# My First Free Craigslist Firewood - Elm.  Any good?



## rustybumpers (May 29, 2009)

I just snagged my first load of free firewood off Craigslist.  It is supposed to be Elm.  Not sure which species of Elm but woodheat.org says all Elm has pretty high BTUs.   What do you guys think, is it any good?  How long should it take to season?


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## smokinj (May 29, 2009)

good stuff hard splitting!


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## Jags (May 29, 2009)

I really wish that I could see the leafs a little better in your pick, cuz I'm thinking its not elm.  Does the leaf look like this:

Edit: take note of the leaf serration.  Is it possible that the leafs in your pic, didn't come from the tree?


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## LLigetfa (May 29, 2009)

Jags said:
			
		

> I really wish that I could see the leafs a little better in your pick, cuz I'm thinking its not elm.


I'm thinking the leaves you're seeing is from a vine that climbed the tree.


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## rustybumpers (May 29, 2009)

Jags said:
			
		

> I really wish that I could see the leafs a little better in your pick, cuz I'm thinking its not elm.  Does the leaf look like this:
> 
> Edit: take note of the leaf serration.  Is it possible that the leafs in your pic, didn't come from the tree?



Jags, the green leaves you see in the photo is actually Ivy that had climbed the tree.  I can tell you that these rounds are super heavy.


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## rustybumpers (May 29, 2009)

smokinj said:
			
		

> good stuff hard splitting!



SmokinJ, 
Hard splitting?! Am I better off attempting to split green or letting the rounds sit for awhile?


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## Jags (May 29, 2009)

rustybumpers said:
			
		

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Ahhh...that changes things.  They were throwing me for a loop.  If it is elm, I would have to venture a guess at slippery Elm by the bark.

The stuff splits like butter :coolsmirk: better grab all you can.


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## rustybumpers (May 29, 2009)

Jags said:
			
		

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I might be a little slow... "splits like butter".  Your shredded mess on the splitter doesn't look like butter!  Is that ths slippery Elm of which you speak?  I'll catch onto the sarcasm eventually after it is spelled out in long slowly spoken words.


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## Jags (May 29, 2009)

rustybumpers said:
			
		

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Imagine taking a stick of butter out of the fridge, setting it on your log splitter and trying to split it.  Now...what would it look like.....wait a second...wait...wait....OK, now answer.  It would probably look a lot like the stuff thats trying to swallow my splitting wedge.  And no, that was American elm that was standing petrified (it was beyond dead), but elm, never the less.


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## firefighterjake (May 29, 2009)

rustybumpers said:
			
		

> I just snagged my first load of free firewood off Craigslist.  It is supposed to be Elm.  Not sure which species of Elm but woodheat.org says all Elm has pretty high BTUs.   What do you guys think, is it any good?  How long should it take to season?



I like elm . . . standing dead elm got me through last winter . . . however it was mostly standing dead wood with the bark falling off it . . . so dead-dead, not just dead. Your stuff should be fine . . . but most likely not for this year -- next year will probably be OK. 

BTUs are good. Splitting is a mixed bag. My experience? If it's dead-dead (i.e. standing dead with the bark falling off) it will split easy-peasy with clean splits . . . but if it's just dead or fresh cut, egads . . . it will make you swear and cuss . . . and that's with you using a hydraulic splitter . . . I shudder to think of anyone splitting it by hand.


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## LLigetfa (May 29, 2009)

Not all Elm is as bad as Jags shows.  You might get lucky.  Try splitting it now and if it is that tough, pull off the bark and give it some time to dry.  The sooner you split it, the sooner you can burn it.  Unless you're talking about really dead-dead Elm where the bark has long ago fallen off, it would be best to let it season at least a full year unless you have some real good drying conditions.


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## Dune (May 29, 2009)

Split elm in the dead of winter, well below freezing temp.


