Yesterday I unloaded about 600 bd ft of Red Elm out of the kiln. Didnt turn out quite as well as exspected. I think I should have let it air dry first for a while. Red Elm seems like its got a mind of its own..... :) The boards took on all kinds of shape, twist , bowed, some looked like a roller coaster. I can salvage about 400 bd ft, providing I use it 6 - 8 ft. lengths. I ran one piece thru the planer, and the grain pattern is out of this world. Appears to be some beautiful lumber. Sure doesnt dry like that Cherry
how did you dry it?
Don't go throwing it away or burning it. I don't saw lumber, I buy what I need for my woodworking hobby. I don't know about everyone else, but I really hate long lumber. I rarely have a need for anything longer than 4 feet. I keep a bit of 8 foot long lumber around but really prefer to buy 6 foot long and under. If you think it's of no use, run an add in th epaper selling shorts on the cheap. Don't bother to cut it up, just tell the buyer that it's full length but not all useable. You'll have a customer for life.
Thats a good idea, for the Red Elm has some interesting grain patterns not normally found in other wood. I can imagine what a hope chest would look like constructed out of it. I might try and mill a few pieces down, I wish I had sawed it 5/4 , I would have probally been able to mill it down to 3/4 without any problems
I don't have a kiln right now, but alot of my customers do. One in particular buys all the red elm I get. This is what he does. He stacks with one foot spacing between stickers and air dries it for three years or so, with alot of weight on the pile. He doesn't touch the pile for at least three years. Then he puts it in his solar kiln. His theory is that three or more years of air drying helps equalize the lumber in some way and prevents alot of bowing and twisting. He has some degrade, but not as much as if he put it right in the kiln. Once it's out of the kiln it makes some of the prettiest projects you kind find.
I appreciate the advice, and I think that is what is needed to dry Red Elm properly. Its definely got a totally different grain pattern, Ive used Red Elm in the past for firewood, using a wood splitter it normally takes around 5oo lbs of pressure to split locust, cherry, etc. When I split Elm , I have seen the gauage go up to 1500 lbs. instead of it splitting, it just tears apart. After I sawed a few of the Red Elm logs, I was so surprised of the color and grain patterns, I think thats the reason I put it in the Kiln, alittle to anxious. The lumber I do have can probally be milled down and still be able to make some nice projects. Thanks for the suggestions , I still have a few Red Elm logs left , and when I do saw them , I will definely let it air dry for a few years.
I have heard of old timers around here drying elm in the log for a year or more before sawing.
Will