elm wood

[the hedge man]

Got a call today from a guy wanting his elm 24" diameter timber cutting up that had been felled a couple of years back. No problem I said as i had a free afternoon for the work and my saw was very sharp ready to go.

 

To my embarasment 5 mins in I had a blunt saw (timber was clean). It was rock solid and literally had my bar smoking. I said im ever so sorry but im going have to leave it as Id have go sharpen my saw a dozen times over to get job done.

 

Just thought id share the info just in case any of you guys come across the same sort of scenario. ive always known that dead wood lacks the moisture so therefore has the ability to blunt the chain quicker but this one was such a shock and had my cheeks glowing!

[forestgough]

You sure there wasn't metal in it,sounds odd that your saw blunted so sudden.

[Stubby]

You sure there wasn't metal in it,sounds odd that your saw blunted so sudden.

 

I have cut mostly dead elm ( as there is not much alive round here ) . It goes hard but not a problem with a sharp chain . You must have some crud in there somewhere .......

[the hedge man]

I have cut mostly dead elm ( as there is not much alive round here ) . It goes hard but not a problem with a sharp chain . You must have some crud in there somewhere .......

 

yeah gotta have been.

 

I guess my point is watch cutting other peoples log heap, you don't know what your gonna get!!

[baz]

The tree had probably been down for much longer than 2 years. I have some 6 year old stuff hanging around that's seems to have fossilised and takes a lot of cutting. On a screw splitter it just shatters and dust flies everywhere.

 

Ask them when it was really felled, I'd venture it'll be two years ago back in '07.

[Tomatin Firewood]

I use an Oregon multicut chain for my processor and chainsaw and they are much tougher. Maybe worth getting a chain for cross cutting? The only problem with them is they are a bitch to sharpen, I use an Oregon chain sharpener which does the business, but rakers/ leaders are hard on the file. Hardwood including seasoned elm I reckon I was getting a good 10-15 tonnes cut in my processor. Chainsaw cross cutting around 10T / sharpen. Spitting some of the big bits that would not go into my processor on the other hand was a bitch!

[Logsnstuff]

I was always told old elm don't touch it was like cutting stone. you could try changing the angle your sharpening the chain but I think you did the right thing and walk away.full carbide chain I tried shattered the teeth on a hard piece of timber might have had a stone embedded never did find out though, the multicut is not a bad in between but I prefer to import oregon LGP from baileys Oregon refuse to sell it in the uk at the moment say theres no demand but its pretty good on clean timber.