia beetle they bore into the wood, making a tiny little hole (usually in pairs) eat a little, lay eggs and crap (which is what stains the wood) and then they exit the tree. So what you have there is ambrosia (soft) maple. Which is very common in NC, since you all have lots of bugs...

 

[CrealBilly]

This is an idea of what the lumber may look like.

 

[KenOfCary]

I like to use Ambrosia for door fronts on shop cabinets. You can make a nice grain match across the entire cabinet with a little work.

Like this:

​

 

[cwcannon]

Thanks for all the info! Really like the pattern so maybe these bugs aren't all bad!

 

[red]

It's good stuff and nice to work with.

Red

 

[danmart77]

It looks like maple at first glance but I have found several gum stumps with this spalting. If its gum I usually let it dry and toss it in the fire box. I don't do gum. Did you look at the leaves around the tree?

Best of luck

 

[scsmith42]

It looks like maple at first glance but I have found several gum stumps with this spalting. If its gum I usually let it dry and toss it in the fire box. I don't do gum. Did you look at the leaves around the tree?

Best of luck

Dan, you might want to reconsider... I have some gorgeous quartersawn sweet gum that is currently in the drying barn. Flat as a drum and pretty too.

 

[danmart77]

Scott I don't need much of a nudge to come and see you again. Are there days of the week that are better to come by?

Dan

 

[aplpickr]

It could also be flame box elder. Very similar to ambrosia red maple. Maple tends to be more brown stained, box elder more red. Do not let a turner touch it, you won't have it anymore!

 

[Windy]

ambrosia maple for sure, I pulled some out of a guys truck who was selling it as firewood and made a few plant stands

 

[Jeff]

I'm surprised that this wasn't moved to the "Wood" forum. ??????

 

[aplpickr]

Box elder, acer negundo, is a maple according to its Latin name. After the wood is cut you can tell which it is by the color of the stain. Red for box elder, brown for red maple acer rubrum. Box is in its name because the white wood is similar to boxwood. Box elder has a compound leaf, the only compound maple in the US. Whatever you want to call it, it is BEAUTIFUL! If you want to identify an unknown wood show us the leaves, bark, and cones or seeds also. I would rather turn ambrosia red maple than any other wood. Never had much box elder, boo. Everyone following this thread should Google "box elder", learn something today! Carolina Mountain Woodturners sends out "box elder alerts" whenever some becomes available around Asheville, it is always gone that day!

 

[Jeff]

Everyone following this thread should Google "box elder", learn something today!

Bill, thanks for the prompt. Challenge accepted!

Looks like a cross between an ash and poison ivy. Hmmm?

http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/acne.html

Scroll down this page to the "web links" section. Take a look at the first 3 pics to see the bright red color.

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/box elder.htm

 

[aplpickr]

Thanks, Jeff, beautiful pics. The hardest task is to keep the"red" still red. Very sensitive to light and fading or browning. Many woodworkers accent the red with a little paint. The only live box elder that I have ever seen is on government land and could not be harvested.

 

[CrealBilly]

I built a guitar out of box elder it's pretty soft and very light cream colored. Box elder is a member of the maple family and is the softest of all maples. Another thing to note it burns easily - slow the router speed way down.

The red streaking in box elder is created by the box elder beetle. I'm sure you squished these before and got red juice all over your shoe -:lol


However the ambrosia streaking in other maples is caused by the tiny ambrosia beetle.


Rarely will the box elder beetle attack any other maple species than box elder. But the ambrosia beetle doesn't care what species it will attack I've even seen ambrosia oak and walnut before.

 

[CrealBilly]

Here are pics of the box elder / walnut guitar I built. Good contrast but box elder is not very interesting. Hindsight - I should have made walnut the primary and box elder the secondary woods.

 

[woodturner2014]

Windy, how do you keep the slices from splitting/checking? I have a piece I was going to turn as a platter but would consider making tabletop if It would hold together.
Thanks.