7/16th drill holes

[SandMan]

I have a load of logs that came from a sugarbush that was thinned out. While splitting a piece of maple, I noticed two perfectly round holes in a piece that I had just split. Out of curiosity, I placed a 7/16 drill bit in the whole and it fit perfectly. The strange thing is that the bark side had completely sealed but the inside of the hole had not closed in at all! The other interesting thing was the wood had no "staining" around the holes. Attached a couple pics!59445945

[lpakiz]

Sandman,
If you make that surface smooth by sawing then sanding, you will probably see the very distinct marks of the stain. The stains I've seen run about 10-12 inches above and below the tap hole, and a little wider than the hole--probably about an inch wide. I, too, have several examples of slabs that look just like yours---healed over on the exterior but hollow inside. Neat!

[DrTimPerkins]

I can see the staining in the photo. It is often rather subtle. As for the holes, trees are not like people, they do not fill in the holes. Once the hole is drilled, it is there as long as the wood lasts -- but it will close over from the outside. There are only a few "growing" portions of trees (meristems)....tips of roots, outside edges of larger roots, tips of twigs (buds, vegetative and flower) and the outside edges of larger twigs, and the outside of the stem (which grows both to the inside to form wood, and the outside to form bark).

[farmall h]

Your more often to see the staining pattern as you view the cross section of the heart wood...not as much vertically.