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## blades (May 29, 2009)

strip the bark, let it sit till winter, split when its frozen, still will be a bit stringy but pops apart ok that way. Wont be dry enought for this coming season even if you split now. Keep you nice and toasty in 10-11


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## rustybumpers (May 29, 2009)

Dunebilly said:
			
		

> Split elm in the dead of winter, well below freezing temp.



:-( It almost never gets below freezing here in the temperate Northwest.  Blessing... and apparently also a curse if you want to split Elm.


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## smokinj (May 29, 2009)

rustybumpers said:
			
		

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You will be ok! lol


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## Jags (May 29, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> Not all Elm is as bad as Jags shows.


  ELM LOVER! :gulp: 



Naaa...its true, those pics were taken because that is the worst of the worst that I have EVER seen while trying to split wood.  I just couldn't believe it.  Now don't get me wrong,  I have a love/hate relationship with elm, but I wouldn't expect yours to react like those pictured.


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## Duetech (May 29, 2009)

I have split elm with the bark on and with the bark off. You would have to make small splits with this stuff if you wanted to use it for this coming winter in small well aerated stacks. Hydraulic splitting is best but the wedge has to be knife sharp or you might get tearing instead of splitting like jags pics. Over all I think it splits best when it is dry enough or very near dry enough to burn. If there is any moisture in it then the "after freezing " is a "very" good suggestion. If you can find some dead standing elm with the bark off and small enough to use yo would do well to get it. Red elm is just a little below red oak in btu count.


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## Elderthewelder (May 29, 2009)

WOW, I was just now looking at that C/L add and wondering if i should give the guy a call or even just drive down there and see if any is left. only problem is I got to get my kid to his baseball game in 45 minutes

Guy say's he has more to come. did he have alot of tree's at his property?

Nice score, I am jealous!!

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/zip/1194820761.html


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## Wood Duck (May 29, 2009)

I've collected a bunch of American Elm recently, and have been splitting it by hand. Just a few minutes ago I took my 8 pound maul to a smallish round (14 inches long, about 12 inches diameter) from the base of a tree and the maul actually bounced off several times. It took five or six hits, all reasonably well placed in the same spot on the log, to finally spilt it, and then I had to tear the two sides apart. After the first split, it went a little easier, but I bet I spent five minutes splitting one round into medium sized splits.

Not all of the elm has been this bad. i like the elm. It is really heavy when wet (these trees were alive when cut a week ago), but I like the color of the wood, a lot of it is nice and straight, so it stack wells, and it is supposed to burn well. I wouldn't pass up free elm, even though it is a pain to split.


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## rustybumpers (May 29, 2009)

Elderthewelder said:
			
		

> WOW, I was just now looking at that C/L add and wondering if i should give the guy a call or even just drive down there and see if any is left. only problem is I got to get my kid to his baseball game in 45 minutes
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I showed up at the address on the listing around 8:30AM.  I didn't have four rounds in my truck before two more trucks showed up.  All three of us were able to fill our trucks before the pile was gone.

Not sure about the 'more to come'.  I called the number and talked to Andy but he didn't mention when more was coming.


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## rustybumpers (May 30, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies and advice about Elm firewood.  You guys had me nervous about tough splitting Elm though.  I was starting to think my free wood wasn't going to be such a good deal after  all.  So I took my 8lb maul out to the wood pile and split up a couple rounds no problem.  This stuff splits just as easy as anything else I've split; Maple, Fir, Cedar, White Pine, etc.  

I'm not sure what all this talk about Elm being stringy and tough splitting is all about.  

So it is either one of three things:
1) This isn't Elm
2) You guys don't know what you're talking about
OR...
3) MEN from the Great Northwest are just tougher than the rest! :-D

LOL 

Seriously though...  Thanks for the advice.  I can tell it will take a lot longer to season.  This is the greenest/wettest wood I've split before.


