Burr Elm Milling Advice

[bobh]

I've got the chance of getting my hands on this elm.

Not sure the best way to mill it, cut burrs off first and sell? mill just as it is?

It is about 8 meters long in total and about 2' thick (plus burrs, so about 2'6"-3')

Will have to be milled with an alaskan as that's all I have and access is poor so has to be extracted by hand. (20 meters through wood and then lifted over a deer fence)

Swiss army knife in second pic to give idea of size - if you can see it.

 

Thanks

[WADKIN]

I for one given the access is a pig, just cut of the burrs taking part of the stem with them. Easy stuff to sell if they are large enough. Little bits and pieces are a waste of time, try and make them as large as possible whilst remembering you need to handball them out.

[Rob D]

I'd maybe cut off the largest burrs then mill the rest as planks are not too bad to carry between 2.... sort of!

 

 

Nice looking bit of wood though.

[WoodED]

any chance of winching it to a nice easy access point ? if im beeing honest i wouldnt know were to start....

[agg221]

I think realistically you have to decide - do you want planks or burrs? If you try to get both, you'll end up with neither.

 

It will come down to whether you want it for yourself or for sale, and whether you have a market.

 

If it's burrs, you can just cut up lumps of a suitable size for a barrow. If it's planks, bear in mind you can drag them with little damage to more than the first inch or so of board.

 

If you can get hold of a pair of wheels on a solid axle about 2' long you can shift some serious stuff with a few people.

 

Alec