What species of Fir tree is this?

[MJP]

I've been given a length of Fir branch. This was cut from a tree which grew in the Neath Valley, in wet ground just a few metres above sea level.

It's still very wet, but I've made a testpiece and it's much like pine - same appearance, same reluctance to sand smoothly. It tends to pinkish streaks in places.

Which species of Fir is this likely to be? The Wood Database mentions European Silver Fir. Is this the common fir tree to be found in the UK?

Martin.

 

[John15]

Photo?

John

 

[Chris152]

Could it be larch?
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wale ... ed-8676494

 

[MJP]

Larch... never thought of that. - I suspect the bloke who gave it to me knows a fir tree when he sees one, and he cut it down, but still....

I thought about a photo but considered it unnecessary - I'll do one in the morning when I'm back in the workshop.

I'll do a side by side with a piece of well-dried pine just for comparison.

Martin.

 

[MusicMan]

Whatever it is, if you make something out of a branch rather than a trunk, be prepared for much more warping. Branches are held up by wood in tension at the top of the branch (softwoods and some hardwoods, e.g. boxwood) or compression at the bottom (most hardwoods). So when you saw this into planks it is likely to warp like mad when the stresses are released. It will often then warp slowly, as the stresses make the fibres "creep". This is called "reaction wood", and can even be present in a trunk if it has not grown vertically.

Best avoided unless you want an artistic twist to your work!

 

[MJP]

Thanks Musicman - yes, I've read about reaction wood. No, I'm not going to make anything from it , I just seem to have fallen into the habit of collecting tree species and making samples from them. Daft, I know, but it keeps me happy!
Martin.

 

[MusicMan]

I think that's great, your own wood library!

 

[MJP]

My own wood library - I like that!
My mates think I'm nuts but what the heck, it's a hobby, it doesn't need to make sense.
Here's a couple of pics of this "fir" with a piece of Big Box pine for comparison. You can see the pink coloration of the heartwood.
.......ah, I give up.

I've spent the last half hour trying to figure out how to get a pic from my Dropbox onto this, read the destructions, can't understand where to find the Dropbox links - my pics just open in Windows Photo Viewer, can't find any address as such.

The old way was easy.

Martin.

 

[MJP]

OK - let's see if this works:

Martin.

 

[MJP]

Nope - and this error isn't because of the dl=0 raw=1 business, my address didn't have those anyway.
I give up.

Martin.

 

[MusicMan]

Sorry, can't help. I always upload my pics directly. Bit of a pain shrinking them to 256 bytes, but it works.

 

[CHJ]

Nope - and this error isn't because of the dl=0 raw=1 business, my address didn't have those anyway.
I give up.

Martin.

Your Drop Box account is Private it won't allow access without signing in.

 

[CHJ]

Need to put the collection together in a Database type listing then you only need a pointer not individual images. (hammer)

 

[MJP]

OK - let's try this way:

Fir on left, pine on right.

-- ahah - praise the Lord, we've got a pic at last.

OK, I'm pushing my luck now:

I can die happy now.

Software writers, do your worst!

Martin.

 

[thetyreman]

the one on the left does look like douglas fir to me, it definitely has a pink tinge to it, just like that.

 

[MJP]

Thanks Tyreman - I didn't realize that Douglas Fir was common over here but Google put me right - in fact the Woodland Trust says that "it thrives in Western parts of the UK, where rainfall is higher".... they're not wrong there....
Yes, in real life it's decidedly pink at the core of the branch, with a clear demarcation to a much lighter creamy colour towards the outside.
Looks like Doug Fir it is.

Thanks again,

Martin.