# Uses for Elm wood?



## TangoDown3727 (Oct 13, 2013)

Hi everyone. I have been helping my Dad clear some trees on his property over the past couple months. They are Elm trees. As far back as I can remember, he has always called them "piss Elms" because they constantly weep liquid and they absolutely gush water when cut, they are very wet trees. I'm not sure of the actual type or name of these Elms but he asked me if the wood could be used for woodworking in any way? Especially for something like a gun stock or maybe furniture of some type? This has really had me curious. I could get a lot of board feet out of them but I'm sure they'd have to cure for a long time, at least a year I'm sure, before they could be used. They are obviously full of moisture. Does anyone have any experience working with this type wood and any ideas for best uses of it? Special considerations? I may rough cut some boards and hang on to them to see how they turn out. I'd appreciate any tips and info I could get. Thanks again!


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Dave, the only thing I know for sure is that red elm is used for bow (recurve, longbow) laminations and if that is true it must be springy.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

For what it's worth, my hardwood supplier _doesn't_ carry it, nor Elm plywood either.


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## Willway (Aug 16, 2012)

If you Google 'elm wood uses' they have some photos of some nice Elm furniture. I have never used it but this page has the description of its charismatics. I would say it is well worth milling.

Elm


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## Fraise (May 19, 2012)

Willway said:


> If you Google 'elm wood uses' they have some photos of some nice Elm furniture. I have never used it but this page has the description of its charismatics. I would say it is well worth milling.
> 
> Elm


Elm makes good flooring,almost un obtainable now here in the UK owing to Dutch Elm disease losses. But I think 1 year may be very short. I'd say more like 2-3.


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## del schisler (Feb 2, 2006)

i have cut and air dried some of it, it is nice lite brown color, and lot's of splinter's also, so if you use it watch for splinter's, i don't remember how long it was air dried , but i had other hard wood's to use so a long time, it is free why not get it ?


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

My (late) Father-in-law owned and operated a large business that manufactured church furniture. There was nothing that man couldn't make from wood. He was continuously complaining about old woods that are scarcely available: Chestnut and Elm. He dearly loved Elm. I've seen many pieces of furniture he had built from Elm and Chestnut - they were definitely beautiful species!
I remember him saying that nothing beat Elm for the rockers on a rocking chair - and he would often build the whole chair from Elm for a perfect color / grain match. 30 years ago, I had a business called Watertight Foundations. I had 18- full time employees. They were each hand picked and trained by me. Many contractors went to liquor stores to find extra physical help - I went to local weight-lifting gyms! I got some really good help and, of course some duds; once someone was considered "worth keeping" I would pay them for 40 hours per week - even if our workload was slow. We would take-on all kinds of projects for free - just so I could keep my guys busy. We did some wood splitting. We were great at splitting wood! Some of my guys were human forklifts! An old man in my neighborhood came to me with a request for me and my guys to come and split two trees that he had paid someone to drop and cut into firewood lengths. One tree was a Red Oak. With sledges and wedges and "go-devils" (mauls), we had his red oak split and stacked exactly where he wanted it in a brief while. Then we went to the Elm. We stayed with that elm for a very lllllllooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg time! That is one of the toughest woods to split that I have ever seen. We have another very common wood here in Georgia called Sweetgum. Sweetgum is also quite difficult to split.

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## andysden (Aug 9, 2011)

If you were ner me my neibour is lookin for all the large logs he canfind as it turns on a lathe to make beautiful bowls and platters . usually lets it spalled he also rough turns green and paints ends to pervent splitting . just sold one for 300.00 Andy


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## Keith Hodges (Apr 30, 2013)

Your right about Sweetgum. It's also worth absolutely nothing except to burn where you drop it. If you burn in your fireplace, you'll gum it up beyond repair. I've got tons of Sweetgum seeds if you'd like to plant some for shade trees, but watch for falling limbs, their everywhere! :0)


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## routergieck (Feb 11, 2013)

I used a lot of elm many years ago when it was plentiful in the stores. Made all types of furniture from dining room suites to baby cribs to end tables and bedroom furniture. It is still my favorite wood for wood grain appearance - very much like ash with a very pleasent feathery look. It is not the easiest wood to work with as it has a tendency to tear out when planing or routing against the grain and is a little more open pored than most hardwoods but gives a terrific hard finished product. It is very difficult to find nowadays so I would try to salvage what you can. I dont know how you plan to dry it but it is also not a straight grained wood and the boards I used were often bent and or twisted so I would also concentrate or keeping the lumber very straight when drying.
Dennis


