Red elm/slippery elm seasoning question

[gyrfalcon]

I just had a tree on the edge of my property that's been dead for several years cut down that I could never identify, and it turns out to be red elm. The tops look good to go, but the very large rounds from the trunk are almost dripping wet.

I gather this is pretty nice firewood, though I've never had it before (I've had American elm, which I liked well enough except that it was so fibrous, it was a total groan to split even when dry).

I'm wondering, though, what the heck to do about those huge wet rounds (OK, maybe 12 to 14 inches, but way heavier than I can even begin to lift in a 16-inch length). The two strong young guys who took the tree down for me and cut it into rounds could get absolutely nowhere trying to split one of them with my maul or splitting axe, despite their brag that they could, and struggled to do it even with the chainsaw. They did not volunteer to do the others.

I've got half a dozen of these big rounds sitting in a stack out in full sun and wind along with less enormous stuff that I can handle and plan to split this summer. I could roll them down my slope to the woodshed where my low-slung electric splitter lives, but I couldn't get them over the low threshold, never mind lift one of them onto the 6-inch-high splitter. (not sure this 4-ton splitter could even handle them if I could)

So question. Will big rounds like this dry out much out there over the course of say a year and lose enough weight to make it possible to hoist them onto the splitter, or into the truck to haul to a friend's more powerful gas-powered splitter? Or do I need to get the guys with the chainsaw back to split them at least in half?

(I don't plan on trying to burn any of this except maybe the smaller tops this year or even next year, but when I look at those biggies, they look like they'd need a decade or more to dry out enough to move, never mind burn.)

Later note: I'm fascinated that the site has substituted the word "groan" in my 2nd graph above for the word I originally used. Has Hearth.com become that squeamish?

 

[TimJ]

Give a big grunt and you can lift a round that big. If not, roll them onto something that will get them off the ground and by the end of the summer they should be significantly lighter

 

[gyrfalcon]

Give a big grunt and you can lift a round that big. If not, roll them onto something that will get them off the ground and by the end of the summer they should be significantly lighter

OK, thanks. They are off the ground now. But seriously, grunt as I may, I can't lift one of these suckers even a half inch off the ground, even if I'm willing to sacrifice my back, which I'm not.

 

[Paulywalnut]

I've never found the main section of red elm to be too tough to split. The bigger branches though can be tough.
The big rounds should dry out quicker than a lot of other species, but I would at least split them in half where they are.

 

[Woody Stover]

It's not the quickest-drying stuff so yeah, let those trunk splits dry 'til next year. I'll use a wheelbarrow to move big rounds sometimes. You need two people; One to hold the wheelbarrow vertical and tilt it back to the ground as the other rolls the round onto the front lip and lifts/holds it in place in the 'barrow.

 

[blades]

Big rounds Noodle them to manageable size or at least in half, get the bark off them as well if possible, by the end of summer late fall they will be 50 % lighter( slippery elm) quite lite when dry sometimes can be used in one season of drying. Red elm a little different higher density 2 seasons to dry. Least wise around here they are two different animals.

 

[Woody Stover]

Red elm a little different higher density 2 seasons to dry. Least wise around here they are two different animals.

Here, I mainly see Slippery (Red) Elm...same thing here. On dead standing trees with the bark fallen off, I've found the upper branches are usually dry enough that stacking it for the rest of the summer does the trick. Further down in the trunk, it might be in the low to mid 20s MC, and needs another year to get dry enough.

I just had a tree on the edge of my property that's been dead for several years cut down that I could never identify, and it turns out to be red elm.

Did you ever get your camera working? I like round pics, split pics, stack pics....all kinds of pics.

 

[bogydave]

OK, thanks. They are off the ground now. But seriously, grunt as I may, I can't lift one of these suckers even a half inch off the ground, even if I'm willing to sacrifice my back, which I'm not.

Looking for a solution ? :

 

[ScotO]

gyrfalcon, they make smaller electric splitters that may be just the ticket for your situation (if you cannot use a maul or axe) that would be perfect for the size rounds you have.

Elm is great firewood, I love burning it. Slippery elm won't be as bad to split as say American elm, shouldn't be TOO awful hard to split it. Either way, after you split it, it'll dry in a year or so and you'll have some great firewood there!

EDIT - in regards to the splitter I mentioned, I just saw your signature.....sorry!

 

[Butcher]

I have an almost unlimited supply of red elm to cut here in my neck of the world and yes it is very wet when cutting down a live tree. Before I bought a hyd. splitter several years ago I found the best thing to do was wait till the weather got good and cold, I mean freezing cold. Made the splitting so much easier. And I try not to fell any until the sap is not flowing. The red elm I cut seems to give up it's moisture pretty quick if left out to the elements. I seem to get alot of btu's outta elm but I've found it to burn alittle "dirty" when it comes to the chimney. It may just be the bark or the way my setup is?

 

[bogydave]

Green American Elm
12" round 16" long = 55 lbs
14" ....................... = 75 lbs
16"........................ = 98 lbs

Heavier than green birch (my fire wood)
I have a bad back , so;
I went to a vertical splitter & roll 14" rs & above on the trailer. I don't lift them either

 

[Backwoods Savage]

OK, thanks. They are off the ground now. But seriously, grunt as I may, I can't lift one of these suckers even a half inch off the ground, even if I'm willing to sacrifice my back, which I'm not.

gyrfalcon, never try to lift that stuff. Look at the size of a couple of these rounds. The ones just to the left of the splitter. Click on the picture to get full size:



Those big rounds are red oak. They weigh over 200 lbs each. The heaviest one that I weighted was 252 lbs Now realize that I cut the wood then haul it out on the trailer and stack all the winter's wood. Then in spring comes the splitting. Yet I can tell you I never lifted one of those rounds. It can be done but why would anyone want to lift them? My back certainly would not like it. And for what it is worth, my little weakling of a wife moved several of those rounds all by herself; rolling them of course.

