Tractors and wood! Show your pics

[4570Man]

I always called those trees grey birch. As for the red oak the squirrels and deer will benefit every other year or so. You have any white oak? I haven't cut one of those in 35 years, I cant remember if it splits as easy as red oak or not.

White oak is harder to split, but it’s better lumber and a better tree IMO. Its also worth about 50 percent more than red oak. The white oak trees aren’t nearly as prone to fall in a storm as the red oaks.

 

[aeblank]

White oak is harder to split, but it’s better lumber and a better tree IMO. Its also worth about 50 percent more than red oak. The white oak trees aren’t nearly as prone to fall in a storm as the red oaks.

It is for sure harder to split.

The entire rest of that ....... Really? I'd take red any day. My floor and trim are red, though a few pieces of white in there too. Maybe it's just my white, but it looks like crap by comparison

 

[Gordon Gould]

White and gray also will hybridize. While the former was the mainstay of turning mills for years, gray birch is only good for pulp, and doesn't even qualify as regeneration when we are meeting the laws set out in the Maine Forest Practices Act.

That is interesting - never realized the strong distinction between White and Grey. If you blow up this picture and look at all the birch you see to me what I have is all White Birch but I am never sure.



gg

 

[Loaderman22]

It is for sure harder to split.

The entire rest of that ....... Really? I'd take red any day. My floor and trim are red, though a few pieces of white in there too. Maybe it's just my white, but it looks like crap by comparison

White oak tends to carry more value because it is more flexible colorwise when stained. Red oak will always have a red hue to the color. Also when sanding it is harder to get red oak smooth like glass, the softer wood between the grain tends to leave mini ridges, but white seems to be more consistent, allowing for a smoother final product. This has been my experience in the building trade, I am not in the lumber business.
I have white oak here in smaller quantity, & when i split it it seems to be tougher to split in the straight sections than red, but the crotches seem to split easier than the red crotches. This could be because the reds tend to be more green,( storm blow over as mentioned before) while the white tend to be on the dead side. Dying before I cut them down. Could also be the time of year I end up splitting them. I have more red & stockpile it as 8 to 10 foot logs, then cut in late fall. I usually find huge carpenter ants in the bottoms of the red, I like to make sure it's cold before I split, so I don't carry them into house when active, delivering them a new restaurant to dine at. Aka my house! I leave it out to dry, then bring in & burn immediately.

 

[John_Mc]

That is interesting - never realized the strong distinction between White and Grey. If you blow up this picture and look at all the birch you see to me what I have is all White Birch but I am never sure.

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gg

White Birch, also known as Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera), is almost pure white. This is what was used for Birchbark canoes. The bark peels easily, and often will have curls of bark peeling on their own.

Gray Birch (Betula populifolia) can look a lot like White Birch at first glance. Gray birch usually grows in clumps, with multiple trunks. It's not quite as white or "pretty" as White Birch (White Birch is generally the one that makes all the scenic New England post cards). It also has a smooth bark that is not easily peeled.

Both are native to your area, Gordon. Your first picture (of the leaning tree back in post 6623) appears to be a Gray Birch. The one in post 6633 appears to be a White Birch.

 

[John_Mc]

Precision felling.:thumbsup: I usually like to bust the top out of the oak and a few others, then have it hang up.:laughing:

Of course! I meant to do that. I like to practice my techniques for free up hung trees in case "one of my friends" ever needs a hand with something like that.

 

[SplitHoof]

Mr. Gould - educate me on a Swinging Dutchman please! I’ll google it in the meantime!

 

[Mikejeakins]

Mr. Gould - educate me on a Swinging Dutchman please! I’ll google it in the meantime!

I would also like to hear about this also.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Gordon. Your first picture (of the leaning tree back in post 6623) appears to be a Gray Birch. The one in post 6633 appears to be a White Birch.

Thanks John. That is pretty much what my book says - sounds easy until I starting looking. I can see traits of both types but stronger white I think ???

The side of the tree in the lean picture is covered with some kind of moss or lichen on the lower portions of the bole which makes it look grey maybe. ??? That side is under and on the ground in the other picture. They all have curling and peeling bark to some extent but less so in the older looking ones.

gg

 

[Jstpssng]

White Birch, also known as Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera), is almost pure white. This is what was used for Birchbark canoes. The bark peels easily, and often will have curls of bark peeling on their own.

Gray Birch (Betula populifolia) can look a lot like White Birch at first glance. Gray birch usually grows in clumps, with multiple trunks. It's not quite as white or "pretty" as White Birch (White Birch is generally the one that makes all the scenic New England post cards). It also has a smooth bark that is not easily peeled.

Both are native to your area, Gordon. Your first picture (of the leaning tree back in post 6623) appears to be a Gray Birch. The one in post 6633 appears to be a White Birch.

A white birch splits easily and clean, whereas a grey birch is stringy and the fibres cling together. The latter tends to have finer branches with triangular splotches uder thr limbs and is also known as wire birch. The leaves are triangular shaped like white birch but more elongated.
As I stated before though, the two trees hybridize readily and it's getting more difficult to tell the difference between the two.
Grey birch only lives for about 40 years but also sprouts from the stumps.