# Smoke Tree



## Daren

Just a little while back dirtclod brought up the Smoke Tree, an ornamental around here. I had never seen the inside of one, but there a few in my neighbors yard. I asked the neighbor the next time he has to prune one let me know I would like to have a peek at the limb. He said he had one that came up volunteer too close to the garage and was gonna have to go. He cut it down this morning, I dragged it home across the alley cause I am a wood weirdo :laughing:. It was small but I bet this stuff makes killer turning stock ? Alot color I can say that for it. I have a little pile, I will spin something soon to see.


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## mdlbldrmatt135

Looks really interesting!!


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## 16ga

Looks nice. 
How hard is it?


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## Daren

16ga said:


> How hard is it?


Wet it did not seem very hard. I rived a little limb piece off and shot it though the planer. I want to see how it dries (reaction). The trunk seems to be more colorful ?


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## dirtclod

What are you listening to me for! Look what it got cha.


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## jeffreythree

I have a piece of smoke tree wood. It looks a lot like your piece, Daren. 1/2" thick, 6" wide, and 36" long, basically as wide as the tree was. I bought it air dried, but it came roughsawn and almost perfectly flat so I guess it is pretty stable. Do the edges of yours have ray fleck? Mine shows a pretty good ray on the outer edges like QS cherry shows, lots of little ones. Sorry no pics, but I could dig it out and take some.


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## dirtclod

I removed 3 small trunks sprouting off a main trunk. They were in the firewood lot and in the way. It was after I cut them to firewood lengths and threw them on top a rick that they caught my eye. I split one open and...very interesting. Their color was still showing through about 3 months later when I saw them still laying exposed on top that firewood rick. It then dawned n me (I'm a little slow sometimes:laughing that smoketree would make some nice pieces.

BTW - the color had changed a bit from that green-yellow to a burnt orange. I don't know what it will do in a better environment.


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## Daren

dirtclod said:


> What are you listening to me for!


:confused1:, don't know, glad I did though . This is all small stuff (8" diameter was the biggest) I have a feeling my dad will drag it off and resaw it on his shop bandsaw, mine is wimpy. Course I will see about 1/2 of it back, he likes to make little boxes (and he cuts on shares like me :laughing. This wood would be perfect in little bookmatches like he uses for drawer fronts and stuff.


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## Daren

jeffreythree said:


> I bought it air dried, but it came roughsawn and almost perfectly flat so I guess it is pretty stable.
> 
> Do the edges of yours have ray fleck?


That is good news, I was not sure how it would react drying.

I did not see ray fleck, not wet anyway. If there would be any it should be in that piece I planed since it was split on the centerline just like 1/4 sawn.


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## firehawkmph

*smoke tree*

Daren,
I think you need to cut off a hunk and turn a small natual edged bowl. Seems like it would turn out to be very colorful. Turn it green, thin, and let it warp. Makes a nice gravy boat.:icon_smile:
Mike Hawkins


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## dirtclod

Make sure your dad doesn't secretly keep some of it for himself. I don't have to tell you how crooked them sawmill operators are. :laughing:

The one in your second picture reminds me of some round rocks we have around here. When you break them open they have the same colors and layering. 

That looks good enough that maybe you ought to volunteer digging the stump out. :whistling2:


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## Trappeur

*You guys are really getting me to thinking of new ideas of designs to make for my mirrors and especially my cornice boards with all these beautiful woods...I do most of my cornice boards with just plain 1 x12's and paint just about all of them...I'm imagining cornice boards made up in some of the exotic woods and think I'm going to give it a whirl for a sample.I already have some ideas clicking away in my head..lol*

*That picture above is gorgeous. First thing I thought of for me when I saw that was coasters...I make tons of them and sell them in sets of 4 and they blow out the door in my shop....*

*Oh and yeah, Daren, I headed out to the woods yesterday to get some mountain laurel I needed and got zapped pretty bad in a yellow jacket nest I stepped into....Didn't bring my horse though..thank God.....Don't know what it is, but some reason this year the nests I'm finding are pretty plentiful this year...Was weed eating the other day around my pond and came upon 3 HUGE nests...Got zapped just once when I hit the nest..They were mad! I look a mess..*

*Trappeur*


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## TexasTimbers

That first picture of the cross section makes it look like the coloring would be really wild. have you turned a piece of this yet Daren? What does the tree itself look like? I wonder if we have them down here. Turn that thing let us see the insides of that stuff. It's too hot for you mid-westerners to be out milling anyway. Lightweight.


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## Daren

TexasTimbers said:


> It's too hot for you mid-westerners to be out milling anyway. Lightweight.


:laughing::sweatdrop::sweatdrop: . I have not turned a piece. I plan on it soon (?)

Smoke tree


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## dirtclod

It's native in 3 Texas counties. The heart of its range is centered around Missouri. But it has been widely planted as an ornamental. 

Here's a few pictures I took in a nearby nursery:


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## drcollins804

Daren said:


> Smoke tree


 
Tell the truth Daren. You took that picture in your back yard didn't you?? :laughing::laughing:

I like your taste in vehicles.

I haven't seen any of those around home but I haven't walked the whole farm in a few years. We do have Ironwood but it doesn't saw or mill very well.
David


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## bigredc

I guess once a motor head always a motor head. It took me about half a second to notice the old wagon in the back ground. That is a very neat tree. I can't say I've ever seen anything like that on the east coast.
Chris


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## Charr

Would this wood be good to make duck/ goose caller?


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## Pineknot_86

Interesting. I have never heard of a smoke tree. The grain and colors are very unique. I'm looking forward to seeing a finished project or turning made from that wood. Thanks for sharing and for the good photos.


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## Woodychips

Those pictures of the smoke tree end cuts are the spitting image of the staghorn sumac that we have in Ontario. Same tree, different name? 

Edit - guess not. Looked further down at the pictures of the tree itself.


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## BigJim

Fellows, this thread is a few years old. But that is some really beautiful wood.


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## Tennessee Tim

BigJim said:


> Fellows, this thread is a few years old. But that is some really beautiful wood.


It might be OLD, BUT I MISS the things Daren could come up with :crying2:....HEY DAREN!!!! :grin: Surely you've got some "UGLY" wood somewhere you'll share!!! Miss you BUDDY!!!


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