Doing Battle with Elm??

[ETpilot]

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Texas. Short sleeves in the afternoon. It was a great day for splitting wood. I cut some rounds and take to the splitter. The rounds were heavy and I could barely stick it with my hookaroon to move and lift. Then the battle began. This wood was very stringy and barely split. The splitter went into low stage most of the time. I guess it is Elm. Not sure where I got it. Bad thing is I have more of it. So is this Elm? Is it good to burn in the stove. I set it aside to dry and await to see what the members here say. I moved on to Oak for the rest of the day.

 

[Jetterbug]

Yep that looks like my Siberian Elm( aka pisselm) Very stringy and almost impossible to split by hand. I go for Oak when I can...same work to buck but whole lot more fun to split

 

[buzz sawyer]

Great firewood. It is somewhat easier to split after it dries. I usually noodle them down to size if still green.

 

[Ronaldo]

Yup, Elm. Very good firewood, just hard to split. As has been said, it will split some easier after dry time. Let it get some good cracks showing on the ends and then split it in the coldest weather possible. (seems to make a difference here in Iowa)

 

[GVS]

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Texas. Short sleeves in the afternoon. It was a great day for splitting wood. I cut some rounds and take to the splitter. The rounds were heavy and I could barely stick it with my hookaroon to move and lift. Then the battle began. This wood was very stringy and barely split. The splitter went into low stage most of the time. I guess it is Elm. Not sure where I got it. Bad thing is I have more of it. So is this Elm? Is it good to burn in the stove. I set it aside to dry and await to see what the members here say. I moved on to Oak for the rest of the day. View attachment 396286View attachment 396287View attachment 396288

Elm for sure.Decent fire wood but as you found-tough to split.But elm is funny.When dry it's much easier to split.
I once saw one that leafed out like a healthy tree in the spring.By the end of June,first part of July the tree looked like the end of October,not a leaf on it.I thought this thing is going to be tough to split.I dropped it,bucked it and it split as easy as could be.Sometimes you just don't know.

 

[Marshy]

Yes, that is the bastard they call Elm. Funny thing about Elm is it it never wants to split straight across the growth rings. It will gladly separate in between the rings though so use that to your advantage and try gettin your wedge as reasonably parallel with the edge of a growth ring as possible.

As far as quality goes, it's alright. I have a lot of red elm In my pile this year and it heats well but does not leave a lot of coals like oak. It burn up to mainly ash and leaves just little coals. It's a good wood to mix with black cherry or oak that makes lots of coals.

If you have more then your splitter is about to pay for itself.

 

[lindnova]

That doesn't look like Siberian - Siberian is only fair to poor firewood.

I think that is American elm - did it die? - looks like borers under the bark. It will be great firewood and will split easier if it is older. I wait until the trees loose the bark, then cut and split. It will dry pretty good on the upper branches while standing dead. After the bark comes off it seems to split apart better especially if it is real cold out. I have split some green and got what you have. Those 'fuzzy' splits will start great. Occasionally an elm that I call rubber wood tree won't split at all until dry and even then is not too successful.

 

[Bob95065]

The elm we had in Illinois was stringy and hard to split and held a lot of water. When I split it I always had a hatchet near the splitter. It also stinks when you open it up.

I had to cut a limb on an elm once and the tree was spitting water out of the open face after I cut the branch. The branch was sopping wet when I split it. I would leave it in the sun a good long time before you burn it.

 

[Whitespider]

That does not appear to be American Elm to me... more likely Siberian Elm.
But the simple, fool-proof way (I've posted this dozens of times) is to look at the bark in cross-section. American Elm will (always) have alternating layers of brown(ish) and creamy-white. If it don't have the creamy white layers it ain't American Elm... if does have the creamy-white layers it is American Elm... Period‼ If the bark from that wood don't have 'em, I'd be pretty darn confident it's Siberian Elm.