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## 64 ford (Apr 21, 2013)

Dave
Here in Minnesota there are very few Elm trees left after Dutch Elm disease went through.What everyone else said about the properties of Elm are correct.We used quite a bit for firewood and split it with a hydraulic splitter and it was tough to split and extremely stringy and splintery.
A good rule of thumb for hardwoods is one year per inch of thickness to air dry.I use that for a starting point and then check with a moisture tester for what I need.
Red Elm makes a lot of nice furniture etc. but I think that piss elm is not quite as good -but it's free and you have it so go for it.
One word of caution-if these trees were where there was possibly a fence or someone could of possibly put some metal into the trees ,check with a good metal detector because band blades and circular saw inserts are very expensive.Even so a guy sawing some crotch lumber for me hit a porcelain insulator and ruined a band blade .
Regards Dennis


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## Yeoman (May 20, 2013)

A very tough wood and good when wet, but be sure it's all wet or it will twist up . For hundreds of years it has been used as lock gates on the narrow canals here in the UK.


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## tediam (Mar 1, 2009)

Better ask your county extension agent about elm. Here in Mn we can't even burn it. Dutch elm disease is rampant and everywhere you look there are red-Xed elms marked for death. The dump is massive full of felled elm.


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Never, ever, turn down free wood. IF you can't use it for anything else, you can always make bonfires with it.


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## TangoDown3727 (Oct 13, 2013)

Thanks so much to everyone for all of the advice and tips! Great info indeed. I appreciate it! One way or another I had planned to use it, if only for fire wood, but now I think I will make up some board feet to dry and eventually I will test drive some of it for a couple projects and see how it turns out! Thanks again!


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## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Dave the Elm your Dad called piss elm is because it smells like piss and is a very wet wood. Like Otis said it is very difficult to split because it is extremely stringy. The boards will twist and warp as it dries so sticker it good. I have made furniture from Red Elm and it has a red color like Red Oak. It is common to have Red Elm and Piss elm growing together, so if you come across Red Elm be sure to save it.


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## TangoDown3727 (Oct 13, 2013)

Knot working said:


> Dave the Elm your Dad called piss elm is because it smells like piss and is a very wet wood. Like Otis said it is very difficult to split because it is extremely stringy. The boards will twist and warp as it dries so sticker it good. I have made furniture from Red Elm and it has a red color like Red Oak. It is common to have Red Elm and Piss elm growing together, so if you come across Red Elm be sure to save it.


Is the Red Elm as wet of a tree as the piss Elm? What are the best ways to differentiate those species? I noticed that some of the trees did have a bit of a redish tinge to them although it may have been because the wood was so saturated. I will have to investiage this further. Thanks for the tip!


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## TangoDown3727 (Oct 13, 2013)

Knot working said:


> Dave the Elm your Dad called piss elm is because it smells like piss and is a very wet wood. Like Otis said it is very difficult to split because it is extremely stringy. The boards will twist and warp as it dries so *sticker it good.* I have made furniture from Red Elm and it has a red color like Red Oak. It is common to have Red Elm and Piss elm growing together, so if you come across Red Elm be sure to save it.


I apologize, but what do you mean by "Sticker it good"? This will prevent some of the twisting/warping? drying wood for boards is quite a new arena for me. But I'm interested in learning all I can.


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

Dave...

A while back I went to a local book store and picked up a couple books on identifying local tree's. In my case, "Tree's of Pennsylvania". Try a search engine for your state. I was amazed at just how much info. was/is out there. I used the book extensively when I first got it, now I spend a good deal of time with my grandson "figuring out"  what a specific tree is.


Sticking your wood is placing small, same sized strips of wood between boards as you stack the wood to dry. This allows for even airflow between the boards during the drying process.


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## TangoDown3727 (Oct 13, 2013)

TwoSkies57 said:


> Dave...
> 
> A while back I went to a local book store and picked up a couple books on identifying local tree's. In my case, "Tree's of Pennsylvania". Try a search engine for your state. I was amazed at just how much info. was/is out there. I used the book extensively when I first got it, now I spend a good deal of time with my grandson "figuring out"  what a specific tree is.
> 
> ...


