I am cutting a good bit for a customer, and in the logs was this. He had told me to cut the log into one by sixes to use for lathing on a shop. He said it was ellem. I was working it down when he called to say he was on his way to pick up several other bundles I had ready and I told him I was going to wait until he got to the mill to finish this log up, as it was too pretty to use for lath.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18028/20190516_150924.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1558059076)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18028/20190516_150846.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1558059943)
He agreed when he seen it. I took the rest of the log off the mill and will show it to a wood worker that is coming by saturday to look at the rest of the lof. There is still three inches above the pith of the remaining log. It will have one straight edge and one live edge. Question is .... is this elm. It is from a dead tree and was very hard, esp. on any knots. Had to sharpen and set a fresh blade to get it to cut straight through a knot.
There was no bark on this log, and it had started to spalt. Any help would be appreciated. Banjo
Looks like sweetgum. Elm is ring porous with large earlywood pores and small latewood pores giving the flat sawn board strong grain with distinct "cathedrals" like in oak or ash. Sweetgum is diffuse porous and has little "grain". Also, if you make a clean slice on the end grain with a razor knife, if elm, the latewood pores will be arranged in wavy bands like these:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wavy+bands+of+latewood+pores+in+elm&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=a7FIPfbYH-HLtM%253A%252Cr4x2yC8qi0J8LM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kSPph4yL00L7IaXPLgmg8Vv3wIo3A&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjfwZ39wqLiAhVEU98KHaD-B4QQ9QEwAnoECAcQBg#imgrc=a7FIPfbYH-HLtM:
Look for the wavy bands.
Sure looks like elm, too bad it wasn't fresh, the stains kind of spoil it in my eyes. When elm is finished and sanded with fine sand paper there is no mistaking it, absolutely beautiful. The interlocking grain reflects different from most other wood.
I will try to put a razor knife to the end tomorrow. I just now got in the house...been run ragged the last few days. This being retired is tough, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Banjo
Quote from: Banjo picker on May 17, 2019, 09:31:41 PM
I will try to put a razor knife to the end tomorrow. I just now got in the house...been run ragged the last few days. This being retired is tough, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Banjo
Yeah, I'm retired also, never had so much work. Been working til dark with the nice weather.
here is a chunk of live edge elm with poly only for finish. friends fireplace area (electric)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/51041/58E5AD7A-105B-4498-85B1-591D920521AF.jpeg?easyrotate_cache=1558172955)
Here's some American elm.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/SD_WoodgrainID2.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11009/SD_WoodGrain_ID.jpg)
The living room of the old farm house was panelled in elm.
That is the "strong" grain" and "cathedrals" that I was referring to.
Banjo's "ellem" above is Sweetgum and would make excellent lathing. Unless QS, sadly not much else. :-\
I hate to disagree with folks that I highly respect, but I have sawed a lot of sweetgum, and I don't think this is sweetgum. I use to cut cross ties and that was my main wood. The man whose log it was said it was in the edge of his yard, and I am pretty sure he knows what a sweetgum is, as he has live here all his life. I have heard my dad and others talk about ellum, but I never bothered to learn about what it was at the time. I did cut a little of the end of the log with my knife and it does have pores in the rings. A man that builds tables was here today and he made an offer on the remains of the log to the owner and he accepted it. He is going to have me cut it into three inch slabs and make a table out of the widest pieces. Banjo
Quote from: Banjo picker on May 18, 2019, 10:14:38 PMI hate to disagree with folks that I highly respect, but
Nothing wrong with disagreeing, especially when you are correct. That wood looks so bland with no discernible wood grain which says diffuse porous. How about Black Gum or Tupelo Gum?