Elm chopping boards

[Wato]

Hi everyone,

 

I’ve managed to get my hands on some dead elm today and I want to make some chopping boards out of it. Seems a shame to burn it all as there’s so few elms left.

 

However as I’m a complete novice when it comes to carving and woodwork in general, could anyone point me in the direction of a workshop? Or if anyone knows of any courses as well. I live in Preston, Lancashire so anywhere around here would be good.

 

Got a few pictures, there’s some small cracks, doesn’t look very rotten, looks like it’s in pretty good shape to me. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Cheers,

 

George

 

 

 

[Lazurus]

First job get it cut or split along the grain and in stick to start drying - green wood will not be suitable for chopping boards. Once you have it planked a simple job could be done with hand tools and a jig saw.

[Wato]

I was wondering if it’s already well seasoned, since it’s been dead for quite some time. It feels and looks really dry. Also, would the cracks be an issue? I want to keep the shape of the tree so the boards look like tree rings, give them a good sanding down, smooth off the edges and then treat the wood.

Nice board there, really nice colour.

[Rough Hewn]

George,
It's elm, it doesn't like to split easily, your pith is far off centre and your logs are tiny.
They are too small to mill.
It's firewood sadly, unless you want to manually push each log through a woodworkers band saw.
I do not recommend this though. (Fingers...)
If you want an Elm chopping board, come to my yard in Huddersfield and you can have a free offcut.
[emoji106]

[gary112]

34 minutes ago, Rough Hewn said:

George,
It's elm, it doesn't like to split easily, your pith is far off centre and your logs are tiny.
They are too small to mill.
It's firewood sadly, unless you want to manually push each log through a woodworkers band saw.
I do not recommend this though. (Fingers...)
If you want an Elm chopping board, come to my yard in Huddersfield and you can have a free offcut.

That sorted that then

[Rough Hewn]

Reckon you'd get at least 3 from this. About 90cm by 30cm by 30mm.
[emoji106]

[Gary Prentice]

I stand to be corrected, but I think that Elm is considered to be unsuitable for cutting boards as it taints foods that it comes into contact with, beech and sycamore being preferred.

[astra25]

Cut some 2" or just over cookies from them leave them to dry another 4-6 months and if they are still good then sand and oil them an you have yourself a chopping board.

The wood looks very pale for elm and bark looks smith....

[Johnsond]

13 hours ago, Gary Prentice said:

I stand to be corrected, but I think that Elm is considered to be unsuitable for cutting boards as it taints foods that it comes into contact with, beech and sycamore being preferred.

My understanding too !!

Im sitting on a fair bit of elm but looking for a good piece of beech to do a butchers table. All the research I did pretty much stated beech being the best most affordable option here in the UK. 

[axehaircut]

Sycamore is good also.