Oh, "STICKING". I got it now. I do know what that is. When he said "Sticker" it threw me off. Thanks! And I will certainly look into some books about local tree identification. I would find that very useful indeed. Excellent idea, thanks again!


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Oh yeah, one other thing about Elm for rocking chairs - it must bent while green and clamped into that posture until completely dry - which can take years. I never heard of my late Father-in-Law refer to any kind of "stinky-smelling Elm" - so I will venture to guess that he used Red Elm (and it did look like Red Oak).

Speaking of stinky wood, there is an Oak down here called the "BlackJack Oak" - it smells SO BAD - you will think a sick dog had an accident on your lip! Burning it is almost a guaranteed divorce decree. Occasionally, wooden pallets are made with it. Bloodhounds are not necessary to figure-out which ones contain BlackJack Oak!

Back to Sweetgum, it is more trouble to split than it is worth for firewood, IMHO; however it can be cut green and stacked securely and make great siding planks. My Dad built a deer-hunting cabin, which is still in our family. He put siding that he had made in this manner and it is still there, as tough as ever - 45 years later.
On some of our family's land in central Georgia, we had a forest fire that wiped-out approximately 4 acres. There were all types of native to the area trees there and the only thing left standing were about 20- (leafless) sweetgum trees. Everyone of them were bowed until their tops were touching the ground. We assumed they would die soon. The next spring - every one of those Sweetgums were standing tall and proud - with huge oaks, hickories, pines, dogwoods, etc. lying dead on the ground!

I know of people that have completely "ringed" sweetgum - and it appears to have no ill affects whatsoever. A good friend invited us over when his wife turned 40. When we arrived, he met us in the driveway. Walking up his driveway I commented on a Sweetgum about 12-15 inches in diameter. I asked what had caused the ugly damage to the tree? He replied that he had been "ringing" that tree for 5 years and it still seemed healthy. His ring was about 4 feet above the ground and at least 2 inches deep all the way around that tree. His entire ring was well through all of the outer layers (bark, cambium, xylum, etc.) and well into stringy wood. The visible wood was dry and brittle, but the tree was fully leafed-out with considerable new growth! How's that for resilient?

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## stepfastflooring (Mar 19, 2014)

Elm wood is resistance to splitting and it uses in wheels, chair seats


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Boxes, baskets, furniture, hockey sticks, veneer, wood pulp, and paper making, furniture, hardwood dimension, flooring, construction and mining timbers, sheet metal work, wheel hubs, railroad ties, ship-building, keels, bilge planks, the blocks and dead eyes of rigging and ship's pumps, coffins, wheels, turned articles and general carpenter's work. 

Elm boards are largely used for lining the interior of carts, wagons and wheelbarrows on account of the extreme toughness of the wood, and it has been much employed in the past for making sheds, most of the existing farm buildings being covered with elm. Previous to the common employment of cast-iron, Elm was very much in use for water pipes.

The inner bark is very tough and is made into mats and ropes. The leaves and young shoots have been found a suitable food for live stock. fence posts, sills, crates, pallets, cooperage, decorative plywood and veneer, farm vehicles, food containers, and interior trim.

Elm bark makes an ideal birch bark substitute for anyone contemplating fashioning his own primitive canoe. When cut into long strips and soaked in water until soft and pliable, the inner bark is as easy to work with as leather, and can readily be woven into baskets, pack baskets, and tough, long-lasting chair seats. Once dried, baskets woven from this material are just as durable as those crafted from split oak or ash.

The dried and powdered inner bark of the elm tree was found to have an array of medicinal uses. Moistened with water and used as a poultice, this powdered bark was used as a toothache remedy and to draw out splinters, thorns, embedded shotgun pellets, and boils. It also was commonly used as a pain-relieving and infection-preventing poultice for gunshots and other serious wounds. Brewed into a rather thick and bland-tasting tea, the elm’s inner bark was even found to be mighty useful in facilitating a woman’s labor also it's a tonic, demulcent, astringent and a diuretic.

This same tea was used by professional singers and speakers, due to its throat-soothing effects. This same inner bark tea has also proven helpful in aiding everything from simple upset stomach and indigestion, to coughs, stomach ulcers, pleurisy, pneumonia, diarrhea, constipation, and dysentery.

