Chinese Elm Wood Grain
Hard and soft scans pictures.
Chinese elm wood grain. The wood of the hard elms sometimes referred to. The usually dramatic grain resembles ash. Unlike other elms freshly cut chinese elm has a peppery or spicy odour. Eight species are endemic to north america and a smaller number to europe.
Interlocked grain means that the lengthwise grain from year to year goes different directions instead of being perfectly vertical in the. Difficult to carve and carved by only experts. 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. We asked his opinion on some of the working and drying properties and this was his response.
It is no longer found in china and is imported from southeast asia and africa to makers in china. Chinese elm heartwood ranges in tone from reddish brown to light tan or flesh coloured while the sapwood approaches off white. It is one of the densest and hardest of woods. The grain is often handsome and dramatic.
The most basic division of elm species is between hard and soft elm. Moderately dense elm weighs nearly 40 lbs. Elm wood was valued for its interlocking grain and consequent resistance to splitting with significant uses in wagon wheel hubs chair seats and coffins. The wood is very tough and has extensive interlocked grain.
Ulmiform patterning is evident even on the face grain of elm as thin zig zags between growth rings. The greatest diversity is found in china. The wood itself is rare very hard with fine lined grain. This sample was sent to us by eric beckman who is harvesting chinese elm.
Elm heartwood ranges in tone from reddish brown to light tan while the sapwood approaches off white. 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.