 

[svk]

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Texas. Short sleeves in the afternoon. It was a great day for splitting wood. I cut some rounds and take to the splitter. The rounds were heavy and I could barely stick it with my hookaroon to move and lift. Then the battle began. This wood was very stringy and barely split. The splitter went into low stage most of the time. I guess it is Elm. Not sure where I got it. Bad thing is I have more of it. So is this Elm? Is it good to burn in the stove. I set it aside to dry and await to see what the members here say. I moved on to Oak for the rest of the day. View attachment 396286View attachment 396287View attachment 396288

That first pic is pretty impressive, even worse than the elm I've dealt with. You've got built in kindling in those pieces!

 

[1project2many]

I don't think it's possible to over season Elm that's been cut green. I've got 3" round splits of Lacebark Elm that's been under cover for a year then in the shed for two and it's still sizzling in the fire. I had miserable experiences with two year seasoned AE but as we moved into year three it got better. Texas may be different but If that's AE I'd plan to let it dry for a few years.

 

[ETpilot]

Thanks to all for the replies. I will check the bark and see what it shows. svk, that piece that I pictured was just horrible I struggled with it for some time before I got it apart. I started splitting lengthwise then went crosswise to split the round in two. That seemed to help some. But, all those pieces fought me good. I think I may try cutting 4-5" discs and splitting into half moons. May be better, will see. This wood was pretty wet so I will cut up and set aside for a while.

 

[zogger]

Thanks to all for the replies. I will check the bark and see what it shows. svk, that piece that I pictured was just horrible I struggled with it for some time before I got it apart. I started splitting lengthwise then went crosswise to split the round in two. That seemed to help some. But, all those pieces fought me good. I think I may try cutting 4-5" discs and splitting into half moons. May be better, will see. This wood was pretty wet so I will cut up and set aside for a while.

That's what I am doing with big elm trunks and sweetgum any more, 4 inch cookies, let em sit until cracked, then split them. Much easier to split and they will dry a lot faster, and it is loads easier to cut a bit more than it is to hand split those things.

Both good wood once dry though.

The ones you already have, just cut them long ways, noodle them to size, after securing them well. Cross cutting/bucking short pieces is medium dangerous, no real easy way to hold them, and using your foot..eventually that will be bad news. Off the log, fine, already cut to size, noodle them to where they will fit in the heater door.

 

[Whitespider]

I've got 3" round splits of Lacebark Elm that's been under cover for a year then in the shed for two and it's still sizzling in the fire. I had miserable experiences with two year seasoned AE but as we moved into year three it got better.

I don't have any experience with Lacebark (Chinese) Elm, but American and Siberian will season in less that a summer if stacked out in the sun uncovered (even in rounds up to 4-5 inches). The bark will usually lift in 6-8 weeks, and fall off on it's own in a couple more. I cut a huge Siberian Elm in late May once (front yard at this place), split and stacked it in June. I was burnin' the smaller stuff in the fire pit late September, stuffin' the bigger stuff in the furnace late October... weren't no hissin' that I remember.

I cut a live American Elm (blow-down) just this past September, split and stacked it in late October... it's sitting out in the open, snow falls on it... I have no doubt it will be ready to burn in the fire pit in May or June (Heck, I may burn some of it in the furnace in April if need be).
*

 

[stihly dan]

Seriously, you expect us to believe a blow down is alive. Then it will dry over winter. Better get my boots on.

 

[Whitespider]

Seriously, you expect us to believe a blow down is alive. Then it will dry over winter.

Well, it still had a green leaves on it in September when it blew down, and I cut it up a few days later (it fell across one of the trails in the woodlot). And why wouldn't it season in winter (although October and November ain't winter... neither is April and May)?? The air ain't any more dry than it is in winter, it's sittin' in sun and wind... it'll season just fine.

What sort'a boots are you talkin' stihly dan??
*

 

[stihly dan]

No trolling spidey tonight I guess.

