Anyone Burn Elm ...

[clemsonfor]

Sadly, the big elms that were on the streets where my Grandmother grew up in Modesto, Ca, are all gone. Disease hit some; the city took them all out. The front yard of the old family home looks naked without the big old tress I remember. I used to go with my Grandmother, to visit my great Grandmother frequently when I was a kid.

My wife and I were talking about it. Too bad so many cities created a monoculture along the streets and sidewalks, planting just one species of trees in a lot of cases.

I have not had the oppotunity to cut any. I can tell you though, the Gray Pine we have in the central Sierra foothils(called the gray pine belt...) are aweful to cut, and worse to split. And, worse to burn. Soft wood, but yucky grain and sap.

I did grow up at Elm and Hazel. In Orangevale, Ca, when founded, it was very agricultural. Many of the streets were named for trees; Elm, Hazel, Pecan, Chestnut, Almond...

in mccormick they have streets named for trees as well, i think that is faily commen for towns

 

[MossRoad]

Looking at the BTU chart, it looks to be fairly decent, not white oak category but not bad...


Which Firewood Give the Most Heat Firewood Guide BTU Rating Chart

Is it just me or is that about a lousy chart! :laughing: It is not organized in alphabetical, species, BTU, ratings or any other order that I can think of! :laughing:

Here's links to a couple more that are a bit more organized... :thumbsup:

Sweep's Library - Firewood BTU Comparison Charts

wood heat value (BTU)

 

[Car Doc]

I burn Elm all winter every year mostly because its so readily available plus I like it just fine. The stringiness is only because its green, buck it now and split it next year you will like it I bet and it splits like anything else at that point.

I leave my green wood lay intact and then come fall the following year I buck and split it and after a month of airing out its perfect to burn normally will be less than 5% moisture around my area its that way anyway.

 

[forgeblast]

man I wish i could find some morrels I keep looking. That lack of moisture to cool is a real issue, when I do cut dead wood i max my oil setting.

 

[scott_vt]

Is it just me or is that about a lousy chart! :laughing: It is not organized in alphabetical, species, BTU, ratings or any other order that I can think of! :laughing:

Good Evenin Moss,
Thanks that chart its much better, I saved it to my favorites !

I burn Elm all winter every year mostly because its so readily available plus I like it just fine. The stringiness is only because its green, buck it now and split it next year you will like it I bet and it splits like anything else at that point.

.

Good Evenin Car Doc,
Thanks for your input and tip !

 

[madpogue]

I burn Elm all winter every year mostly because its so readily available plus I like it just fine. The stringiness is only because its green, buck it now and split it next year you will like it I bet and it splits like anything else at that point.

+1; I have only a hand hydraulic (Horrible Freight) splitter, and just-bucked elm is a PITA with all that sinewy stringy stuff. Give it a year (keep it dry), and it'll split a lot smoother (still doesn't "pop" like oak).

 

[bdeboer]

It does a number on your chainsaw blades too.

I've got a couple of dead standing red elms that I have been putting off cutting just for this reason.

 

[DJ4wd]

Ive never even noticed a difference betwen dry and green wood when cutting it. I hand sharpen all my saws and always have the oiler turned up.

 

[Loren49]

I burned lots of elm years ago - it burns well when seasoned. Split it all with an ax years ago - it was not fun! Sure would have been nice to have have had my wood splitter back then.

Loren

 

[jimmyj]

I just remembered I used to wait till the middle of winter when the elm was frozen solid to split it back in the day when I used a maul. Frozen wood splits easier.