American Elm

[Walnut Beast]

Very cool! Sounds like a good day for sure then back to the wind 💨. So enjoy! Post a picture of that later if you remember. Sounds good on the framing lumber. I'm going to do some cotton wood and elm also 

[Walnut Beast]

My father has told me that elm was often used for barn floors as it never became slippery - the grain stayed rough as it pulled out with wear. Safer for the animals and people.

Well it seems the old timers used it and Cottonwood for building and many of those buildings are still standing. Impressive!! We will find out how they behave and work. The elm with the twisted grain has opinions on how it behaves. As Cottonwood from both camps. Seems like several people have agreed that the dead standing Elm behaves the best. That's what I'll tackle and find out

[Don P]

Dead standing, spalted, etc ... and framing do not go in the same sentence  :-\.

Ox yokes was another use.

[doc henderson]

If it is all you have a hundred years ago, but not on purpose! :D :D :D  (framing lumber).

[WDH]

It was also used in wagon wheel hubs because it is so difficult to split.  

[Walnut Beast]

Dead standing, spalted, etc ... and framing do not go in the same sentence  :-\.

Ox yokes was another use.

I bet that dead standing elm is stronger than pine. Strength. American elm has a strength (MOR) of 11,800 psi, while rock elm has a strength of 14,800.  

Pine, Sugar	0.36	4,460
Pine, White	0.35	4,800
Pine, Yellow	0.59	8,470
Redwood	0.35	5,220

8 more rows.    
MOE and MOR
In the case of bending a beam, we are dealing with modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) to evaluate its load resistance. While MOE is a measure of the stiffness of a body, MOR is related to maximum strength that can be resisted by a member. Both are expressed as stress similar to most of the other mechanical properties of wood. The following two equations are used to calculate MOE and MOR of wood with a rectangular cross section:

[Nebraska]

 
 

 

 
Over done Red Elm by a Walnut slab both are air dried  so just wanted to see them.

Put it through my little lunchbox planer and wiped  some Tung oil finish on it.  Did it quick before we went to town to look at tile for the bathroom project that wasn't done by Easter  : .....Fully admit to only being a half fast carpenter.....

[WDH]

The wavy bands of latewood pores in elm makes for some striking grain. 

[moodnacreek]

Why do people like rotten wood? It is not rare.

[WDH]

Why do people eat raw fish?  People have different tastes.  Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  

[Andries]

I'll agree with WDH on two fronts: Elm is difficult, it has attitude.
Elm has a lot of beautiful grain.

[Walnut Beast]

Why do people like rotten wood? It is not rare.

Ask the people that buy rotted bug infested wood turned into various furniture from cutting boards to conference tables inlays with epoxy that  bring hundreds to thousands of dollars

[Nebraska]

Well as a consequence of my real job and its demands, I am perpetually behind.  I am not  sawing for profit  mostly for the challenge and learning that comes with it.  Logs dont have teeth,  hooves, or claws... They always listen to you but can kick and hurt you if you arent paying attention. That log was on the bottom end of a 2 year old pile luckily  the bugs had not ruined it, it was up on poles but checked and tired none the less ..I sawed it figuring to have a fair amount go on the slab rack for the stove next winter. Then it was kinda pretty so I figured it could go into the barn ceiling/flooring/sheeting pile.... wife liked it so now if I have enough it will go in an upstairs bathroom  as a wall covering...I don't intend for my wood  to spoil  some of it just does. ;)
 

[kelLOGg]

I'm up to bat next on elm. A neighbor has 3 logs about 25 to 30 inches dia. He wants a 2 to 3" table top. What are his chances of getting it? He would like live edge and doesn't mind putting edges together to make it. They are 12' long but his table plans are for a 4 or 5 ft square one.



 

 

[WDH]

Given their size, you could quartersaw one log with the center cuts from the log above and below the pith having live edges, and the other narrower boards that will be quartersawn (I would use Robert's Reverse Roll Quartersawing Technique aka RRRQST) so that the spiral grain behaves and the resulting dried lumber will be nice and flat. 

[kelLOGg]

I've had success with RRQS on big sycamore so I can try it on elm. Would you take 3 boards from the center? 1 containing the pith and one above and one below the pith? 

[boonesyard]

Yes, but take the pith out of the center slab before stacking to air dry. Elm is beastly enough to keep flat.