Re: Elm fire wood?
[Re: Providence Farm]
#7381675
10/18/21 09:09 AM
10/18/21 09:09 AM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150 Tennessee
Scuba1
"color blind Kraut"
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"color blind Kraut"
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
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If you don't have a hydraulic splitter, leave it where it is or you will have lost of hickory kindling ( axe handles ) at the blade follows the twisted grain of the wood, snapping the handles off. That stuff grows like a cork screw.
Let's go Brandon
"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
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Re: Elm fire wood?
[Re: Providence Farm]
#7381735
10/18/21 10:04 AM
10/18/21 10:04 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,918 Central, SD
Law Dog
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,918
Central, SD
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Elm is one of the 3 main choices here along with ash and cottonwood it all burns and yes elm is a pain but it burns better then cottonwood so it’s the better choice. Seems like you have to split it twice effort wise so consider that health wise you could always strip the limbs off and go back next year if you feel better then tackle the bigger stuff.
Dry elm is better to work with the wet stuff is heavy and stinks with a sour smell. Not bad wood but if you have better choices go with those trees and save the unneeded hassle for what you going to get out of it.
Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!
Jerry Herbst
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Re: Elm fire wood?
[Re: Providence Farm]
#7381741
10/18/21 10:15 AM
10/18/21 10:15 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,523 WI>>>MN >>>WI
T-Rex
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,523
WI>>>MN >>>WI
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How you handle your firewood depends a bit on how you will be using it.
If you have an indoor wood stove, you need to be a little pickier on size and shape.
If you have an outdoor boiler, you can pretty much just cut logs or discs to whatever weight you can lift. In other words, it don't really need look pretty or stack well.
The bigger problem is moisture content. You might be able to burn "green" elm, but, it will be a pain.
Man who mistake shillelagh for fairy wand; see pixie dust, also.
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Re: Elm fire wood?
[Re: Providence Farm]
#7381774
10/18/21 11:03 AM
10/18/21 11:03 AM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 6,224 Kansas
Pawnee
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 6,224
Kansas
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Out here it’s about all we have unless a guy lucks out and finds a dead ash tree. I helped one of my boys cut 6 pickup loads of Russian Elm yesterday. He had 9 orders come in Friday and needed some help. It split’s great. Good burning wood.
Everything the left touches it destroys
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Re: Elm fire wood?
[Re: Moosetrot]
#7381780
10/18/21 11:11 AM
10/18/21 11:11 AM
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,436 New York border
Cragar
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,436
New York border
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I used to burn elm all the time. Learned from an old timer that if you wait to split it until it is frozen hard before splitting it splits a lot easier. Found that to be very true!
Moosetrot X2 I have found that to be very true as well.
NRA benefactor member
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Re: Elm fire wood?
[Re: Providence Farm]
#7381788
10/18/21 11:28 AM
10/18/21 11:28 AM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,918 Central, SD
Law Dog
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 34,918
Central, SD
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I have about 12 cords I need split if anybody needs practice splitting wood.
Was born in a Big City Will die in the Country OK with that!
Jerry Herbst
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Re: Elm fire wood?
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7381814
10/18/21 12:19 PM
10/18/21 12:19 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 133 Wyoming USA
Dash1714
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 133
Wyoming USA
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X2...When I was a kid growing up in Minnesota my Dad would pile it in a pile by itself and then on a weekend when it was too cold to do anything else, he would have us all go out and split the elm. It split pretty good when it was -30...-40 below.
No matter where you go...there you are!
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Re: Elm fire wood?
[Re: Providence Farm]
#7381832
10/18/21 12:39 PM
10/18/21 12:39 PM
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Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,965 Indiana
Providence Farm
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 8,965
Indiana
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X2...When I was a kid growing up in Minnesota my Dad would pile it in a pile by itself and then on a weekend when it was too cold to do anything else, he would have us all go out and split the elm. It split pretty good when it was -30...-40 below. I have only experienced maybe -10 a few times in my life. Most winters we get down into the teens with a few short spells colder. I think all wood splits easier frozen. Yes I have an outdoor stove with 24"x24" door and 47" x36 box. It's sold as a coal burner but unless I mixed the coal with wood I could never get it to stay burning all night. I can burn about anything in it. I got rid of a jack pine that blew over last winter. Carcasses, other animals that die and I don't want to dig a hole or dump for my dogs to roll in latter all disappear when thrown into that monster. I cut it into short pieces that can be burnt without splitting. Took more time and two tanks extra gas but faster than splitting that twisted heavy green stuff. I stacked the small round wood between some tree's and put a small piece of wore out semi trap oner it. The larger round wood got stacked in what will be covered up in the bottom of that stack for months. The larger log I cut thin will just get piled and covered with a tarp and hope I don't need it this year. But it's down and as soon as moved I can drop that dead ash. I'm hoping it's not to far gone.
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Re: Elm fire wood?
[Re: Providence Farm]
#7381870
10/18/21 01:15 PM
10/18/21 01:15 PM
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Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,478 Tug Hill, NY
Squash
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 2,478
Tug Hill, NY
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IMO it is poor firewood, but if it is all you have then it works. Hard to split, high moisture content, smells like urine, etc.. I’m lucky my area is rich with Hard Maple, Yellow Birch, Beech, all superior firewood species compared to elm.
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