Author Topic: Elm species.  (Read 1782 times)

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Offline Morgan

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Elm species.
« on: September 07, 2018, 12:52:47 pm »
I went on a walk at the creek this morning after I got off work and saw an elm sapling that asked me nicely to take it home with me so I obliged. I have cut slippery elm saw logs from 6” to 24” in diameter when I ran a sawmill, and all those logs had a lot of dark reddish brown heartwood. Winged elm is obvious to identify. I don’t know anything about American elm, but I didn’t think it had any heartwood. This tree was about 3” dia  at the base and has a dime size heart that is medium/dark brown. Anyone know right off what it would be? I was able to split it in half and got one mostly clean stave and one stave that has a pair of large gnarly knots in the center that I may or may not be able to utilize

Offline Morgan

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2018, 12:59:56 pm »
The staves

Offline half eye

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2018, 02:32:59 pm »
From the few that I've cut here in Northern Mi. that looks like the Grey Elm up here....I believe that is American Elm (Loggers ans Sawyers here about call it grey elm).....makes a damned fine bow.
rich

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2018, 06:22:05 pm »
How big were the leaves?
"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

Nigerian Proverb

Offline Morgan

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2018, 09:51:31 am »
Rich, I was thinking it was but not sure. The clean stave is going to be an eastern woodlands style bow, I know forum member Thunder has had good success with elm and that style bow.

Upstate, probably 1 1/2” long? I should have saved some cuttings to try to root.

Offline Hawkdancer

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2018, 11:48:55 am »
Leaves that sm all sounds like Chinese elm, or maybe Siberian elm.  From what I've read Siberian is good, Chinese not so good.  But I'm not a forester and only a newby at the bowmaking!  Go for it!
Hawkdancer
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Jerry

Offline Morgan

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2018, 12:41:42 pm »
The sapling that I cut was small and straight with no leaved branches down low and only a small twig coming off the trunk that is what I got the size from. Didn’t pay a lot of attention to the leaves on the crown. Neighbor has an elm that the bark looks the same as the one I cut but leave size varies a lot on this tree.
These are off the neighbors tree. I think it may be that same but not 100% sure.

Offline Morgan

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2018, 12:56:07 pm »
Looking at bark pics online I think it is most likely American, slippery is a possibility though, there is not a whole lot of differences in the bark of a tree that small.. Chinese and Siberian have entirely different bark

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2018, 02:20:44 pm »
I'm going w/ American.  )W(
"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

Nigerian Proverb

Offline mullet

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2018, 07:01:57 am »
It doesn't look like the Chinese Elm around here. It is planted everywhere as an ornamental and everyone I've seen is twisted and knarly.
Lakeland, Florida
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Offline bushboy

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Re: Elm species.
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2018, 02:58:23 pm »
White/American elm has brownish Heartwood and leaves just like you posted.
Some like motorboats,I like kayaks,some like guns,I like bows,but not the wheelie type.