# Elm wood



## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

*Elm wood*

I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


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## JR45 (Jan 26, 2012)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


Totally agree with you about elm. You can get some beautiful figuring from it. I made this box awhile back


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## woodtickgreg (Nov 11, 2009)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


Elm is a beautiful wood. I think many people don't use it because it is not readily available unless you go to a smaller sawyer. I find that it dries well with little checking and remains stable and flat when properly stickered. Sparks flying when cutting is probably just dirt and grit embedded in the bark, I have never run into that. I have two logs of siberian elm dry right now and I can't wait to use it! I chainsaw mill also and find it fairly easy to mill, I have done 3' diameter logs and found it easier than other hardwood logs of the same diameter. It's tough to split for firewood unless you have a splitter due to an interlocking grain. Monte, if you have access to it use it. The issues you had may have just been dirt in one log, It's not usually like that.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


i work with a couple of the local tree services because they have access to trees I wouldn't get otherwise. They were surprised because generally they said nobody wants the Elm.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


it cuts easier than some of the Oak and Ash i am Slabbing right now.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


Not sure about the USA but in these parts if you are suspected of moving an American Elm log from one province to another, you could do time and/or heavy fines.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


I have never had access to elm, now that you have brought it up, I will have to keep my eyes open. Thank
you for sharing.


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


I have some beautiful elm lumber that I'm going to use to build a dining room table and chairs. Here's what the log looked like when I sawed it.



Some of the log was already cut into sections to split for firewood when I got it. I made this tea candle for our Christmas display from the log chunk in photo 5 above.



I saw every elm log I can find.


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


Elm is very sought after in many countries. It is a beautiful wood similar in color shade to Walnut, I have done some turning with it and it cuts beautifully. I know it is one of the Brits favorites. My understanding is that Elm was decimated in the U.S.A. by a decease or insect, I can't remember which, so it probably hasn't been widely used for some time. I'm sure there's folks on LJ with more and better info than I have given here.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


my bench is primarily elm.

Here is some info on the elm blight.


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


@ stefang: Yes, Dutch Elm disease killed off most american elms, and having logs in your posession can be illegal. The highly contageous nature of the disease, spread by beetles, is the reason. The bugs live in the bark, which must be disposed of properly even if you DO strip the logs. In our city there is a wood harvester that operates right in the landfill, turning the endless supply of diseased felled elms into lumber and flooring. Perhaps other communities have a similar program in place. Though our facility exists, they are not particularly consumer-friendly. Perhaps you might have luck pursuing a local operation?


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## woodtickgreg (Nov 11, 2009)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


Dutch elm's here in michigan are gone, The species that are left are siberian elm and a couple of others of which I can't remember the names of. The siberian elm is very beautiful, reddish orange color when fresh milled and turns a nice cocoa brown color when dry. The crotch wood has very nice figure.


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## shopkingdom (Mar 7, 2012)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood*
> 
> I don't see many entries of LJ's using it. I know from cutting slabs it is not particularly easy to cut (sparks fly from chainsaw while cutting). but I think it is a beautiful wood. I have access to LOTS of it. Any reason more people don't use it?


I agree re: siberian elm. My sawyer gave me eight or ten slabs about 22" wide x 5' long 4/4 last spring. I stickered it at the bottom of a stack with cypress and spruce slabs on top. My understanding is it has a tendancy to warp/cup/bow if improperly stickered. I'll be pulling it out and checking moisture contenent in the next month or two. Was 12-14% in December. I'm told it looks like mahogany when finished.


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

*Elm wood *

If anyone is near Whitewood, SD and is interested in some Elm Wood slabs. I am being overrun by them. Not within me to refuse the wood. Give me a yell.


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## jfk4032 (Jun 26, 2011)

mojapitt said:


> *Elm wood *
> 
> If anyone is near Whitewood, SD and is interested in some Elm Wood slabs. I am being overrun by them. Not within me to refuse the wood. Give me a yell.


Hey Monte,

If you are cutting any of this up for yourself or others and are left with small blanks, especially at the transition between the heartwood and sapwood, let me know. I'd be interested in small blanks, minimum of 2"x2"x3", to use for wine bottle stoppers.

I can give you my Fedex number to ship them out.

Thanks,
Joel


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