white elm ?

[sack3]

Has anybody ever made anything out of elmwood? i have a nice 12 ft. log that the blight killed last year and was wondering what could be made of it,any help? thanks,chris

[Andy Dingley]

Yes, useful stuff.

It's tough as old boots. The grain is wiggly and rather interlocked, so it's very, very strong in any section over 1/2". I've used a steam bending jig with a central spine of elm where we regularly beat on a thin section of it with big hammers. No problems with splitting, where I bet oak would have broken. It's particularly good for tricky short-grain sections on curves or protrusions.

It's traditionally used for seats bases on Windsor chairs. It'll carve to form the cheek-rests, it's strong enough to take the weight in bending a wide unsupported plank and it's tough enough cross grain not to break out if the leg holes are close to the edges. Elm blanks wide enough to make a seat base are hard to find and carry a premium price.

Not very good against rot, so it's no use for outdoor work, but is handy for coffins or coffin baseboards when you want them to rot quickly. Because of the coffin association, it's an unpopular furniture timber in the UK (Europe ?), certainly at the "posh" end of things.

Hard going to work it. Power tools help a lot. It doesn't wear tools especially fast (like teak), it just doesn't want to come apart.

Bugs love it, even when dry. Watch out for furniture beetles.

[patriarch]

[e-mail] wrote in news:27848-4144EABE-86@storefull-

3133.bay.webtv.net:

There was a nice piece made from elm in the recent furniture show that the Sonoma County (California) woodworkers' guild put on. It had a pleasing look to the grain, and the color was interesting and refined. The 'docent who wouldn't go away OR shut up' blathered on about the difficulty in working the wood. Sorry, I don't recall the maker, but the piece was definitely first rate.

Somewhere, I recall an association with wagon wheels or undercarriage parts, and Roy Underhill. Could be wrong, though. Wouldn't be the first time.

Patriarch

[Tom]

Chris wrote: >Has anybody ever made anything out of elmwood? i have a nice 12 ft. log

I made some small boxes. Tough stuff, lots of little knots. Rather pretty grain. Tom Work at your leisure!

[Andy Dingley]

Wheel hubs. They're more mortice than solid, and the mortices run every which way in relation to the grain. If you don't make them out of elm, they have a great tendency to either split in half or at least break out between the mortices.

(I know they're not really mortices when they're in a hub, but I've forgotten the proper name)

[Larry Jaques]

On Mon, 13 Sep 2004 03:44:09 GMT, patriarch calmly ranted:

It's quite similar in look to oak. Have you cut it into lumber yet, Sack?

The most attention I've seen given to elm is in George Sturt's "The Wheelwright's Shop". It can be very tough stuff.

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[sack3]

A many thanks to all for the great advice and pics.,i have a guy coming to saw this up into boards here in a couple of weeks and plan to use it to trim out my old house,thanks!chris

[sam]

I never have. But I remember my grandfather saying something about wooden wheels and barrels. I guess it bends well with soaking / steaming (?)

[George]

Doesn't split. Hubs a traditional use.

Cut two bowls out of fresh yesterday, and I'm glad my nose is stuffed.