Speaking of warping and twisting while drying - red elm

[snedeker]

I cut a red elm 7" in diameter in a really nasty little draw in one the thickest vegetated, most broken country patches I've ever seen in Pennsylvania - in early July.  Some Beagle friends accompanied me.  I brought it back and that night split it in half and debarked, sealed ends.  It was really wet.  Next morning I noticed some amazing checking diagonal across the grain.  I split six staves. Put them in a semi breezy shed area for a couple weeks for prelim drying, then in attic.  Five turned into shapes that look like clown-made long balloon toys.   One's okay.  Wood is funny stuff isnt it.

Dave

[PaulN/KS]

I had a straight stave of elm and started making an ELB out of it...
Dang thing started to warp on me and the ends both bent to where it looks like a goofy wooden longhorn... yep, wood has a mind of it's own.

[sailordad]

i hada limb from some elm,split it into two staves
when it dried,one was some what straight with some serious reflex,
the other looked like a piece of licorice it twisted around so bad
both went to the neighbor for his fire pit

[Ryano]

Yep, elm will do that if you take it down to much while its wet. Better to leave it in larger half splits and such for preliminary drying.

[GregB]

It might be best the first couple of months for it to dry slow if possible...getting rid of the moisture slow instead of quickly. Maybe keep it in a basement or similar place. Like Ryan said, leave it in larger pieces that aren't likely to worp and wait until several months into the process and then reduce them down. 

[DCM]

Oh baby.  I've had it get all noodley even after fully seasoned.  Had one piece that would pinch the skill saw every few inches as I was trying to kerf it for a split.  I've had fair luck reducing it do near bow size than then clamping it down to something.

[snedeker]

I had planned to leave it in halves for a while but I thought maybe that was causing the checking - I mean deep, fissure like checking.  One wonders why the single stave did not twist and warp.  If I get one bow, it will have been worth it. It was a quick cut and carry

Dave