Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Bows => Topic started by: okie64 on March 19, 2012, 07:20:43 pm

Title: Elm tree id?
Post by: okie64 on March 19, 2012, 07:20:43 pm
Anybody know what kinda elm tree this is? I would like to try out some elm and there are 4 of these growing really straight that I was thinkin about cuttin for bow wood. I thought it was winged elm but none of the branches or twigs have the little corky ridges on them. The pic of the leaves was taken today so they arent full grown yet but if I remember right from last summer the leaves werent very big even when full grown.

(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/f03e777b.jpg)

(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/b00d0ad6.jpg)

(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/fc58dc2c.jpg)
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on March 19, 2012, 07:48:17 pm
My guess is American, but quite frankly elm is elm. Cut that sumgun down and send half to me stat.
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: JonW on March 19, 2012, 07:55:45 pm
Slippery Elm will have a slight licorice kinda smell to the inner bark. Slippery leaves will be a little more "pointy" on the end than American. Either way if it is straight cut it.
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: beetlebailey1977 on March 19, 2012, 09:23:32 pm
Yeah elm is elm cut some for me too!!!!   LOL
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: PeteC on March 19, 2012, 09:31:37 pm
I agree,it sure looks like American elm. God Bless
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: okie64 on March 20, 2012, 01:16:32 am
Good enough. Theyre comin down asap. I got a hankerin to build an elm bow.
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: crooketarrow on March 20, 2012, 12:45:54 pm
  IT'S SLIPPERY ELM I've cut a few of them. JON is right SLIPPERY leaves are more pointed and not a oval as other elms. Saying elms elm is like saying hickorys hickory. Woud you say that I think not. There are differences. All elms are good bow woods WHYICH,RED THEN SLIPPERY in that order those are the only 2 I have exsperance with. Some people conceder RED AND SLIPPERY the same. There close in in bow woods.
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: okie64 on March 20, 2012, 07:28:03 pm
I always thought red and slippery were the same.
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: beetlebailey1977 on March 20, 2012, 11:16:09 pm
Slippery elm and Red elm are one and the same.  Ulmus rubra
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: okie64 on March 22, 2012, 05:36:56 pm
Went and cut one of the elms down yesterday. Bark didnt come off nearly as easy as I hoped it would and it was a beast to split this stuff but got her done nonetheless. The tree was pretty much white sapwood all the way through with no heartwood. Heres what I ended up with.

(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/895cea28.jpg)

(http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee503/Jamey_Burkhart/40fa90ce.jpg)

Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: coaster500 on March 22, 2012, 05:41:57 pm
Man if I removed that much bark in a day I'd be hospitalized!!!

Good lookin stuff Jamey :)
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: Ryan_Gill_HuntPrimitive on March 22, 2012, 09:22:21 pm
maybe it's just me....or   since the leave still look early,   but the bases seem pretty symmetrical which is an indicator of hop hornbeam, where elm leaves look very much the same except the base is lobed, one side larger than the other..???
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: Mangeur de lard on March 22, 2012, 10:48:15 pm
You may be on to something there... the leaves are a bit early and the bark does remind me of hophornbeam. It seems like the bark is scaling and not as interlocking as american elm. Did you see any flowers on the tree? either way its good bow wood.
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: okie64 on March 22, 2012, 10:59:43 pm
I just figured it was too big for hhb. These trees are about 14" diameter at chest height. The bark didnt really look like hhb to me, but then again Ive never seen one that big before so I guess it could be. There are 3 other trees that are identical to this one so I'll go back and check them out. Either way Im happy.
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: toomanyknots on March 23, 2012, 12:26:47 am
maybe it's just me....or   since the leave still look early,   but the bases seem pretty symmetrical which is an indicator of hop hornbeam, where elm leaves look very much the same except the base is lobed, one side larger than the other..???

Holy crap, never knew that. Thanks! The bark looks like elm to me, or what I think is elm. Like a cork elm almost. I think I might have a bunch of hop hornbeam around here which I know now due to you.  :laugh: I cut a sapling last year which I thought was a elm, it was very hard and dense. I could not put a mark in the bare wood with my fingernails for the life of me, it was very hard. I debarked it and sealed the ends, but in a couple hours after doing that the thing blew up from the inside out with checking cracks, it sucked really. Does this sound like hop hornbeam?
Title: Re: Elm tree id?
Post by: Knapper on March 23, 2012, 01:45:55 am
HHb can grow to12"in diam. I'm not sure where you are but here also hhb seldom gets that big that I've found/. but it does look like hhb. slippery elm I've cut some and at this time of year the bark comes of in long strips very easy.