Dutch Elm Disease

[Christopher Stahl]

I've never used Elm before and some trees in town were cut down because of Dutch Elms Disease. Hopefully this is not a stupid question, but can I use them for turning? I don't know enough about it and I haven't been successful in finding any specifics for woodworking use.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I would get all you can handle. I turn a lot of Elm and like turning it. The city here took down a bunch because of the disease and I got enough I won't need any for some time to come. It can be a very beautiful wood when finished and hey it is free so if you mess something up and make a artistic firewood you are out nothing.

[Mike Lipke]

If you can keep some of the natural edge (less the bark of course, as it falls off), there are wonderful patterns where the worms hatched and ate their way out.

[Jeff Nicol]

Chris, I use a ton of it for tool handles as it is hard and pretty stable when turned. As bernie said "Get all you can" it has a different smell but that is part of the joys of wood turning!

Jeff

[Steve Schlumpf]

Christopher - not real sure about this but it seems to me that the diseased Elm trees were removed for a reason. You may want to check with the folks who removed the trees and find out if there are any restrictions about removing the wood. I think I remember that the beetles that cause the damage live in the bark - so you may have to remove the bark before transport.

I have turned Elm a few times and remember it being extremely tough stuff once it has dried. Hope you are able to grab of bunch of it - some can be turned into absolutely beautiful stuff!

[David Hostetler]

I lost an elm years ago due to DED and wanted to give the wood to a friend of mine that had a lathe at the time. (I hadn't started yet...) The state Forestry dept officers made SURE that I stripped all the bark, and burned it before a single stick left my property... In all fairness, they helped.

[Jim Underwood]

If the stuff is staying in the general area, does the bark still need to be stripped off and burned?

And what if the elm isn't diseased?

[Christopher Stahl]

The borough cut down the tree a few days ago. I talked to the owner again and he mentioned the borough did not want anybody to use it for anything. So, I'm going to give them a call in the morning and find out if they will allow me to take it and what I need to do to make it happen.

[Quinn McCarthy]

Chris,

I would take steve's advice. There are a lot of communities that have restrtictions on moving DED killed wood. When DED came through the first time everybody had free firewood. They didn't know enough about the life cycle of the beetle. They were trying to figure out why DED was spreading so quick. People where carrying fire wood all across the US. And in that wood was the beatle hick hicking along. It isn't actually the beatle that is the problem it is the fungus that they carry on them. Most cities had block after block of elm trees making it easy for the beatle to transfer the DED. That is called a monoculture. Some of the elm trees that made it are resistant to the disease. Some of these trees are being used to cultivate DED resistant trees. Most elm trees make it to 4-5" diameter before getting attacked.

I have turned some handles but haven't done a bowl yet.

Hope that helps.

Quinn
forester by day woodworker by night.

[Christopher Stahl]

Well, good news, I was able to get a good amount of turning material tonight. I would have cut more, but my friends chainsaw only had a 14" bar and was a lot of work to cut what I did. I'm going to go out and get myself a decent chainsaw.

Other good news, the arborist the borough uses is actually a friend and is going to contact me about trees that are going to be taken down in the future.

He said I need to make sure to remove the bark and either bring it to them or I can simply burn it. I'll start cutting it up into blanks next week when I have a little more time.