Siberian Elm

[Art Everett]

Has anyone had experience with Siberian Elm? A large tree came down next door in a storm and I'm wondering if it's worth harvesting?

[Doug Herzberg]

I cut one down this summer. It has a nice contrast between heart and sap woods. It's fairly easy to work. You need to control drying or it will check. I lost a lot because I didn't have time to prepare it. I posted a platter last spring and I think Leo has posted a few pieces.

[Pete Copeland]

It has a rather unpleasant smell.

[John Keeton]

Turns very well and has a nice color.

[Paul Hinds]

Generally has a very sharp contrast between early wood and late wood, so the grain lines stand out very nicely on turned objects.

[Scott Hackler]

I love it. Very pretty graining and easy to work. I found that it is severely different than Chinese Elm. No stink and softer wood.

[Art Everett]

Thanks guys, I'll go get some free wood and give it a try.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Great wood! Get all you can! Looking forward to seeing what you turn from it!

[Art Everett]

After the storm we had there is truckloads of it.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

After the storm we had there is truckloads of it.

I have turned a big truckload of Siberian Elm Art, with freezing rain and early snow storms these trees would loose a lot to all their limbs, as the tree doesn’t seem to know when to stop growing the leaves will stay on long after all other trees have shed their leaves, add to that it is a tree with a lot of fine twigs on the branches and limbs and you can load an awful load of ice on these twigs, same with the early heavy wet snow.

So lots of free wood and experience with that wood, I also had two big Siberian Elms right behind my house, and got a lot of trimming to do, we had to take one down and also removed a big one for a neighbor, so lots of Siberian Elm wood turned.

Turning it green can be a bit of a challenge in that the cambium under the bark is stringy and hard to cut smooth, later when dry there is no problem cutting the wood at all, not very hard and it often has very nice grain, it can almost look like Walnut.

If you do a forum search with just “Siberian” as the word you will find quite a few posts and pictures of the Siberian Elm wood turnings, some of mine as well.

A couple pictures here.

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