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## Duetech (May 30, 2009)

The bouncing wedge or maul is one of the reasons people like to split elm in the winter and with hydraulics. You will work up a sweat either way but the the hydraulics will leave you feeling better the next day. (Not to mention ducking the rebound of the wedge or maul)


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## LLigetfa (May 30, 2009)

rustybumpers said:
			
		

> So it is either one of three things:
> 1) This isn't Elm
> 2) You guys don't know what you're talking about
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> 3) MEN from the Great Northwest are just tougher than the rest! :-D


1) Smell it.  Elm can look a little like Ash but your nose should be able to tell the difference.
2) We are recounting the worst cases we've seen with Elm.  As I said, *not all Elm is that bad*.
3) Men may be men but hydraulic splitters don't have regional variations.


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## leaddog (May 30, 2009)

around here the elm usually only gets up to 8in and usually under 6in and then it dies from dutch elm. The bark will fall off in a couple of years an will make sparks when you cut it. It still takes some time to cure after cutting but burns well. I cut it down to 1in dia. as it starts fires well. It usually grows straight with few limbs so is easy to cut down and buck up. I only split the 8in pieces as it is stringy. The only bad thing about elm around here is it grows in the fence rows and when it dies poison ivy just loves it. I don't have a problem with it but my wife can't even get close to my clotheswith out getting it so I have to be VERY careful with my gloves boots and clothes.
leaddog


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## backwoodz (May 30, 2009)

Funny you guys were talking elm.  Last year I had to cut and burn a lot of standing dead just to get thru the cold winter we had.  Lots of coals and fairly hot!

This spring I hooked up with the local city dept and got on their tree list.  Two days ago they brought not 1 , not 2 , but 3 dump trucks full of elm rounds.  6 pieces were 5 feet across.  It appears the tree was dead recently so there will be some drying but I'm sure I'll use some to supplement what I have stashed.  

I'm sure it was American elm, because of the age (rings) approx 90- 100.  Around here dutch elm disease decimated the elms.

I will try to get some pics to show the awesome sight.  

1 problem I have never tackled the huge bases like these.  Someone had mentioned a ripping chain.  Where could I find one for a Stihl with 20" bar?  Is it even possible?


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## flewism (May 30, 2009)

So they are bucked to about 20 plus inches and 5' in diameter.  If so I'd just go right after those with my full chisel chains,  making lots of noodles.  Standing them up on their ends might be a PITA without help either mechanical or human.   Wedge them in place with some smaller rounds and go at it.  Have some wood or plastic wedges  around as sometime I've had  big rounds try to grab the bar while halving them.  If one decides to go over on you while you are cutting, get out of the way. 

Yea, pictures would be great.


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## backwoodz (May 30, 2009)

Noodling?  I am still not certain what that means.  I was planning on using my track loader with forks and getting each one off the ground, then start ripping in off the edges 6 to 8 inches at a time. the idea was to diminish the bigs slowly into manageable pieces.

I need to get some full chisel chains right or can I go with semi chisel?

I'll tkae pics today if it doesn't rain on me!


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## LLigetfa (May 30, 2009)

backwoodz said:
			
		

> Noodling?  I am still not certain what that means...


The term was coined by the appearance of the long "noodles" that the saw makes.  It is cutting in the direction that the tree grows, parallel to the bark, which is perpendicular to how one normally bucks rounds.

The long noodles can clog up the clutch/sprocket area and get pulled back into the chain/bar, clogging up the oiler so you need to be cognizant of that.


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## backwoodz (May 30, 2009)

In other words ripping.  I was going to see if I could pick up a ripping chain at the local dealer otherwise just tackle them with my usual chain.

Most of the rounds need to be reduced to firewood length.  Most around 32 inches.  A couple of the monsters are good length but there are a few that will need to be halved.


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## LLigetfa (May 30, 2009)

backwoodz said:
			
		

> In other words ripping...


Well... yes, but there are two ways to rip.  The other way is to saw the way a sawmill would, lengthwise too but across the growth rings.  I would just use a full chisel for noodling.


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## savageactor7 (May 30, 2009)

I've been noodling elm and other wood with semi chisel Oregon 73LGX chain. It's the only way to safely manhandle those big rounds...unless you're a 21 year old bachelor. You'll be amazed on how easy it is to do if you haven't done it before. Our wood is dirty cause I drag logs to a work site that's why we use semi chisel.

