Dutch Elm

[HowardM]

Hello,
Just had an Elm felled.
Is the wood usable.? the colour looks dramatic inside.
Some of the branches were like balsa, but the trunk is heavy.

thanks
Howard

 

[ED65]

What were you hoping to do with any wood you might get from the tree?

The wood is potentially useful if not too weakened by the fungal attack, but there's lots of advice online from various government bodies around the world saying that DED-affected wood should be burned for the safety of the other elms in the vicinity. If you want to keep some regardless, deffo debark it and burn or bury the bark.

 

[bourbon]

If it's a decent size, offer it to a wheelwright. Elm was the wood of choice for the hub. I know that a couple of guys can't get hold of it as it's in such short supply

 

[Sideways]

It was explained to me that Dutch Elm disease doesn't affect trees until they reach a certain size - I forget exactly what. It is to do with the bark neededing to reach a minimum thickness before the tree will be infected.
So if this was a young, small tree, it could be disease free.

 

[CHJ]

It was explained to me that Dutch Elm disease doesn't affect trees until they reach a certain size - I forget exactly what. .........

Basically if it's reached natural headgerow height, say 5-6 mtrs. is the usual max around here, luky if you see 75mm diameter on new growth.

 

[Argus]

Thirty-odd years ago, Elm was being felled all over the country due to the Dutch Elm disease, which basically attacked the bark. At that time there was a glut of Elm, you couldn't give it away, mostly and the bulk of it ,even if affected was perfectly usable. A visual indication was a lack of bark when the boards were cut and random striation lines on the surface of the wood left by the insects that caused it.

It is particularly resistant to water and rot, traditionally used for coffins and in the middle ages used for water conduit, so even it it is dead for years it is probably OK.

If you have wide boards over 20 inches, cut them about 2 inches thick - Windsor Chair-makers will bite your hand off for them....... me for example! I have just about used all my old stock!

 

[CHJ]

…...It is particularly resistant to water and rot, traditionally used for coffins and in the middle ages used for water conduit, .....

As long as it remains wet (under water) hence its use for lock sills and boat keels.
Subjected to wet and dry cycling it can fail quite quickly. (it spalts readily)

 

[Argus]

................ forgot about spalting! That's a bonus for some folk.... :roll: :roll: :lol: :lol:

 

[Yojevol]

Elm is notorious for being unstable, which is not a problem if it's being used for coffin making – it allows easy access for the worms! My Victorian house was floor-boarded in elm which was OK until I arrived 120 years later and had to take some of them up to treat for woodworm. The boards twisted all over the place and were impossible to nail back down. I had to take them all up and replaced them with chipboard.
On the the hand this coffee table is made of elm

and has remained pretty well flat over the last 19 years since I made it.
With regard to it's water resistance there is an interesting story from the Kennet & Avon Canal restoration. Claverton Pumping Station pumps water from the Avon up into the canal and it is driven by a huge waterwheel in the river.

The restorers decided to use the elm for the paddles as per the original. However after a couple of years they were rotting badly and needed replacing. The problem was that the pump was only operated intermittently so the paddles were drying out between demonstration runs. They were replaced with iroko.
Brian

 

[Paul200]

Elm is notorious for being unstable, which is not a problem if it's being used for coffin making – it allows easy access for the worms! My Victorian house was floor-boarded in elm which was OK until I arrived 120 years later and had to take some of them up to treat for woodworm. The boards twisted all over the place and were impossible to nail back down. I had to take them all up and replaced them with chipboard.
On the the hand this coffee table is made of elm
View attachment 3
and has remained pretty well flat over the last 19 years since I made it.

I've recently discovered just how unstable Elm can be when I made a workbox for my wife which promptly went into 'wind'

Not qualified to answer the original question but I feel the need to go a little off piste.

Brian - that table!! Man, that's beautiful =D> =D> =D>

Paul

 

[Yojevol]

I thought I would add to my post of a couple of days ago. I've had a lot of experience of Dutch Elm Disease over the last 40 years. Our house was surrounded by huge elms before we arrived in the mid 70's. They were all gone by the time we bought the house; just a few rotting trunks remaining as evidence. However the roots usually survive and send up suckers which can grow at a fast rate - 2ft a year is possible. Hence there are numerous small trees and saplings in the vicinity as this view from the house shows:-

As you can see all the trees on the field boundary are elms in various sizes and states of health.
There are small ones only 2" dia that are completely dead and larger ones up to 5" which are surviving. They are suffering at the present time with the dry hot weather so I doubt whether they will survive much longer. The nearest group on the left have taken about 3 years to get to this last gasp.
The largest tree I have had die got to about 10" dia. but that was unusual.
The disease occurs when the beetle burrows under the bark and leaves its droppings. A fungus then grows on the droppings which then clogs up the tree cells thus preventing the sap rising up the tree. So the tree dies of dehydration.
The one benefit to me is that I get a constant supply dry elm logs to throw in the woodburner stove!
Brian

 

[HowardM]

Thanks for the info guys.
I would like to do something with this tree, a table would be nice.
and the classic deck sunlounger from the fifties.
I wasn't sure about the strength of the timber with the infection it's had.

Here is a picture, which doesn't do justice to the dramatic colour of the heartwood.

 

[Yojevol]

I would say the timber is fine as the disease really doesn't penetrate beyond the sapwood. It looks as though this was a really healthy tree until recently. I see you are in Scotland. Has the disease recently arrived there? Perhaps global warming is allowing it to move north. Have you got a method of milling it? I would suggest 2" slabs and air dry in stick for 2 years. Good Luck
Brian

 

[HowardM]

Thanks fellas, lots of useful info there.
Yes, my arborist was surprised this tree lasted so long.
This one was on the lawn and on it's own, the others down the drive have been pollarded.
It's a shame that the trees are declining during my ownership, but, I am planting replacement various hardwoods to maintain the overall splendor of the autumn "show"

 

[ED65]

Wow that's a proper sized tree, somehow I was expecting something smaller. Even in the photo the heartwood colour looks stonking!

If you can slab it up and put it in stick to season it's vital to seal the end grain as soon as possible after cutting. The best thing for this is melted wax if you can arrange it.

 

[Harbo]

Howard if you ever make a classic sun lounger like this

I have a kit of Rockler brass fittings for one, I never got round to making a pair.

Rod