Surprise!

[schlot]

Found a nice dead standing tree to take down. All the leaves were gone, almost all the bark was gone too, but nice and dry. How could I go wrong!? Unfortunately I didn't take a look at the bark that was still on the tree before I cut what I took on the first load.

Here she is, sitting along a creek on a farm field.



I took just a few main branches down first and brought them to my house to stack for this season. Most of my first load consisted of small diameter stuff except for about a dozen rounds that needed to be split.

I grabbed my maul and gave it a wack expecting the first round to fly apart...after all it's nice and dry, it should split nice, right?

WRONG!



This was the nicest split I got, the rest were much more knarly. I searched through the load to see if there was any bark and finally found a small amount still attached. My guess is elm.



Any other guesses?

 

[oldspark]

Yep.

 

[TimJ]

+1 elm

 

[schlot]

Odd, I swear the elm I split by hand a few weeks ago from a live tree was easier to split then this dead stuff.

I do know the rest of the tree goes to the yard that has my gas splitter.

 

[HDRock]

Odd, I swear the elm I split by hand a few weeks ago from a live tree was easier to split then this dead stuff.

That's been my experience to but, also depends on how the tree grew

 

[firefighterjake]

Hehheh . . . first pic I saw I thought was elm . . . and then I saw the split. Yeah, elm. Still makes BTUs . . .

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Odd, I swear the elm I split by hand a few weeks ago from a live tree was easier to split then this dead stuff.

I do know the rest of the tree goes to the yard that has my gas splitter.

You did well Schlot. We've burned tons of that stuff. As it is I'd be betting the top third of that tree can be burned right now so by fall you'll be really happy. On the splitting, they will definitely split better when dead rather than splitting from a live tree. The fact that this is a tree that is out in the open vs one grown in the woods will make it a bit tougher to split. So on this, I'd advise to not split any more than necessary. You'll also find that elm, if cut when dead, will tend to burn best in the round. The trouble with splitting it is the stringy stuff, which will dry super dry and as soon as you put it into the stove it will act like kindling wood.

By the size of that tree, if it were mine I would split very, very little of it. You'll definitely get better results. Good luck. After you find out how good it is, you may be looking for more! Especially if you find some with all or almost all the bark already off. Those are the best.

 

[NortheastAl]

You just reminded me I've still got a wedge stuck in a piece of Elm. That wood is the worst to split.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Not so strange at all Al. I've stuck a few wedges in elm at times. That is why I always had 3 wedges. It is also common to use 2 wedges right together so as to split the wood wider. It works. But never drive one wedge in all the way then try your only other wedge in another spot. That way you end up with 2 stuck wedges. Yup. Been there too.

 

[NortheastAl]

Dennis, I only had one wedge. Drove it down with the sledge and there it stuck. I haven't gotten around to getting more wedges, and I just looked at that piece of Elm this afternoon. Well, gotta go to Home Depot tomorrow, anyway.

 

[NortheastAl]

Forgot to say that the reason we had to use the wedge is that the Elm laughed at the five ton splitter. Never thought I'd get beat by wood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Don't forget Al that all wedges are not the same. Some have very little taper while others have more. Having one with little taper is good but I like 2 of the fatter wedges.

In over 20 years with our 20 ton splitter I threw one piece of elm on the brush pile as I did not figure it worth the time to mess with it. The wedge did not go through on the first 2 tries so I just threw it. Perhaps I could have split it but it just was not worth it to me. After all, at the time I had about 25 cord already stacked. So one piece didn't make much difference. If I get another like that, probably it will have the same outcome.

 

[BrotherBart]

I miss member Warren. Haven't seen him around in years but virtually every post contained "I hate Elm!".

 

[NortheastAl]

There's a thread somewhere about a black powder wedge. The video is cool looking with the splits flying apart. Might have to make one.

The wedge that got stuck is one of those that have a twist to it. I only had a couple a three pieces of Elm in the load I got from the town after storm cleanup. The rest of them are going to rot before I try 'em again.

 

[NortheastAl]

I miss member Warren. Haven't seen him around in years but virtually every post contained "I hate Elm!".

Smart man, Bart. He knew when he was beat. Didn't Dutch Elm Disease wipe out most of these nightmares?

 

[Gark]

You can really have fun with elm when all 3 of your wedges get stuck and then you (gingerly) try to cut them out with the saw.

 

[paul bunion]

Smart man, Bart. He knew when he was beat. Didn't Dutch Elm Disease wipe out most of these nightmares?

Dutch Elm got that one too. You can see the larve did under the bark on one of those pictures.

 

[clemsonfor]

Yep I looked at that first pic u posted and was like "oh no that's an Elm "

 

[clemsonfor]

Those sticking wedges you can always noodle it.

 

[firefighterjake]

Smart man, Bart. He knew when he was beat. Didn't Dutch Elm Disease wipe out most of these nightmares?

They're still around . . . around here most seem to grow to a certain size/age and then die off from the disease . . . but we have had some trees that have lasted much longer.

Honestly, I don't mind elm . . . but I can only say that since I have a hydraulic splitter . . . I think I would have a whole other view point if I split with a maul.

 

[clemsonfor]

I'd never get it if I did not have access to hydro or could rent one. Unless it was the size I could burn the rounds I'd leave those lay! I've done that with sweetgum. Cut every thing I could burn round and left the rest.

 

[oldspark]

For some reason I always had good luck with Elm rounds, seemed to dry nicely.

 

[clemsonfor]

Oh yea they dry fast and well but the splitter has to basically cut/rip through them. Some I had were so springy I had to cut them the rest of the way with an axe or the saw! That's off a hydro splitter!

 

[ScotO]

I love burning elm......and don't mind splitting it either (with hydraulics, that is). I used to split it by hand, that stringy chit will make you hate burning if you're stuck splitting large quantities by hand. Lots of medium sized elm trees in the farm, most of 'em dead, I take a couple out every winter.

 

[blujacket]

I pass on Elm. I battled some last year, and won't pick up any again.