Chinese Elm Wood Grain

Difficult to carve and carved by only experts.

Chinese elm wood grain.

Eight species are endemic to north america and a smaller number to europe. Hard and soft scans pictures. Shown below is a piece of lumber from a small tree that was killed by dutch elm disease. Chinese elm heartwood ranges in tone from reddish brown to light tan or flesh coloured while the sapwood approaches off white.

Elm heartwood ranges in tone from reddish brown to light tan while the sapwood approaches off white. Interlocked grain means that the lengthwise grain from year to year goes different directions instead of being perfectly vertical in the. Siberian elm is often mistaken with ulmus parvifolia chinese elm even though they look completely different. Elm wood was valued for its interlocking grain and consequent resistance to splitting with significant uses in wagon wheel hubs chair seats and coffins.

Moderately dense elm weighs nearly 40 lbs. The wood itself is rare very hard with fine lined grain. It is one of the densest and hardest of woods. The grain is often handsome and dramatic.

The wood of the hard elms sometimes referred to. Unlike other elms freshly cut chinese elm has a peppery or spicy odour. The hardest part of the process was the drying the lumber tried its best to warp every which way so i just piled more and more weight on top. Per cubic foot dry.

This sample was sent to us by eric beckman who is harvesting chinese elm. The greatest diversity is found in china. The wood is very tough and has extensive interlocked grain. Being so young there was very little heartwood formed yet the darker brown wood on the right half with the majority of the wood being sapwood light area on the left half of the scans.

The usually dramatic grain resembles ash. We asked his opinion on some of the working and drying properties and this was his response.