Got this score last week and was gung ho thinking it was dead elm mixed with some sugar maple and ash. Been told it splits easily when standing dead and wanna give it a try. Bucked a few rounds today and seemed too light in weight for dead elm from my little experience with it. Based on the end grain i think its catalpa. Only took a few smaller rounds and wont take more. Had some inner and outer punk. Does this happen on standing dead elm other than smaller limbs and trunk close to ground? Freshly bucked rounds Wood had a slight aroma, peculiar but pleasant. Ill add pics tomorrow of some splits.
Thanks. When i had stopped and looked quick i thought it was. Like ive said very little experience with dead elm. Most of the stuff ive cut had been smaller rounds. Are there certain characteristics for dead elm? Color, grain texture, spalting etc? Any pics?
Yes but hard to describe. If you saw it once you'd remember it. For sure we run into some spalting now and then simply because we leave the trees standing so long but the wood still is very good. The top of the tree then too is like a rock, but that makes it burn very nicely. I could, and have used 100% elm for a winter's heat.
Does not look like elm to me. I have some cottonwood here and some elm without bark and the only way I can tell the difference is when I put a saw into it or the weight. The cottonwood cuts a lot easier than elm.
It's so in the middle of so many possibilities. -Cedar I can see in the end grain, but I think you would recognize the smell -The bark and general anatomy could be catalpa -Willow is possible too and does have that feint smell hard to describe, but recognizable -elm is definitely out I'm leaning towards willow for the feint smell and outer grain on the cambium layer exposed by the broken off bark... but catalpa not far behind, its my second guess
The picture of the freshly bucked rounds, look like they could possibly be elm, but I wouldn’t bet my 266 on it.
I'm not all that familiar with catalpa. I have only seen those bean trees in the Niagara area of the province.
I’ll bet $1000 it’s elm. 12 years of tree experience.....have cut plenty of them down and pruned many more.
It is light weight. That was what made me question it when i bucked and lifted the few rounds i did cut. Still have to go back for the rest of the ash and what room (if any) i have left in PU ill take more. Pic is of the only catalpa (on right next to a sassafras) ive ever scrounged. The grain and texture remind me of sassafras which im very familiar with. Now that i look at this pic and see the bark it is catalpa. Compare with one log with some bark still attached in OP pics. Midwinter what does it burn like? I know its a SS wood. Is it like sassafras? I may give it to my friend where i store wood.
That uniform tan color of the splits is just like the southern catalpa I split yesterday. Splits like a dream unless there's a knot.
Just sent this thread to another tree guy, he got a good laugh out of it. Call a tree guy and have him come ID it. I just sent the thread to an arborist friend of mine and he got a good laugh out of the thread. Said it’s elm all day.
