Pics of figured tree I came across

[Craig D Peltier]

This is along a river bank. No idea how the bark came off so perfect.There's no gashes like it was shaved off or tool marks. Maybe it flexed and popped off? The one horizontal pic is the back side. Not sure what type of tree it was. Maybe western maple or alder , not sure if coniferous trees can become figured i.e. hemlock , fir or cedar.

First one I ever saw like this. Like to have it!

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This is back side , peering over the horizontal part.

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[Richard M. Wolfe]

Craig, if it's a tree the wood can be figured. I have pics of a chest I made of eastern red (aromatic) cedar that has some kinda wild look with well defined wide curl to go along with all the knots. I have seen a number of pictures of curly pine, and redwood is widely known for curl.

With the way that wood 'turns a corner' I bet it would practically explode with reaction wood. We cut a bradford pear (I think) last week from a tree cleared from a lot in town and the bottom was fractured and the wood showed potential to have great curl. It did......for about the first foot.

[Charles Shenk]

Sure looks like Douglas Fir or some kind of similar soft wood.

[Ryan Griffey]

Looks like Western Red Cedar to me. Fairly common for it to grow like that along river banks. It shoots out horizontally towards the light and then straightens its top over time causing the bend.

[John Michaels]

The tree that is above the one with the curl is either black cottonwood or western maple. Sometimes I get fooled by the bark because they can look similar, but the leaves are a dead give away. If you can find a live maple or cottonwood nearby look at the bark then compare it to the tree in question. Your third picture looks like there's a little bark left to work with. Good luck.

[Mark Norman]

So, ya get a chainsaw and bring it home and turn it?