Afternoon at the sawmill

[DiffEQ]

Chinese elm then? (Small serrated leaves, as compared to the American Elm, which has leaves ~4x bigger than Chinese Elm). The bark doesn't say American Elm to me - not deep enough.
I grew up on streets lined with Ulmus Americana, a most beautiful canopy covering the street.
The bark looked like this:

 

[KMart]

I'm late to the party, but my guess would have been persimmon.

 

[Rat Rifle]

Much of it died along the fence rows in My area of Virginia in the 70’s. We cut it for fire wood. It does not produce as much heat as classic fire wood, but it does burn down to a heavy coal that lasts all night. Some sawed it into lumber and sang its praises for various uses.

I would like to see what You do with it, but I’m afraid it will be a long wait (drying)

 

[Walt Krafft]

I wish you luck getting it dry and usable. I tried once and failed. Here locally it is called piss elm. If cut for firewood, even after seasoning, it will piss water out in the fire. My lumber warped and checked to the point it was worthless. I hope you have a different variaty.

 

[Rat Rifle]

^^^ I have heard all this, but there seems to be several varieties that appear very similar?

 

[Preacher]

Chinese elm then? (Small serrated leaves, as compared to the American Elm, which has leaves ~4x bigger than Chinese Elm). The bark doesn't say American Elm to me - not deep enough.
I grew up on streets lined with Ulmus Americana, a most beautiful canopy covering the street.
The bark looked like this:
View attachment 1259584

That looks like Black Locust to me ????

 

[timeout]

Sure doesn't look like what we call red elm in my neck of the woods. Burned wood for heat all but 7 years of my life and seasoned red elm is the best I have ever used. It is incredibly hard and "stringy" and miserable to split. Great wood for producing morels when dead. We also have white elm, I think more accurately called Chinese elm. It is lousy firewood. Around here it's not if an elm tree will die, but when. Good luck with your project!

 

[redrockranger]

It doesn't look like gunstock material to me. Good luck.

 

[DiffEQ]

I'm late to the party, but my guess would have been persimmon.

Hoo boy, *that* would make one gorgeous gun stock!

 

[Minshooter]

I wish you luck getting it dry and usable. I tried once and failed. Here locally it is called piss elm. If cut for firewood, even after seasoning, it will piss water out in the fire. My lumber warped and checked to the point it was worthless. I hope you have a different variaty.

Exactly.
Any wood destined for a precision project absolutely needs a trip through the kiln. Well worth the money.

 

[joshb]

I’ve had talks with some of the best wood guys in my area and they all give me the same answer. Kiln dried wood will take on moisture over the years and finally “stabilize “ to it’s surrounding climate. Kiln dry fresh cut wood if you need it fast. My pile of walnut and cherry has been air dried for 40+ years, the last 20 on my garage attic. I made this chest out of cherry and it hasn’t shown any shrinkage.

 

[skeeljc]

I’ve had talks with some of the best wood guys in my area and they all give me the same answer. Kiln dried wood will take on moisture over the years and finally “stabilize “ to it’s surrounding climate. Kiln dry fresh cut wood if you need it fast. My pile of walnut and cherry has been air dried for 40+ years, the last 20 on my garage attic. I made this chest out of cherry and it hasn’t shown any shrinkage.View attachment 1259680
View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680View attachment 1259680

Are those 15 pics all the same???

 

[skeeljc]

Ding ding ding! give that man a prize!

I believe it is Red Elm. I have cut a bunch of it for firewood. It was so wet inside I did not think it would be any good to burn. It dried out after it was split and burned very well. Good heat value.

 

[butchlambert]

If you want great looking stock wood, it will come partly from the root ball. Bois d' Arc, Osage Orange, or horse apple trees mentioned above are more suited for making a bow.

 

[joshb]

Are those 15 pics all the same???

Holy crap! How did that happen?............fixed!
I have my eye on a big Sassafras that just died behind my garage.

 

[epc308]

That looks like Black Locust to me ????

Definitely not locust of any kind. I have the thornless variety of them on my place, have cut and split more than a bit of it in the last 17 years here. As for if its black or honey, you will get different answers from everyone you ask, all are positive theirs is correct.

 

[epc308]

Sure doesn't look like what we call red elm in my neck of the woods. Burned wood for heat all but 7 years of my life and seasoned red elm is the best I have ever used. It is incredibly hard and "stringy" and miserable to split. Great wood for producing morels when dead. We also have white elm, I think more accurately called Chinese elm. It is lousy firewood. Around here it's not if an elm tree will die, but when. Good luck with your project!

Talked to a guy at summer pistol league last night who mentioned the same attributes for some elm he has dealt with in the past- hard, stringy, and a bitch to split. The arborist who took this one down said it probably survived so long bc there are no others remotely close.

 

[epc308]

It doesn't look like gunstock material to me. Good luck.

It looks good. Whether it is any good will be answered a few years from now.

 

[epc308]

Holy crap! How did that happen?............fixed!
I have my eye on a big Sassafras that just died behind my garage.

I built a mountain dulcimer from sassafras in the 80s or 90s just to see if I could. It has a beautiful voice, but I only know when someone else plays it. I can play notes, but I can’t make music.

 

[joshb]

It looks good. Whether it is any good will be answered a few years from now.

Go forward and be happy! Elm was used extensively for gun stocks, especially on military arms in Europe. When quarter sawn, it can look like Leopard wood and is gorgeous!