Replies

1. 
   jackplane | Jun 13, 2005 04:41pm | #1

   The shipping cost to the States would probably be more than the tree is worth. But perhaps someone in Kiwiland or Australia would be interested. On the east coast of the U.S., dutch elm disease has decimated most of the population, so when major storms hit in the summer, elm is plentiful and free.

    

2. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 13, 2005 09:10pm | #2

   elm is fairly common here in New Zealand..

   We use to have Elms.. Here in chicago... The trees... most,  three men could not spand hands around the trunks... Damn and a bug killed them all!

   What a waste...

   EDIT:  ELM was a wonderful wood to work with.. As I remember....

   
   

   ---

   Edited 6/13/2005 2:11 pm ET by Will George

3. 
   frenchy | Jun 13, 2005 10:36pm | #3

   Ken,

    I'm sorry but elm has a terrible reputation in this country..  It's considered the juvinile deliquint of hardwoods. it doesn't do anything well,  it warps, twists, bends,  and bows like a hootchie kootchie dancer. It rots on a damp day and it's terrible to saw/ plane/ or sand.. The grain is never very straight and any sanding usually leaves the wood fuzy rather than smooth.  It's not particularly strong nor does it burn very well.. 

     To me the ultimate insult is when you get a sliver from it (and trust me you will get slivers!)   it always has a nasty festering quaility about it and long after the sliver has been removed you will feel the pain of that festering sore!

1. 
   cowtown | Jun 15, 2005 08:08am | #8

   What country is Frenchy talkin about???In Canada, Elm made some fine figured furniture for more than two centuries. As for being fuzzy when sanded, perhaps all the furniture I've seen made with it has been scraped smooth rather than sanded. Elm has a fine figure, particularly in the crotch wood. Juvenile delinquent is a term I'd disagree with. It is no wilder a wood than Birch or Maple, or even pine. Elm made most of the waterwheels, as in Canada, Elm was relatively immune to water damage (what is this rot on a damp day stuff???). I persume it was in the USA and Quebec as well. Elm made the hubs of wagon wheels,after typically aging 10 years as it's cross grain linkage made it less susceptable to splitting, and with it's water resistance to boot, not a better wood to be found...As for burning cold, well that is an undeniable fact iterated in country poetry where it is categorized Elm as burning "colder than a witch's t*at", a fact which I can attest to.As for strength, perhaps Frenchy could explain how easily he splits Elm when compared with Ash, which is commonly used for axe and hammer handles. I've done both, and Elm is at least 10x harder to split than ash, fir, pine, maple. Not very strong? depends how you define strength I guess. Want a definition? take an axe to a woodpile of elm and see if you can disagree with me after 5 minutes of trying to split elm with an axe. Frenchie, please don't do Elm this disservice. it has a long history as not only a prime furniture wood- easily available to habitants of whatever ilk, , but also a long history of utilitarian service in mills and transportation. In fact, a lot of Early Canadian furniture was made from Elm. Hardly deserving of being called a "juvenile delinquent" eh? Elm is without a doubt a part of CDN furniture history, Metis, French, or English.Too bad it's been tarnished with the aspect of "Dutch Elm disease", which has removed it from the inventory of any of the wholesalers I deal with, and which effectively prohibits it's transportation in any form, however safe, across provincial, and probably state and international boundries as well.Once a good wood, now dead in the water. Eric in Calgary

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 15, 2005 07:56pm | #9

   Cowtown!  I just love that post...

   I have a room paneled in ELM from a tree that was cut down here in Chicago long ago.. On my lawn!  BIG old tree.. City said I coulden't have it.. I told them to go to H###. I got them to go and called a friend I knew.. He hauled the trunk and big branches to someplace...

   We got it cut into slabs.. Cost a bit...  I have MY room of ELM and he finished his full Basement and whole attic with it!

   ELM was and is a wonderful wood... To bad it is almost all goen.. I think some out there someplace.. NOT Chinese Elms!

    

2. 
   SWW | Jun 16, 2005 07:42pm | #11

   According to Welsh Stick Chairs by John Brown, elm is an excellent choice for the seat of a Windsor chair. Won't split and looks great. Dents easily (then again, what carve-able wood doesn't).

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 18, 2005 10:57pm | #13

   Dents easily .. Yep if ya HIT IT HARD!

3. 
   frenchy | Jun 16, 2005 07:47pm | #12

   Cowtown,

     Dem's fighten' words! ;-)     OK point by point! NO particular order...

     Splitting Elm,   It's problem isn't how tough it is, it's the crazy grain doesn't make for clean splits like ash or oak..

