What is this and what would you do with it??

Whatever it is you should come up with some neat projects.

-- Maplewood, MN

Looks good as a paperweight?

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

If you’re a turning, that would sure make some very cool looking bowls or vases. If you’re not, now is a good time to learn!

-- Craig, www.WoodworkersResource.com (Where Information meets Inspiration)

Measurements? Looking at it in the picture with the magazines behind it,trying to judge the size, perhaps a lamp of some sort, something that still shows off the character.

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

Thanks for the ideas so far. I would love to turn some of the pieces, but w/o a lathe, I don’t have that option. Does anyone know someone in the Charlotte area that has a lathe and might be interested in turning some stuff?

-- -- Remember, a chip on the shoulder is a sure sign of a woodturner.

Get somebody to take a slice or two off the trunk to see what you get. The branch wood should be great for turning. Though the piece in the picture looks almost too cool to touch … Maybe the lamp idea is the way to go.

All of the pieces I have looks like the one in the picture. The trunk doesn’t have this pattern, but it is spalted. I might go with the lamp idea for this one.

-- -- Remember, a chip on the shoulder is a sure sign of a woodturner.

Is it really dense? It might be Musclewood (Carpinus caroliniana)?

-- Tony, Ohio

We’ve got some jocks around here that take stuff like this and just sand and finish them in their natural artistic state. Makes for some cool lamps and wall hangings.

Look up “Frank” for one.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

slice it in half and make 2 wall sconces/art pieces out of it

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

I don’t know. I posted a blog over a year ago about some wood that I got at a saw mill and the owner didn’t know what it was either.

You can see by the piece of bark above this piece the indentations seem be be the same as you have.

The sawmill owner thought it might be pin oak. It does seem to have an Oak texture to the wood. But it is totally covered through with the bark pockets.

The whole tree was like this. he wouldn’t sell it to me. I had to rip off a couple of pieces from his scrap pile.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Just to let everyone know….it is box elder. I am having some turned and when it gets back I’ll post some pics.

-- -- Remember, a chip on the shoulder is a sure sign of a woodturner.