I’m in the process of cutting down a Russian Olive tree in my yard. It’s about 1 1/2′ at it’s widest. Interesting looking wood, very dark.
Anyone know anything about this wood?
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http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/indextotal.htm#letterR
Try this site
ASK
Thanks, there are a few samples of it on the site.
Does it make $$ sense to take a few logs to a local sawmill?
I really don't know. I've never done it.
ASK
The big stationary sawmills probably won't be of any help, especially because their "yard trees," with the possibilty of nails.
Try to find someone with a portable mill. You couldtake them to his location, but some will saw on your site.
Looks like an inetresting looking wood, and definitely uncommon. Maybe someone with experience with the Russian variety can add something.
Thanks for responding.
especially because their "yard trees," with the possibilty of nails.
I know what you mean but I know there's no nails in this one. It's not a huge log, but I would love to cut it up. I may just attack it with my (small) chainsaw. I like the pictures on the site above, it could be fun to work with.
I was thinking chainsaw too, but you mentioned "logs" plural.
The best lumber is always Free Lumber.
Its a weed here, if you develop a liking to it, I'm pretty sure the state of Nebraska would pay you to clear it out of the rivers. I just read that they paid something like 3.6 million to have a fleet of helicopters spray around a lake.
It's a weed pretty much everywhere it occurs in North America. It and the closely-related autumn olive are classified not only as weeds but as "noxious weeds" in several states.
-Steve
" I just read that they paid something like 3.6 million to have a fleet of helicopters spray around a lake." Oh, great! Are you serious? What, specifically, did they spray????
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 9/28/2007 12:08 pm by forestgirl
Yup, I'm serious. Not sure what they sprayed I guess, probably a glyphosphate. They also where targeting salt cedar. We have a serious drought gowing on out here, and the rivers tend to get choked up with these non-native trees, which use a bunch of water. The theory is that by getting rid of the trees, which never used to be there, the flow of the rivers can be increased. It acually works I guess. Kansas has sued Nebraska over not letting enough water cross the border, and I wonder if that is the reason for the recent push to erradicate these trees.
They are not trees as you think of trees I don't suppose, as you live where it actually rains. These things grow maybe 15 feet tall, and probably 5" max. They really are weeds. Steve
"They are not trees as you think of trees I don't suppose...." I'm not so concerned about the trees as I am about spraying an herbicide near a body of water. Hopefully, it was all within allowable specs (whatever they are).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hey dirtstirrer,
From someone from Western Nebraska, a tree is a tree! I've planted many a Chinese elm and Russian elm in the windbreak. Also pine and spruce. Very hard to get growing and short lived. If you get a nice little tree, take the week off and celebrate. I was not aware that the Russian elm and Siberian elm were the same tree. Never too old to learn, they say.
Paul
Hi Paul, where from in western Nebraska? I'm not sure they are the same tree, just a rumor. I'm certainly no expert. Have a good evening,
Steve
"where from in western Nebraska"
As far west as you can get - in fact, the section where I grew up borders Wyoming. Banner county, home town Scotts Bluff - forty miles north. My grandfather settled out there in 1900, my father lived there all his life and now I own the farm but I have a cousin living there now. It is nice to have low humidity as far as rust is concerned but it isn't conducive to growing trees. Are you in the sandhills
That is as far as you can go west and still be a Nebraskan! I live and farm in the Mirage Flats area south of Hay Springs now. I farmed and lived for sixteen years, around Marsland, in far western Box Butte county. One of my landlords is from Banner County, Harrisburg area. Small world isn't it!
It is dry out here, especially recently. I think this is the end of either year seven or eight, of this drought. Maybe this is the year it will rain... Not going to hold my breath though. We had about an inch and a half this summer. Steve
dirtstirrer,
We had about an inch and a half this summer.
WOW, we had 3 hour storms this past summer that dumped more than 1 ½" on us here in northern NH.
I've traveled thru the midwest in the past and noticed that what are called trees out there we call bushes here. You folks must have a tough time getting stock for your pieces, eh?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Well, finding good boards becomes a big part of a good project. I'm lucky, I live about two hours from a great cabinet makers supply supply house, in a town where my lovely wife likes to shop. I usually plan a day or more to get her off the farm and me a new stock of quality lumber. The "local" lumber yard is also geting better with the stock it carries. Just expensive, and it has to be something common, like red oak, or clear pine.
I get a kick out of hearing about those of you who can run to the mill and pick up a truckload of first class maple, for about the same money that I can get a few boards. Kinda makes a guy jealous.
