[KnightLite]

Over a period of years, I have noticed that some injured trees seem to have more sap and coloration than healthy ones. For instance, I found a small cedar (approx. 8') that was growing in a tight oak thicket and had struggled for a long time with minimal light. It had just a little greenery on top, but, inside it was beautiful purple and red with very little white outer bark layer. On another occasion I found a Bois D'ark that had died after a struggle that had gold flcking in layer after layer. Have any of you noticed something similar?

 

[CAS14]

On Dec 31, I cut this one on Turkey Mountain, just west of the Arkansas River and on the west side of Tulsa. In 2007, we had a devastating ice storm that downed many power lines, trees, limbs, etc. These provide me, a novice with slingshots and walking sticks, potential working stock. I am currently looking for large branches that broke but didn't entirely separate from the main trunk. So these are deadwood, suspended and not rotting on the ground. I don't know what this is, perhaps Red Maple, but I don't know. The fork on the branch with the smoother bark is what I cut. It seems too hard for maple, but maybe that's because it's been hanging there for five years.

 

[KnightLite]

Thanks for the knife in the picture. It provides a size comparison. I'm not sure what it is. The bark is pretty damaged. Have you noticed more color or resin in the layers where you cut it off?

If it was not continuing to recieve sap from the trunk, it's not really what I was talking about. The unusal wood, I wondered if anyone else had found, has to continue to recieve sap for a while after the trama.

That is, in my opinion, what caused the pieces I have to have the beautiful colors.

 

[CAS14]

Yeah, it's completely dead. Today I cut more similar wood perhaps 1/4 mile from that. The overwhelming majority of trees in this Turkey Mountain area are various kinds of oaks, based on the leaves covering the ground. The reddish layer just under the bark is found on quite a few downed trees, but it isn't very thick. It must be oak.

I get your point, this isn't stressed, it's not rotten, but it died suddenly after the ice storm brought it down in 2007.

 

[Paul2281]

I got this one stick that had some type of beetle or worm under the bark and it made the most unique pattern in the wood right were the handle was to be...So it looks like I grooved it for a grip pattern but it was done by a insect....Bugs can do some good stuff sometimes....

 

[gdenby]

On Dec 31, I cut this one on Turkey Mountain, just west of the Arkansas River and on the west side of Tulsa. In 2007, we had a devastating ice storm that downed many power lines, trees, limbs, etc. These provide me, a novice with slingshots and walking sticks, potential working stock. I am currently looking for large branches that broke but didn't entirely separate from the main trunk. So these are deadwood, suspended and not rotting on the ground. I don't know what this is, perhaps Red Maple, but I don't know. The fork on the branch with the smoother bark is what I cut. It seems too hard for maple, but maybe that's because it's been hanging there for five years.

RedMaple.JPG

A late reply. From the pic, the exposed wood grain looks like oak. Even dead and sitting around, will be harder than most maple. I prefer oak for sentimental reasons, so I go thru the trouble of using it.