Wood ID help

[4giveme]

Hi guys this is a tuff one,  but worth a shot this PA after all!

During the clean up of hurricane sandy I was given a log about 6 inches round, and was told it was maple buy the tree guy.

Now it might well be maple but I don't know, all I have to go on is the bark and the wood itself and how it reacts to shaping. When shaping it is very tuff to work, and it shreds into fibers bad not saw dust when rasping the stave.

Here are some pics. http://s1375.photobucket.com/user/Laura_Brooksbank/library/Unknown%20stave

Thanks andGod bless
Tommy

[Pat B]

It doesn't look like maple bark to me. Maybe ash or elm but that's just a guess.   Also, I'd say that log wasn't handled properly from the time it was blown over and rot has set in. Take a small sliver of the wood and do a end test.

[DarkSoul]

I'm guessing linden or basswood. Is it really soft wood? Can you dent it with your nail?

[4giveme]

.... Also, I'd say that log wasn't handled properly from the time it was blown over and rot has set in. Take a small sliver of the wood and do a end test.

Pat,
The wood is very white and crisp. I see no sign of rot or weakness that would intricate structural soundness. When I got the log I sealed the ends with TBII and split it into quarters, then left it to dry til yesterday.

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I'm guessing linden or basswood. Is it really soft wood? Can you dent it with your nail?

Darksoul,
I can press my nail into it and leave a dent. Some other info that may help is the stave is now 2inches wide and 56inches long by 1 1/2inches deep and weighs 3 lb 14 oz. the wood is milky white. Gives off no Oder when worked. I will try to compare it to another stave of similar size of a known wood that should give us a density.
 

[autologus]

The bark sort of looks like cottonwood.

Grady

[JoJoDapyro]

It looks a lot like elm to me too. I'm no wood expert, but I know elm.

[Pat B]

The way the wood shredded instead of curled indicated to me the wood wasn't sound or at least not appropriate for bow building. Rot doesn't always manifest with discolored wood. 

[4giveme]

The way the wood shredded instead of curled indicated to me the wood wasn't sound or at least not appropriate for bow building. Rot doesn't always manifest with discolored wood. 

Good point pat... or the shredding may just be a characteristic of the wood. The thing to do now is for me to walk the wood and find that bark on a tree, cut a limb and work it and see how it reacts. I am for now anyway, going to say it is linden wood. from what I read on wood data base it sounds a lot like it.
thanks for you help as always and I will keep you updated as I find out more.

God bless
Tommy