This is my first roadside elm score, and the first that was 100% healthy with no tracks from elm bark beetles. I spotted it over the weekend a couple miles from home. After a couple days of deliberation, I decided to go for it tonight. It had just got done raining heavily as I was pulling up. The extra sausage 029 Stihl made quick work of it, as I scrambled to keep my footing on the steep bank. Not ideal cutting conditions but I left unhurt. There’s still the larger trunk and limb sections, which I hope to get on a dry day. Very humid here at the moment but at least the much-needed rain brought with it some cooler temperatures. Forgive me for not loading the bed to the top of the cab; it’s only a little Chevy Colorado Tonight’s progress: What’s left:
I’d get a couple hundred more bags of popcorn if I were you… enough to hold you over until next summer
This is true, but it’s all part of my latent 3 year plan. One year in the round, followed by at least two summers in the stacks before it sees my stove. I’m into making firewood more than I’m into making gnarly hair balls that resemble firewood In the meantime I still have plenty of primo red and white oak, black locust, sugar maple, etc.
Here's a few from earlier this year. Not exactly splitting, however. The new believer was Sirchopsalot. I guess it was Sirswingsalot! We even turned it over before returning to it's stack of other elm rounds.
Working it like that is an uphill battle. Having a knot in that one end of the round (second picture) on top of being green wood, makes for an exercise in futility. I get why the stuff has a bad name. It really isn't that horrible when it's dead wood or has been sitting a while though. I became an elm believer a couple winters ago when I tried some that a buddy had lying around for a while. For me the end results in my stove are worth the wait.
I think elm produces really good heat. A lot of elm I've had has been small enough to not need splitting. When it did need to be split I would let it partially dry and split it when frozen.
Great.. meh. It's below half way down the BTU charts so I'm not sure great is the proper adjective. I guess if it's the best in your area, . I burned almost all shagbark hickory for a winter. That was great heat.
I grew up heating with shagbark hickory, so I'm well aware. I also think the BTU charts might be a bit off with some woods, and elm is definitely one of them.
Never a doubt in my mind Eric. Cant believe you had to deliberate with your inner hoarder! Nice grab and get the rest ASAP!
You need a couple of the aluminum Oregon splitting grenades for Elm.You may find them on ebay since they don't make them anymore.Get three if you can they can handle elm.