A salve made by mixing this inner bark powder with water, mineral oil, or even lard proved soothing and promoted healing when applied to fresh wounds, skin ulcers, burns, and scalds. Throughout much of our country’s pioneer era, small amounts of this same powder was frequently mixed into rendered lard, tallow, and other fat to prevent its going rancid.

Additionally, this inner bark is highly nutritious and soothing. In some regions it is still made into a thick broth or porridge, used for feeding severely debilitated folks during convalescence. This powdered bark, simmered until thickened and flavored with chicken or other stock, or with mashed fruit or a little sugar added to give it some taste, can even be used as an excellent baby food, especially good for infants who suffer from colic. Works rapidly to relieve diarrhea or constipation.

The wood is also used for the hubs of wagon wheels and hockey sticks, as it is very shock resistant, owing to the wood's interlocking grain. It is also used for making bows, as it is both strong and flexible.

It's about on a par with oak as a firewood (as long as the pieces don’t need to be split, that is!).


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Stick!

That was a FANTASTIC report! ..And it reminded me of something else along those same lines... 



> Additionally, this inner bark is highly nutritious and soothing. In some regions it is still made into a thick broth or porridge, used for feeding severely debilitated folks during convalescence. This powdered bark, simmered until thickened and flavored with chicken or other stock, or with mashed fruit or a little sugar added to give it some taste, can even be used as an excellent baby food, especially good for infants who suffer from colic. *Works rapidly to relieve diarrhea or constipation.*


I have been told this is the reason for the term "slippery elm" - do you knnow if this is true or wive's tale?

Otis Guillebeau from Auburn, Georgia


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

opg3 said:


> stick!
> 
> That was a fantastic report! ..and it reminded me of something else along those same lines...
> 
> ...


diik...


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

OPG3 said:


> Stick!
> 
> That was a FANTASTIC report! ..And it reminded me of something else along those same lines...
> 
> ...


---Description---The Slippery Elm is a small tree abundant in various parts of North America.

The branches are very rough, the leaves long, unequally toothed, rough with hairs on both sides, the leaf-buds covered with a dense yellow Wool. The flowers are stalkless.

The inner bark has important medicinal value and is an official drug of the United States Pharmacopoeia.

The bark, which is the only part used, is collected in spring from the bole and larger branches and dried. Large quantities are collected, especially in the lower part of the state of Michigan. As the wood has no commercial value, the tree is fully stripped and consequently dies.

The bark as it appears in commerce for use in medicine consists only of the inner bark or bast and is sold in flat pieces 2 to 3 feet long and several inches wide, but only about 1/8 to 1/16 of an inch in thickness. It is very tough and flexible, of a fine fibrous texture, finely striated longitudinally on both surfaces, the outer surface reddish-yellow, with patches of reddish brown, which are part of the outer bark adhering to the inner bast. It has an odour like Fenugreek and a very mucilaginous, insipid taste. The strips can be bent double without breaking: if broken, the rough fracture is mealy, strongly but finely fibrous. The clean transverse section shows numerous medullary rays and altemate bands of bast parenchyma, thus giving it a chequered appearance. A section moistened and left for a few minutes, and again examined, shows large swollen mucilage cells.

The powdered bark is sold in two forms: a coarse powder for use as poultices and a fine powder for making a mucilaginous drink. The disintegrated bark forms, when moistened, a flexible and spongy tissue, which is easily moulded into pessaries, teats, and suppositories.

It is recommended that ten-year-old bark should be used.

The powder should be greyish or fawncoloured. If dark or reddish, good results will not be obtained. The powdered bark is said to be often adulterated with damaged flour and other starchy substances.

---Constituents---The principal constituent of the bark is the mucilage contained in large cells in the bast. This mucilage is very similar to that found in linseed. It is precipitated by solutions of acetate and subacetate of lead, although not by alcohol The mucilage does not dissolve, but only swells in water and is so abundant that 10 grains of the powdered bark will make a thick jelly with an ounce of water.

Microscopic examination of the tissue of the bark shows round starch grains and very characteristic twin crystals of Calcium oxalate. 

Slippery elm is a tree. The inner bark (not the whole bark) is used as medicine.

