Got a call on some Elm logs, looks like around 20". I've never cut any, how does it cut or how does the wood do, maybe cutting into live edge slabs?
In my experience it cuts very easily but usually has a lot of tension. It can be a very beautiful wood.
I just sawed about 700 bd ft of elm into 2" slabs. It was quite easy on my saw and blades compared to white oak. It seems to have a pretty high moisture content, mine isn't dry yet, but no problems thus far.
Elm has spiral grain like sweetgum and sycamore. Can be difficult to dry straight and flat. Beautiful grain, though.
Elm is a "restless" wood, it like to move around a lot as it dries. It's pretty easy to saw, but when it's green, it's heavy as lead. It also has a very characteristic bird feather grain pattern, very nice looking. We sell a decent amount of it. Put a lot of effort into centering pith and watching for stress because elm has a pretty high potato chip factor as it dries, with lots of movement and potentially lots of culls.
It has a reputation for moving as it dries. Probably best to saw it a little oversize. Means you have the meat to joint and plane a board straight again after it dries.
Once dry it's a strong and nice looking hardwood, great for furniture etc.
It saws really nice when fresh cut, I don't know about after it dries!
It is tough and very hard to split. They used to make wood wagon wheels out of it. The latewood pores are arranged in distinctive wavy bands.