Getting those up to a 6" height is quite easy. The way I would get them up the 6" is to lift only one end up then the other but never lift the whole thing! Many times getting a big round into a trailer I will set a small round behind the trailer then sort of step lift it. That is, first put one end on the round and then lift the other end (cant hooks can come in very helpful sometimes). Then put one end on the trailer and then the other end. You can amaze yourself sometimes how much you can move once you get the hang of it.

 

[gyrfalcon]

gyrfalcon, never try to lift that stuff. Look at the size of a couple of these rounds. The ones just to the left of the splitter. Click on the picture to get full size:Those big rounds are red oak. They weigh over 200 lbs each. The heaviest one that I weighted was 252 lbs Now realize that I cut the wood then haul it out on the trailer and stack all the winter's wood. Then in spring comes the splitting. Yet I can tell you I never lifted one of those rounds. It can be done but why would anyone want to lift them? My back certainly would not like it. And for what it is worth, my little weakling of a wife moved several of those rounds all by herself; rolling them of course.

Getting those up to a 6" height is quite easy. The way I would get them up the 6" is to lift only one end up then the other but never lift the whole thing! Many times getting a big round into a trailer I will set a small round behind the trailer then sort of step lift it. That is, first put one end on the round and then lift the other end (cant hooks can come in very helpful sometimes). Then put one end on the trailer and then the other end. You can amaze yourself sometimes how much you can move once you get the hang of it.

Whoaaa! Look at the size of those rounds. They make my "monsters" look petite. Thanks for the good pointers on lifting one end, then the other. I may be able to work that out, but getting one of these guys down the slope from the stack to the woodshed slowly enough to avoid having the round take the woodshed out when it hits will be fussy.

I do not, ever, try to lift stuff I can't lift or can only barely lift. I plan on using this back for another 20, 30 years or so.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Green American Elm
12" round 16" long = 55 lbs
14" ....................... = 75 lbs
16"........................ = 98 lbs

Heavier than green birch (my fire wood)
I have a bad back , so;
I went to a vertical splitter & roll 14" rs & above on the trailer. I don't lift them either

That vertical splitter looks mighty good right about now. But since I get my firewood c/s/d and hope I don't have too many more big trees that need to come down around my house in the next few years, it's probably not an investment that makes sense. Wish I knew somebody around here who had one I could borrow, though, that's for sure.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Whoaaa! Look at the size of those rounds. They make my "monsters" look petite. Thanks for the good pointers on lifting one end, then the other. I may be able to work that out, but getting one of these guys down the slope from the stack to the woodshed slowly enough to avoid having the round take the woodshed out when it hits will be fussy.

I do not, ever, try to lift stuff I can't lift or can only barely lift. I plan on using this back for another 20, 30 years or so.

I can just picture you rolling those rounds and praying the woodshed is still there when it is all done!

 

[gyrfalcon]

I have an almost unlimited supply of red elm to cut here in my neck of the world and yes it is very wet when cutting down a live tree. Before I bought a hyd. splitter several years ago I found the best thing to do was wait till the weather got good and cold, I mean freezing cold. Made the splitting so much easier. And I try not to fell any until the sap is not flowing. The red elm I cut seems to give up it's moisture pretty quick if left out to the elements. I seem to get alot of btu's outta elm but I've found it to burn alittle "dirty" when it comes to the chimney. It may just be the bark or the way my setup is?

Ah, good to know. That's what I was hoping, that it might be a fast dryer. This tree has been dead for a couple of years, but the main trunk is still holding onto its juices, especially the bottom few feet.

I'm just trying to figure out whether these big rounds will be enough easier to deal with a year from now to be worth waiting to get them split. If I do it now, I'll likely have to pay somebody to come do it, but if I can get them down my slope and onto the splitter myself, I won't have to spend $$ on it.

 

[gyrfalcon]

I can just picture you rolling those rounds and praying the woodshed is still there when it is all done!

I've had a couple of near misses bringing wood down from the stacks on the sled I use when there's snow on the ground. It would be embarrassing to be run over by a load of firewood, and doubly so if I take out the woodshed altogether. It's only about 50 feet and not all that steep a slope, but it's amazing how much speed stuff can pick up in a hurry.

 

[Woody Stover]

Stack those rounds to the side, then next time your wood guy delivers, see if he will split them for you (if he's experienced in manual splitting.) I've hand-split Red Elm but it's not easy like Ash or Red Oak. Not sure, but I think they are going to be easier to split now while they are wet. Otherwise, try when frozen as Butcher suggested.

 

[gyrfalcon]

Stack those rounds to the side, then next time your wood guy delivers, see if he will split them for you (if he's experienced in manual splitting.) I've hand-split Red Elm but it's not easy like Ash or Red Oak. Not sure, but I think they are going to be easier to split now while they are wet. Otherwise, try when frozen as Butcher suggested.

Well, the two strong young guys who took the tree down were quite sure they could split them by hand, but they could not and had to resort to using the chainsaw on the one they'd started. Maul/splitting axe just bounced off the d**n thing without making more than a dent, as if it were rock maple.

My wood guy is more of an entrepreneur than a woodsman himself, so his hand-splitting skills are pretty minimal. Frozen does sound like a good idea, though. At least that should put some nice cracks on the ends one might be able to get a couple of wedges into.