Tree species?

[turnkey4099]

What is this thing. When I started my undercut on that big overhaning limb, I hit a fountain. Thin stream of sap ran down the bar for awhile (stuck the bar) It was still drippign when I fueled and fired up my backup saw.

The wood - very reddish, tight growth rings.

Heaviest stuff I have ever worked. Guess it figues with the amount of water in it. I suspect it won't make 'good' firewood whatever it is. I removed at the request of the farmer.

Harry K

 

[unclemoustache]

What is this thing. When I started my undercut on that big overhaning limb, I hit a fountain. Thin stream of sap ran down the bar for awhile (stuck the bar) It was still drippign when I fueled and fired up my backup saw.

It must be one of them 'pee' trees.


I'd guess Mulberry, but I'm probably wrong. I just wanted to use the urine comment but didn't feel like I should post without at least a guess.

 

[Geez]

Sure looks like Chinese Elm. They're a weed tree around here.

 

[ray benson]

Looks like American Elm, removed several for neighbors. Quite a few in our town, parkway trees.

 

[3fordasho]

Looks like chinese or siberian elm. It splits much better than some other elm varieties. It's not oak or black locust, but I'd rather have it over cottonwood, willow or box elder.

 

[Wood Doctor]

Looks like red elm. I was unaware that it grew in Washington. The leaf is exactly like the red elm.

If it is red elm, you are staring at fabulous firewood.

 

[coog]

Let us know how it splits.Red=easy, American, Chinese=hard.

 

[turnkey4099]

Thanks for the replies. I was going to add it to my Willow (junk) pile but guess it will get moved to the 'good' stack. I'll take a whack at it tomorrow to see about the splitting.

This is in an old, abandoned farmstead in SE Wa so it quite likely is an imported tree planted by the original settlers way back.

Harry K

 

[dingeryote]

Looks a LOT like red elm.

They are full of water! Did it have a "Musty" smell to it?

If ya havn't already bucked it all up, save some for your Milling Buddies.

Red Elm is to die for Gorgeous as trim wood, and for small craft projects.

Let it dry for a season, and it'll burn like Oak.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[turnkey4099]

I didn't notice any odor. When I was cutting, I was guessing Elm, possiblyi 'piss' elm. Never cut any before. The flush cut I made on the trunk to trim things up sure does look nice - would perhaps make a nice end table top. About 14" x 25". I guess I will cut a slab off of that stub to see what happens. Any suggestions on curing?

Harry K

 

[coog]

If it is Red Elm it will want to twist.Hard to avoid in a big piece.You could try to quarter saw it, but you'll probably lose more wood than it's worth.

 

[jags]

Naaaa....its not piss' elm, its too dark. I am going with red elm as well.

 

[turnkey4099]

Tried splitting a clear grain chunk about 10" across. Hit with the maul and a nice crack started on the maul side. Hammer with the sledge several time and didn't make a lot of progress. Unless there was a buried knot in there, it splits hard. Of course it is sopping wet yet so tht would effect the splitability.

I'll see how it burns next year. There are 3 standing dead ones in that patch.

Would Chinese Elm have that red wood?

Harry K

 

[wdchuck]

Chinese elm. Loads of it on our place. Allow it to dry well, and you will like it for firewood.

I've milled some, and the boards behaved well enough, but it was straight wood to begin with.

It will remain a brownish color after the sun gets to it a little.

You'll get easy and tough sections when splitting, not much rhyme or reason to elm.

 

[Sprig]

That there looks liek beauty colored wood, were it mine I'd take a couple of of the larger trunk pieces and rip some edge grain stuff like 1x4" etc. and sticker the crap outta it, you might be surprised at the trim material you'd get.

Just an' afternoon cocktail hour thought.





Serge

 

[Wood Doctor]

Would Chinese Elm have that red wood?

Harry K

No entire way.

 

[slowp]

Knowing the climate of your area, I would say Elm. Just an elm. It grows where old homesteads were and spread around my mom's place.

 

[Geez]

No entire way.

The Chinese Elm around here have a red brown heartwood just like that. When I was still in the tree business years ago, when we'd hear chain saws going, we'd get nosy about what the competition was up to. Walked into this yard where a guy new to the business had taken down a large CHINESE Elm. He was standing with his foot on the stump, pointing to the dark heartwood and telling the customer that that was how you could tell it had Dutch Elm disease. We had to walk away to keep from laughing in his face.
For those of you that don't know, Dutch Elm disease only attacks AMERICAN Elm and the disease leaves dark streaking just under the bark, not the heartwood.
All that to say that Chinese Elm DOES have dark heart wood, at least around here. And another thing to look at is the leaves. It's hard to tell from the pics, but Chinese elm also have much smaller leaves than, say, American Elm.

 

[Zodiac45]

Sure looks like red elm to me Harry. It's good firewood but a real pain to split. Even with a hydraulic splitter it seems to always want to twist round in a half circle. Can be quite frustrating as it's also stringy and fights you all the way. Once busted and dry though, it's burns well. Much better than willow.

 

[turnkey4099]

Sure looks like red elm to me Harry. It's good firewood but a real pain to split. Even with a hydraulic splitter it seems to always want to twist round in a half circle. Can be quite frustrating as it's also stringy and fights you all the way. Once busted and dry though, it's burns well. Much better than willow.

Thanks. The old saying holds. If it is wood, it will burn. If you got it, you might as well burn it. I'll be putting this stuff on the 'good' pile. Probably remove those standng dead also - I suspect the farmer would insist on it anyway in return for giving me the locust.

Harry K