     Decay, you bet!

         put a board outside overnight and it will cup and curl and warp and weave but it will also start to decay.. I don't know where you are but the fool who would make a water wheeel out of elm would quickly be out of business around here..

    

     Whit Oak? Sure and there are several other woods that are equally decay resitant but elm is extremely prone to decay.  Perhaps you are confused?  I'm not surprised in that I once heard someone on this site claim that old Ironsides was made out of Elm..  reserach indicated it was made from white oak..

     Juvinele deliquent was actually the kindest, polite word that I feel Tauton press will allow me to use..  I think they object strongly to four letter words and profanity of any kind while describing wood..

    (I'm actually guilty of using profanity  for 15 minutes solid with out repeating a single word when describing the properties of Elm ;-) 

    

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 18, 2005 10:58pm | #14

   but elm is extremely prone to decay.  Perhaps them bugs too!

1. 
   AlanTurner | Jun 19, 2005 03:23pm | #15

   I have used elm only once, to match what I thought was the wood in a captain's wardrobe, which had earlier been removed form a ship and made into a bedroom piece. I found that it was not prone to straightness, and that abrasives made it fuzzy, as noted above. But, the thing that was so discouraging was the smell upon cutting or milling it. Stank like a wet pasture full of you-know-what.As to the Asian elm, I have a slab of Zelkova, which I understand to be a Japanese elm. It is both crotched and burled, about 47" by 52", irregular, 8/4. I have not tried yet to work it, but will when the right commission comes along. Brief research indicates that Zelkova is a bit of a prized wood in Japan. If anyone has more information on Zelkova I would be interested.Alan

   http://www.alanturnerfurnituremaker.com

2. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 19, 2005 08:08pm | #16

   Japan has woods sort of like Elm and Oak.. I never used any or seen any... But I hear they are wonderful woods...

   Edit.. My paneled room looks nice.. Just wipe it with some oil ever few years.. Great grain and other features..

   The wood was from VERY OLD TREES! Not young wipper-snappers...

   Edited 6/19/2005 1:11 pm ET by Will George

2. 
   JeffHeath | Jun 16, 2005 01:57am | #10

   frenchy

   I agree with you on the elm.  The only good use I've seen it put to is for split rail fences.

   Jeff

4. 
   jackplane | Jun 14, 2005 03:13pm | #4

   Hammer,

   I liked that elm cabinet. The pronounced grain goes well with the stained glass. Did you make the stained glass or perhaps install it after someone else made it?

   Cheers,  jp

    

1. 
   hammer1 | Jun 14, 2005 05:24pm | #5

   Hi Jackplane,
   I found the glass at a local stained glass supplier, it's called ribbon glass. The old elm I cut was slightly spalted which resulted in the pronounced black streaks in the grain. When I saw the glass, I thought it would go well. The lumber and glass changed a very basic cabinet into something unique. The elm log was so big, I had to rip it in half length ways so a tractor could move it and get it on the saw carriage. I was surprised that such a big straight trunk was so full of large loose knots. I had knots falling out all over the shop floor. I'm glad they fell out so they didn't gouge up the planer. My home town was once called Elm City. The streets were lined with these monster trees that blocked out the sky. People tried all kinds of things to save the old trees, I remember one neighbor that had his trees hooked up to a IV of some type. Nothing would stop the disease. When the trees died, the falling branches would crush cars and buildings. Many New England towns look much different today than they did in the 60's with the towering elms.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 14, 2005 08:53pm | #7

   was slightly spalted which resulted in the pronounced black streaks in the grain..

   Ain't wood wonderful!

   Here in Chicago the sun never hit the side streets.. Cool.. and nice to sit out there..

   Cept fer the tree rats!

   Yes...  and I remembers' huge piles of burning leaves!  It was wonderful!

   EDIT:

   In the fall the old coal truck would come down the street... Chain drive to the back wheels.. I think top speed was about 12 MPH!.. I remember askin' the coal truck driver why it was driven by chains?? He said.. We need torque to get threw these leave piles!

   Edited 6/14/2005 1:58 pm ET by Will George

   Edited 6/14/2005 2:02 pm ET by Will George

5. 
   Thew | Jun 14, 2005 08:32pm | #6

   I agree with the assessment of American Elm. I recently had a chance, though, to work with Red (or Slippery) Elm. It was still somewhat difficult to work, with wild grain and general unruliness as previously mentioned. It is, however, a beautiful wood. It is a nice reddish brown color and takes an oil finish quite well. I'll jump at another chance to use it again...