 

[1project2many]

I don't have any experience with Lacebark (Chinese) Elm, but American and Siberian will season in less that a summer if stacked out in the sun uncovered (even in rounds up to 4-5 inches). The bark will usually lift in 6-8 weeks, and fall off on it's own in a couple more. I cut a huge Siberian Elm in late May once (front yard at this place), split and stacked it in June. I was burnin' the smaller stuff in the fire pit late September, stuffin' the bigger stuff in the furnace late October... weren't no hissin' that I remember.

Well, the bark did fall off really fast. I'd say six weeks is about right. And it started to grow mushrooms pretty quickly as well. Little orange ones that I've only ever seen on AE. I don't think stacking it outside uncovered would help much here, though. It really is damp around my place. The sheds generally do a great job drying wood. I've stacked waterlogged Birch in them and the wood's been dry enough to burn within a couple of months.

I have had good luck burning standing dead AE but that green stuff was a fight. Of course I'm using an EPA stove which doesn't do well with damp wood, either. But now I'm prepared for it. If I ever get into another large, green one I'm going to do some Spearimentin'.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I don't have any experience with Lacebark (Chinese) Elm, but American and Siberian will season in less that a summer if stacked out in the sun uncovered (even in rounds up to 4-5 inches). The bark will usually lift in 6-8 weeks, and fall off on it's own in a couple more. I cut a huge Siberian Elm in late May once (front yard at this place), split and stacked it in June. I was burnin' the smaller stuff in the fire pit late September, stuffin' the bigger stuff in the furnace late October... weren't no hissin' that I remember.

I cut a live American Elm (blow-down) just this past September, split and stacked it in late October... it's sitting out in the open, snow falls on it... I have no doubt it will be ready to burn in the fire pit in May or June (Heck, I may burn some of it in the furnace in April if need be).
*

Elm posts continue to amaze me. I just cut to length some really dense wood that the logger who felled the tree told me was red elm. The bark is too thin in my book and I thought it was hard maple, but as I split the logs, I believe he was right. The tree was 50 years old, but the bark is much thinner than most elm that I have ever processed for firewood. Flood damage wiped it out. I'll take Pics very soon and post them here, but frankly, I cannot believe that this is elm with bark that thin.

Meanwhile. I'll let it dry in the sun and wind. When the Pics are posted, I'll let the Spider cast the final vote.

 

[Whitespider]

...it started to grow mushrooms pretty quickly as well. Little orange ones... I don't think stacking it outside uncovered would help much here, though. It really is damp around my place.

It does though... and even a little occasional sun will end the mushrooms. Most molds, mildews, fungi, mushrooms and whatnot thrive in cool, dank and stagnate places... your covered stacks and especially your shed provide the perfect environment. If you've got mushrooms growing on your elm that means the surface and small crevices are remaining damp all the time... even in a "damp" area it will season faster where some sun and wind can get to it. Not trying to pick your methods apart... but mushrooms and the like growing on your firewood is a pretty good indication that an adjustment of some sort may be required.

Ya' know?? Moss always grows on the north side of the tree... because the sun never hits it to dry it out, it remains perpetually damp.
Well, if firewood is stacked where such things grow on it, that says the surface is never drying. Wood drys, or seasons from the surface; a bone dry surface will suck more moisture at a faster rate from the interior.

I know the argument has gone 'round-'n'-'round on this board. But there really is no benefit to putting a roof over firewood before it's fully seasoned... even one day of sunshine will do more than keeping 10 days rain off it. Heck, most of the rain just runs off the ends and drips on the ground. And free-flowing air will carry away more moisture, even if you have more cloudy days than sunny days.

Even the arguments from the Pacific Northwest that it rains too much to stack firewood outside is ridiculous. I mean, c'mon... you're trying to tell me that the large firewood businesses are seasoning and storing all that firewood under a roof or cover?? A simple Google image search tells me that ain't so.
*