Milling Elm for a table top

[Crazy_Bull]

Hey Up,

 

Go gentle on me! Besides dropping and chopping I know very little!!

 

Our farm has  some chunky Elm suckers, 3-4’ at the butt, then 30-33” on the straight, mostly 20’ long before they branch . A few have succumbing to the beetle, and are leaning on the edge of the wood so have dropped them before they died. 
 

ultimate plan is to make a couple of large ‘farmhouse’ kitchen table tops, circa 10-12’ long.

 

My question is; how thick a slab should I start with? I know there is a fair element of wastage when planing down a slab. They were dropped this autumn, plan to slab ASAP and can store to season as long as needed. 
 

any pointers would be greatly received.

 

thanks in advance, 

 

 

C B

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by Crazy_Bull

[Big J]

I've had elm from Huntingdon before. Funnily enough, it's got it's own subspecies (Huntingdon Elm). Lovely stuff - fairly wide pale sap band and very dark heartwood. 

 

If you have a bunch of them, it would be worth taking them to Helmdon Sawmills in Northamptonshire, as they'll mill them in very little time, charge you very little to do so, you'll lose less to saw kerf than chainsaw milling it, and selling a couple of logs (once sawn) will easily pay for all the haulage and milling costs. That is where I took the elm from Huntingdon, which was probably 5-6 years ago.

[Crazy_Bull]

Thank you for that, I have a mate with a mobile band saw mill, so hoping not to have to haul. 
 

I am thinking mill at 65-70mm? Then once planed be approx 60ish mm thick?

 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by Crazy_Bull

[Rough Hewn]

Yeah 2-3”[emoji106]

[gobbypunk]

The same 2/3 inch if you have a fair bit why not mill some 4 inch for table legs ,elm is ace 

[AJStrees]

Is lime worth milling?

[Rough Hewn]

Is lime worth milling?

Only if it’s got spalting or you like plain white wood.
Got one to mill in a fortnight, full of crazy colours I’m hoping.

[emoji106]