Cedar elm review - Woodworking Talk

jeffreythree · 08-28-2009, 12:04 AM

I just thought I would stick a little something about cedar elm over here now that I have milled and created something from it and nothing on the 'net discusses it at all. It cuts real nice on the sawmill. Dries pretty poorly, I think it moves more than more common elms. It has real wide sapwood in the trees from 3 parts of the state I have seen. Sapwood is a pretty, light tan with some reddish tone and purplish streaks here and there. The heartwood looks a lot like red elm. The tree does not appear to self prune very well and can have limb stubs inside that don't show on the outside. Sapwood tears out pretty bad and the heart not as bad. Burns pretty easy, need sharp tools. Stringy as all get out, I had to use a thumb plane to trim the 'beard' off of it between cuts when using it. Sands really well, and a scraper is a dream on it. A few closeups with a clear poly wipe on finish:

firehawkmph · 08-28-2009, 09:57 AM

Jeff,
Nice review. Nice looking piece of wood. That little bug drives me nuts each time I see him. I want to swat my screen.

Mike Hawkins

**TexasTimbers** · 08-28-2009, 10:34 AM

Jeff,

Cedar Elm isn't one I can yet easily recognize. That's sure some pretty wood though, I need to take my books in the field next time and get one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by firehawkmph

That little bug drives me nuts each time I see him. I want to swat my screen.. . .

I HAVE swatted my screen more than once. I don't do it anymore but it still makes me scroll right past most of his posts.

I try not to let such trivial things like that bug me (hehe) but I can't help it; it's so annoying I scroll past as fast as I can. Sorry Jeff but that's why I don't read most of your posts anymore.

jeffreythree · 08-28-2009, 11:19 AM

There, now you don't need to go swatting anything on the screen.

**TexasTimbers** · 08-28-2009, 12:18 PM

Now you've made me feel like an ogre. I was being cheeky about not reading your posts. I still read them I just scrolled up as fast as possible.

The silver lining of course, is that we got a peek at that beautiful girl!

jeffreythree · 08-29-2009, 02:07 PM

Here is a pic of a heart and sap sanded to 150 w/ no finish, really defined boundary:

And an end grain shot with heart and sap:

**TexasTimbers** · 08-29-2009, 02:47 PM

I think I have discovered another favorite wood. What's the trees/leaves/bark look like in our neck, have a picture? I have them in books but you know they can look a little different from region to region. Since we are neighbors they should look the same.

jeffreythree · 08-29-2009, 04:16 PM

I don't have any pics handy, but here is a site that has what I have seen. http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/im...rassifolia.htm
Leaves look like other elm leaves, but are only 1-1.5" long. Only elm that flowers in the fall, also. The bark I have seen is a lot smoother than the photo at that site and stays about the same from small trees to big. Once I got used to seeing it, I found it all over the place. I would love to open up a big one and see what is inside, and my burly one

. I hope to get some out of the new neighborhoods near my house as they go in now that a new bridge is tempting the rich over to my side of Lake Lewisville. I am trying to find time to get out to the property while the cool front is in; so I will snap some pics if I go.

jeffreythree · 09-01-2009, 10:37 PM

Kevin (or anybody else that gets some cedar elm logs), try to cut some with cathedral grain. These pieces are showing awesome chatoyance when some endgrain is present on the surface, like a board with cathedral grain.
From one side of the board:

Looking from other way, same board, light, and camera.:

These are the same board in a box I made with one coat of Watco Danish Oil. The pics are almost true to like, but, as usual, lose a little of the depth and color. The boards really does look a different color from the reflectivity of the grain. All the boards I have with cathedral grain are showing it from 3 different trees. The heart also has a very 'walnuty' color to it. Wow, a tree where the boards from cutting the taper off the butt log may be worth something extra

. I just sanded and checked a crotch feather piece I have. It has some chatoyance there too; so flame and chatoyance combined

.

**TexasTimbers** · 09-02-2009, 09:57 AM

I gotta find some then. My wife made me say "chatoyance" a dozen times a couple of years ago the first time she heard me say it. She loves the word. Wasn't until about the third time I said that she asked what it meant. Then she loved it even more. I have looked at what pictures of it that I have but I still don't have the confidence I can recognize one in the field with 100% accuracy right off the bat yet. That is sure some pretty stuff though.

jeffreythree · 09-02-2009, 11:07 AM

Maybe I will just have to come out and show you some

.

jeffreythree · 09-02-2009, 04:36 PM

Pictures of the one small sapwood crotch piece I had in the garage. This has some danish oil on it since I was using it as a box lid. The reddish tone stays after sunlight exposure. I have not seen one in heartwood, yet.

**TexasTimbers** · 09-02-2009, 05:23 PM

I've been out in my boxelder patch today setting up a deer feeder. I think I finally tuned my eye in on the Cedar Elms. If I have the right specie identified I'm in Cedar Elm heaven. Remains to be seen though until I lop one down. Do you have a end grain photo of a log?

Man that would make some killer flooring, or even paneling.

jeffreythree · 09-09-2009, 10:50 PM

Kevin, gonna be out there tomorrow picking up wood and doing a little fishing

so I will get you some pics of the trees. I will cut and sand one of the tops I left to get an end grain pic when I get back.

**TexasTimbers** · 09-10-2009, 12:56 PM

Thanks that sounds great. Also snap a picture of the stump before you sand it so I can see what it looks like just off the saw.

I won't be taking a sander into the field with me.

jeffreythree · 09-10-2009, 11:34 PM

Here you go, pics to find some hopefully.
Leaves with my hand for size comparison:

twigs have wings usually:

bark of a little 8" dbh tree:

bark of a nice healthy 18-20"er:

bark of a big old tree past its prime, 30" dbh and buttressed(I would take it but there is a bunch of old fences running through it):

And finally my dinner, caught a half dozen 3-4 pound porkers and took home 4 smaller ones for dinner in about 20 minutes:

If you ever want to go fishing, the pond need to be culled out of about 75-100 largemouth bass in the 10-12" range. No stump pic yet, they were starting to rot and turn colors.

**TexasTimbers** · 09-12-2009, 11:39 AM

This is weird. I posted a reply to you yesterday Jeff, but I guess it didn't take. I'll have another go at it . . . .

The first bark and the leaves cinched it for me. That's the mystery species I've been seeing so long and wondering what it was. I figured elm but until you posted the pics of the lumber it just never jumped on the radar.

That second bark pic however, I have seen them like that as well because I always briefly think I'm looking at a Pecan ~ they can have bark very similar to that. Then when I see the leaves I'd just scracth my head and say "Hm. Must be a Pecan Elm."

Thanks for the pictures. You just helped me add another cool species to my repertoire as were covered up with those things.

Nice fish. Cross Roads is not too far away. You know, I kept getting you mixed up with Crossroads Texas, about the same distance from me expect 180° in the other direction. Good thing I got them straight before I take you up on the invite.

jeffreythree · 09-12-2009, 02:51 PM

Actually, the pond and property are just west of Clarksville. There are 9 Crossroads in Texas, so you better make sure which one you are heading to

.