People take slippery elm for coughs, sore throat, colic, diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), bladder and urinary tract infections, syphilis, herpes, and for expelling tapeworms. It is also used for protecting against stomach and duodenal ulcers, for colitis, diverticulitis, GI inflammation, and too much stomach acid. Slippery elm is also taken by mouth to cause an abortion.

Slippery elm is applied to the skin for wounds, burns, gout, rheumatism, cold sores, boils, abscesses, ulcers, toothaches, sore throat, and as a lubricant to ease labor.

In manufacturing, slippery elm is used in some baby foods and adult nutritionals, and in some oral lozenges used for soothing throat pain.

How does it work?

Slippery elm contains chemicals that can help soothe sore throats. It can also cause mucous secretion which might be helpful for stomach and intestinal problems.

Overview

Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) has been used as an herbal remedy in North America for centuries. Native Americans used slippery elm in healing salves for wounds, boils, ulcers, burns, and skin inflammation. It was also taken orally to relieve coughs, sore throats, diarrhea, and stomach problems.

Slippery elm contains mucilage, a substance that becomes a slick gel when mixed with water. It coats and soothes the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines. It also contains antioxidants that help relieve inflammatory bowel conditions. Slippery elm also causes reflux stimulation of nerve endings in the gastrointestinal tract leading to increased mucus secretion. The increased mucus production may protect the gastrointestinal tract against ulcers and excess acidity.

There has been little scientific research on slippery elm, but it is often suggested for the following conditions:

Sore throat
Cough
Gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD)
Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrom (IBS)
Diarrhea
Wounds, burns, boils, psoriasis, and other skin conditions (external)

Plant Description

Slippery elm is a medium-sized tree native to North America. It can reach well over 50 feet in height and is topped by spreading branches that form an open crown. The red, brown, or orange branches grow downward, and the stalkless flowers are arranged in dense clusters. The plant's leaves are long and green, and they darken in color during the fall. The bark has deep fissures, a gummy texture, and a slight but distinct odor.

Parts Used

The inner bark is dried and powdered, and used for medicinal purposes.

Available Forms

Available forms of slippery elm include the following:

Tablets and capsules
Lozenges
Finely powdered bark for making teas or extracts
Coarsely powdered bark for poultices

How to Take It

Pediatric

Give slippery elm to a child only under the supervision of a knowledgeable practitioner. Dosage is usually dependent on weight.

Adult

The following are recommended adult doses for slippery elm:

Tea: Pour 2 cups boiling water over 4 g (roughly 2 tablespoons) of powdered bark, then steep for 3 - 5 minutes. Drink 3 times per day.
Tincture: 5 mL 3 times per day. Note: Contains alcohol.
Capsules: 400 - 500 mg 3 - 4 times daily for 4 - 8 weeks. Take with a full glass of water.
Lozenges: follow dosing instructions on label.
External application: Mix coarse powdered bark with boiling water to make a poultice; cool and apply to affected area. Never apply slippery elm to an open wound.

Precautions

The use of herbs is a time honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, can trigger side effects and can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care, under the supervision of a health care provider.

Slippery elm has no serious side effects. Because it coats the digestive tract, it may slow down the absorption of other drugs or herbs. You should take slippery elm 2 hours before or after other herbs or medications you may be taking.

Scientists think slippery elm is safe in pregnancy and during breastfeeding, but no scientific studies have been done to confirm this. In fact, some herbalists believe that slippery elm can cause miscarriage. The outer bark of the elm tree may contain substances that could increase the risk of miscarriage, so sometimes pregnant women are advised to avoid slippery elm. Do not take any herbal supplements when pregnant or breastfeeding unless you're under the supervision of a physician.

Possible Interactions

There are no scientific reports of slippery elm interacting with any other medications, although it may slow down the absorption of other drugs or herbs (see "Precautions" section).


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## wendymacguire (Apr 29, 2014)

It is challenge to work with, but responds well to steam bending.


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## twinton (Jul 28, 2014)

Sir
As with all types of wood, there are many different types. Two years ago I was able to get several logs from an American Elm, it has beautiful wood grain. I had them milled and air dried them for two years. A good rule of thumb is for every inch of thickness requires a year of air drying. If you intend to use it indoors you will need to kiln dry it as air drying will only go to about 12%. With your type of elm, it is very hard and working it can be harder to work than other hard woods. Good luck


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