Chinese Elm

[Bubbas Boys]

Got an offer for lots of big Chinese elm tree logs. New to burning and splitting wood for our home. Would this be a good wood to split and stack for next winter? We will be burning it in a Kitchen Queen. Thanks

[Dixie Bee Acres]

I cut one down last fall, and another a week or two ago, still have 3 more to cut down.
I can say this, towards the end of winter I burnt a few pieces, it burns good and hot.
It is harder than heck to split. A splitting maul just bounces off of it. My splitter does pretty good with it, but to split it by hand is more of a chore than I would wish for.

[1shotwade]

We have white elm and red elm around here. It is worse than gum to split if it's still green. After it's been dead a while it'll be lots easier to split. Burn O>K>

Wade

[farminghandyman]

that is about all we burn,

but you will need a mechanical splitter, and a good one, elm is a very intertwined wood, and splitting it is a challenge to say the least, you do not split it you force it apart,

some say it smells like cat pee, I do not hardly smell it unless it very fresh cut and sawing it for some furniture or cabinets, then some times there is a smell, but it dissipates I have built a lot of furniture and cabinets, out of it and burn it as well.

I not a bad wood but a mix of wood is probably better for cook stove, fast burning and some slow burring, My DD uses a wood cook stove, and they us a verity of wood, depending on the type of fire they need for the cooking there doing,

[rambler]

Hee hee.....

Burns good. Its not oak or ash, but its a good hardwood.

You will be a stronger fella and you will have learned new words by the time you get done shredding - I mean, splitting - it apart.

I had the 5 wedge rule, when I got all 5 wedges stuck in a piece, I walked away for an hour to calm down...... With a hyd splitter, you will need the industrial grade, not the 5hp homeowners special.

Paul

[Dixie Bee Acres]

Originally Posted by rambler

.. With a hyd splitter, you will need the industrial grade, not the 5hp homeowners special.

Paul

I have a 6.5 HP, 22ton splitter, it does a pretty good job splitting it.

[Bubbas Boys]

Thanks all. I gonna take it AMD see what happens. It is first offer I have had of free wood. Hope to keep finding offers this year and in future years. Looking at getting splitter this week. Guy has a 6.5 hp briggs but didn't say the tonnage. What would be the minimum I would want.

[Dixie Bee Acres]

You can sometimes see 20 ton machines or smaller, but on average, about the smallest you will readily see is a 22 HP. That's what mine is, and even tho it has struggled through a couple of logs, it gets the job done.

[Dixie Bee Acres]

BB, right now farm and fleet in champaign has one on sale identical to mine for $999

[wogglebug]

If you've got a wood lathe and shaper, you can use it to make superlative tool handles (and knife handles, and plates and bowls, and drink coasters, and chair and stool and table legs). Use a bandsaw to cut the billets to size before you turn them. You may be able to sell your excess at a farmer's market. The shavings, sawdust and leftovers burn well.

[rambler]

Originally Posted by Dixie Bee Acres

I have a 6.5 HP, 22ton splitter, it does a pretty good job splitting it.

I've helped with a few hyd log splitters, but back in the day did it the old fashioned way.

So I don't have a lot of experience on what tonnage they really were....

We made wood 27 inches long because the stove was 28 inches deep.

We kept the chunks about 8 inches by 12 inches, because the furnace door was 9x13.

We split 3 foot across elm, including the Chineese type. They hung on longer after the Dutch Elm Disease.

That takes a good splitter, to work with pieces that big.

Not everyone makes such big firewood, and it doesn't take as much grunt.

Paul

[geo in mi]

Nothing to keep you from slicing them into six inch rounds and then chunking it up. Just takes a little more chainsaw gas. Make sure the chunks will fit the stove opening...

geo

[Freeholder]

Anyone know if Siberian Elm wood is as useful as some of the other varieties for tool handles and such? Siberian Elm grows well here (we are in the High Desert in Eastern Oregon) -- we have a big old one by our front door. If it's actually useful, I may plant a bunch of them on my other property (for firewood as well as useful wood).

Kathleen

[farminghandyman]

Siberian and Chinese some diffrnet but is very similar in look,

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/trees/handbook/th-3-117.pdf

Siberian Elm

(

Ulmus pumila)

General Description

A very hardy, fast growing tree with brittle wood which

is subject to breakage. Extremely susceptible to insect,

disease, and herbicide damage, which makes it an

undesirable tree. Often confused with Chinese elm

(

Ulmus parvifolia) which is not hardy in North Dakota.

The largest tree in North Dakota is 60 feet tall with a

canopy spread of 55 fee

.