I read something on how much rain the Sahara desert averages, and as of now, we are really close. That 1 1/2 all came in one storm as well. Along with hail, wind, and all that fun stuff. Still amazes me that we can grow so much grain with so little water. Have a good day, and send us any extra rain you might have!
Steve
"Landlord in Harrisburg?" What is the name? It is forty some years since I lived there but just by chance I might recognize the name. Oh, one and a half inches of precip. I can't imagine getting any crop from that. Not even a good crop of Buffalo grass. We used to average sixteen inches but I think we got a little more than surrounding areas. One June, I think it was about 1954, we got some fifteen inches. So it does vary. What town has this nice wood store?
The landlord is Chris Sandberg. Some of his family started a implement dealership in Scottsbluff, and he ended up up here. One of those guys that really likes to pass on the history of an area. One of the most interesting people I know.
I go to Woodstock Supply in Rapid City, South Dakota for most of my bigger purchases. Alliance has a very decent small town lumber yard, which is the one who carried the more common wood.
I should clarify the one and a half inches. We farm mostly irrigated ground, so it is supplimented, but, the longer this drought goes, the less water we get. Its amazing to see 200 bushel corn come off a field that is surrounded by grass land that never even greened up this year. You are so right about the rain quantities changing. I'm a youngster, sort of, and I've seen 21 days with rain at least once every day. One week in 1994 or 95, don't remember which, we got 8" of rain in 5 storms. It sure can rain here, but since 1998, it has not. At least to the extent that the average says that it probably will. Thats Nebraska though. Absolutly beautiful at times, and bleak barren, nothing at others. Never a boring place to live though!
Have a good evening, and I'm curious if you know Chris.
Steve
I don't know Chris but I did know Larry and Larry's father. I say did because I haven't seen him since he had his dealership in Harrisburg before it was moved to Scotts Bluff, probably sixty years ago. Larry was a young man then - probably in his thirties. Wow, that would make him in his nineties now. How time flies when you are having fun.
Having irrigation would make a difference. I grew up near Albin where the altitude was a mile high. Even though we are further south I always thought it was a little cooler with cold nights and short season to grow good corn. Amazing what a couple thousand feet elevation can do for growing weather. Did you grow up in Nebr. there? I used to follow the wheat harvest from Texas on north. When we finished at Albin, we would have to go clear up to Montana to catch up with the harvest again.
Edited 10/8/2007 10:38 pm ET by tinkerer2
Chineese elm is considerd a weed in Ne too I got cerous and took a couple of logs to the sawmill and had them sawed into 4/4 boards , Yery Nice grain and pretty stable too after is is dry. Now I look fo Elm logs they are getting pretty hard to find good ones. If I could find a good Russan Olive log I would do the same with it
Have a nice day Lee
Hi Lee,
I've always wondered about Chinese elm. I've heard it called Siberian elm too, don't know which is correct. We burn it in the winter to heat the shop, and some of the wood looks like it has potential. Never have worked any though.
There are a lot of old tree strips funded by some government program back in the 30's, that are full of elms. There are quit a few out here anyhow. If you want some logs, I bet I could get a few leads for you. In fact, last week I was talking to a guy that lives in Norfolk about renting a piece of ground. He has some old trees I think.
You have a sawmill close? Didn't realize there where any out here.
Steve
We have several mills close, The one i use is about 30 miles from my house ,it is a wood miser band mill the guy does a vrey good job sawinf other logs I have taken to him. Just found about a dozen decent elm logs yesterday.
Have a nice day Lee
Lee, you're a lucky man. There are a few guys here who still saw up the ponderosa pine, but not much else. Ponderosa is an "aquired" taste I guess, that I still don't have. How many knots can a board have and still be considered a board!!!Steve
How iteresting is that!
Elm is one of the most favorite softwood used in classical Chinese furniture. The old Chinese distinguished between at least two types of elm: jumu (Southern elm) and yumu (Northern elm).
Southern elm is denser and has "refined ring porous structure". Northern elm is "difficult to dry and easily develops cracks but is easy to work." The grain pattern is described as wavelike.
Chris Scholz
Atlanta, GA
Galoot-Tools
I'd call these to be more of the northern variety. We have a few American elms left, that the elm disease hasn't killed. Those are a really neat tree. Like Paul said though, a tree is a tree here! Not that many to be picky with.
Steve
any time you have a technical question about any wood contact the Forest Products Research Lab in Wisconsin--I think it's in Madison. I've sent wood samples to them for ident and it's free!
Haker
Good God , man, don't you know the correct term for that chemical? It is now Agent Green....
Wonder why they don't use some of that stuff on those bigass poppy fields in Afghanistan.
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