Elm

[Marc St Louis]

I gave up trying to identify the different sub-species of Elm many years ago, there's just too many of them.  I have cut some outstanding Elm and you can sometimes tell if a tree is a good one as you are cutting it.  About 15 years ago I harvested an Elm that was about the best tree I have ever cut.  As I was cutting it I could tell that this tree was special.  It was harder/denser than any other Elm I had ever cut, it literally made the blade of my little  bucksaw sing.  The tree was also a bit different than any other tree in that there were 2 boles growing out of the same stump.  The one I had cut was about 6" in diameter but the other was only about 3" so I left it there, but I never forgot about it.  The rings on that tree were very uniform with a thickness around 1/8", I have cut many other Elm with fluctuating ring thickness sometimes going from barely 1/8" to nearly 1/4" thick in only a couple feet.  This Spring I decided to go and see if that tree was still standing and sure enough it was.  It had grown quite a bit since I had cut its twin and was now close to 8" in diameter.  I went and cut it this morning.  As soon as my saw started biting into the wood I knew this tree was not the same, it didn't have the same density.  Whether it has the same elasticity I don't know, I'll find that out in a year or so.  I was a bit disappointed.  I took a couple pictures.  The first shows the stump where I cut the first tree.

[DC]

If you look at the end of the new log and count back the rings since you cut the other half can you see any difference in the rings? I'm wondering if the second trunk developed thicker rings since you had the roots of two(sorta) trees now feeding one.

[Marc St Louis]

If you look at the end of the new log and count back the rings since you cut the other half can you see any difference in the rings? I'm wondering if the second trunk developed thicker rings since you had the roots of two(sorta) trees now feeding one.

That's a good idea but I wouldn't use the butt end for that because the rings are always thicker at the butt.

[Pappy]

I'm with you Marc on Elm, I call myself pretty good identifying trees but with Elm their are just to many, Winged Elm is about the only one I know for sure also I think as with most wood
the quality varies from tree to tree in the same species at least that is what I have seen. 
 Pappy

[bowandarrow473]

I love elm as much as the next guy but I hate the drastic density/quality difference that a tree can have from the one right next to it.

[Marc St Louis]

Identifying the species is easy but saying that one Elm will be great bow-wood before you cut it is impossible.  There are certain visible characteristics of the wood itself that you get to know after awhile, at least with the Elm that grows up here.  I have found that if the sapwood has a yellowish tint then it is likely to be good bow wood the same if the sapwood is off-white ranging to light grey.  Uniform growth rings is also an indication of higher quality wood as well.

P.S.  I had a look at the growth rings counting back to when I cut the other tree and the rings essentially doubled even trebled in thickness after its twin was cut

[bowandarrow473]

If yellowish sapwood equals good elm, then I have found the mother load of the stuff. I have cut a lot of elm from a swamp on the property I hunt on in SC and its all had yellowish sapwood, and it all made awesome bows.

[JW_Halverson]

Identifying the species is easy but saying that one Elm will be great bow-wood before you cut it is impossible.  There are certain visible characteristics of the wood itself that you get to know after awhile, at least with the Elm that grows up here.  I have found that if the sapwood has a yellowish tint then it is likely to be good bow wood the same if the sapwood is off-white ranging to light grey.  Uniform growth rings is also an indication of higher quality wood as well.

P.S.  I had a look at the growth rings counting back to when I cut the other tree and the rings essentially doubled even trebled in thickness after its twin was cut

In effect, it ended up with all the roots after it's Siamiese twin got removed.

[DC]

P.S.  I had a look at the growth rings counting back to when I cut the other tree and the rings essentially doubled even trebled in thickness after its twin was cut

Thanks Marc. I was pretty sure that would happen but I've never been able to verify it. Did you notice if they stayed larger or did they start to get smaller over time. I'm wondering if the roots would die off some if not needed any more.

[Marc St Louis]

P.S.  I had a look at the growth rings counting back to when I cut the other tree and the rings essentially doubled even trebled in thickness after its twin was cut

Thanks Marc. I was pretty sure that would happen but I've never been able to verify it. Did you notice if they stayed larger or did they start to get smaller over time. I'm wondering if the roots would die off some if not needed any more.

The rings stayed thick until this year, it was fairly thin.  I found some blueish Beetles on the bark as I was removing it so I suspect it got infected with Dutch Elm disease hence the thin ring, the Beetles did not survive

[DC]

Was Yoko to blame this time too?
 Thanks for checking that out for me Marc. I guess once a tree has a big rootball it keeps it for a while.

[riverrat]

i never met a elm i didnt like. lol recently i cut a American elm on a island i visit. anyhow, the cambium layer looked a lot like slippery elm, though when you got it wet it did not get slimy.after i removed it, the wood looked very white. hence its other name, white elm. but after making a bow of it and greasing it and lots of burnishing it looks almost like locust sapwood.the yellowish whiteish stuff not bright yellow.anyhow, this tree, its made/making a couple nice bows.i know you mentioned rock elm before. i dont know if i ever used that.but i know youve made some terrific bows.to me Elm is pretty close in bow wood quality as black locust. at least the elms ive found here.just easier to work because you dont have to follow a growth ring. but ya know, been thinkin on finding some black or yellow locust soon.what were we talking about? oh yea, i never met a Elm i didnt like
Tony