Box elder

[Blackjack1234]

Box elder is also known as 'Manitoba Maple', that's what you will find it listed as in a nursery catalog. Yes you can actually buy seedlings.

 

[Blazin]

But it's got leaf's....It's a hardwood or so it's written! LOL!

 

[dustytools]

It is soft maple.

Yes it is. If you have any woodturners local to you check with them before you burn it all up, they will more than likely take all of it they can get. Here is a bowl that I recently roughed out of a piece of Box Elder. View attachment 124539

View attachment 124540

 

[jcappe]

Well that explains it. LOL. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[Steve NW WI]

Rats with leaves!

I'll never run out of wood here, dam boxelder grows faster than you can cut it back if not killed off with herbicide.

Descriptions are pretty much right, though splitting can be variable. I've had some Boxelder that split like elm, other that was easy as pine.

I burn it spring and fall, and all summer in the fire pit.

MNRipper, or any of you turners in the area, gimme a shout. There's a quite a bit of fenceline cleaning going on here come spring, plenty of free boxelder for anyone that shows up to help!

 

[Blackjack1234]

Yes it is. If you have any woodturners local to you check with them before you burn it all up, they will more than likely take all of it they can get. Here is a bowl that I recently roughed out of a piece of Box Elder. View attachment 124539

View attachment 124540

Theres a place in western Minnesota that actually makes wood caskets out of box elder boards, beautiful red and white caskets.

 

[Dalmatian90]

Here is a bowl that I recently roughed out of a piece of Box Elder

Ya know, if I didn't recognize the wood right away I'd actually like that bowl.

But it just makes me think of !@#% box elder. I have a couple in my woodlot I've marked to girdle this year to make them wildlife trees. I don't need the wood, and I'd rather not have them spewing forth seeds for my oaks & hickories to compete with.

 

[savageactor7]

Back a number of years ago I culled all the Box elders except one off our wood lot.

Poplar's are a very similar junk wood but I give them a bye because they grow straight and compact...like an ash.

Yeah they do blow down easy cause of the shallow roots but box elder was just too gangly. When our ash trees submit to the EAB I rather make production with Poplar than box elder.

 

[oxbow]

box from box elder

Yes it is. If you have any woodturners local to you check with them before you burn it all up, they will more than likely take all of it they can get. Here is a bowl that I recently roughed out of a piece of Box Elder. View attachment 124539

View attachment 124540

I posted this before in an earlier boxelder thread (AKA ashleaf maple, manitoba maple). Even with a UV blocking finish, the red color will fade to brown in time, but woodworkers like it. Curly and ribbon grain and the reddish color are common.

 

[Farmertim]

Selling Manitoba Maple?

Any chance that there would be a market for Manitoba Maple if sold at half the price of hardwood. We have got so much to clean up around the farm, it is more than we can burn. Not trying to be greedy, but if I can make a wee bit of cash from work thats got to be done, why not? It has about 65% of the BTU as the same amount of sugar maple; thats my line of reasoning for half price. Am I dreaming?

Tim

 

[ihookem]

I burn it all the time. It has 17.5 million btu per cord. Not that bad.

 

[knockbill]

Just don't be alarmed when you think you've injured yourself while splitting it. The red color is normal:

good call... i've split a little of this in the past,, wondered what it was....

 

[Wood Doctor]

Box elder is one of the best campfire wood species that there is, if dry. It is also one of the worst wood stove species that there is. Don't sniff it too hard. You might pass out. Ever smell a bunch of box elder bugs?

 

[KsWoodsMan]

ever smell a bunch of box elder bugs?

nope !

 

[dingeryote]

Box elder is one of the best campfire wood species that there is, if dry. It is also one of the worst wood stove species that there is. Don't sniff it too hard. You might pass out. Ever smell a bunch of box elder bugs?

LOL!!!!

Doc, which end of them Bugs are you sniffin'?

Yeah, Box Elder stinks. As soon as the snow melted off my "to be split" pile I remembered there's Box Elder in there. Smells like a Wet dog that just ran through a stock yard.

Burns well enough to keep from burning the good stuff this time of year though.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

I got a bunch of box elder from an acquaintence when the power company came through his back lot & took down a bunch of 10" Box elders.

It seasoned quickly, split relatively well, and (as others have stated) makes a great fire starting wood until the Oak/Cherry/Ash gets going.

Not to hijack too much but anybody ever burn chinese elm?

 

[Steve NW WI]

Box elder is one of the best campfire wood species that there is, if dry.

Yup, gonna be a good beer drinkin season here. I've got most of a cord of year and a half seasoned BE down by the fire pit waiting on a match, along with a bunch of other mishmash yard tree stuff.