Oh and I like elm..probably the hardest wood we have around here. Not easy to split but I try and shave it off the sides like you would if you were hand splitting to avoid that spaghetti effect.


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## Bigg_Redd (May 30, 2009)

rustybumpers said:
			
		

> I just snagged my first load of free firewood off Craigslist.  It is supposed to be Elm.  Not sure which species of Elm but woodheat.org says all Elm has pretty high BTUs.   What do you guys think, is it any good?  How long should it take to season?



I don't recognize that wood right off the bat, but Elm is pretty rare around these parts.

I'm betting it's Maple or Locust.  Split a round.  If it smells like hot garbage then it's locust for sure.


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## joshlaugh (May 31, 2009)

I burn some elm every year approx 1 cord worth.  There is a big difference in splitting between the different species, slippery, American, and non-natives like Chinese and Siberian. I never know the species because the bark has fallen off by the time I drop them.  It is always chancy until I hit it the first time with the mail.  Elm seldom gets very big around my parts but if it did I would be noodling them down for easier splitting using my full chisel chain.


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## backwoodz (May 31, 2009)

I started in on some smaller rounds Saturday.  I sawed them to firewood length. Most rounds were in the 14 to 20 inch diameter.  After 15 rounds I had a 8 foot bed of pickup filled with splits.  Half would split smooth ( real dry)  other was stringy and shread 
( still wet or alive ) I assume.  
Barely made a dent in the original pile.  I am taking pics as I go, cause I don't know if I'll ever have that much elm at my house again, at least not in one dumping.
I did try to split by hand to prove to my dad why it was a PIA.  Obviously I turned to my Huskee 35 ton splitter.


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## Flatbedford (May 31, 2009)

I had a standing very dead elm cut down at my house. My maul just bounced off the rounds. I gave up and stacked it on  the street in front of my house. Somebody took all of it.


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## rustybumpers (Jun 1, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

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Excuse the crow feathers sticking out the sides of my mouth... after hand splitting about a half cord of this Elm over the weekend I discovered a few things:
1) This stuff stinks like piss when I split it
2) You guys DO know what your talking about 
3) Rounds over 24" in diameter are very stringy and a PITA to split (thus I'm eating crow). :-|  Although, rounds about 16" to 18" seem to split clean and with very little extra effort.

So size DOES matter when it comes to splitting Elm.


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## Tony H (Jun 2, 2009)

Elm smallish rounds are sometimes ok but the big ones give you quite a workout. I had an red elm last fall and split a good bit by hand but the rounds that I hit 50 or so times without a split went into the need a splitter pile and I used my buddies and it shuddered and quit a couple of time on the larger ones 2' plus across
and its a 25 ton with an 10hp engine. If it gets all stringy when you try the splitter you might try letting it dry for a bit first, some of the stuff I had was cut to length then sat for 6 months before I split it and it worked better than the wetter stuff that was left in longer logs.

Save a couple large rounds and challenge an inlaw to split it while you choose a oak to split and have some fun ! Maybe even wager on it.


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## fishinpa (Jun 10, 2009)

I will admit I didn't read this entire thread, but I saw the pic's of the wood on the splitter and that sure as heck is elm. Stack it until next year and split it in the spring. Crack it in half, then bust the "heart" out of it. The outside 3/4 will split pretty easy once you manage to get the heart out of it.

My buddy dropped a load of elm last ear and I had at it. Shortly there-after I said "the hell with this" and just stacked it. This spring I had to split it to get it get it out of the way and it was not nearly as troublesome.


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## WidowMaker (Jun 11, 2009)

Elm,
  Burns hot, leaves lots of ash

  Big rounds split hard

  Called Piss Elm for a reason


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## kingfisher (Jun 11, 2009)

I just cut down a dead elm yesterday, have alot of big stuff to split. My buddy has a 27 tons splitter he's bringing over to help me.


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