Differences between Elm and Pecan wood.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

As someone had ID'd a bowl as Pecan, and it is quite obvious that it is Elm wood, I am going to bring the differences up here, the nice thing about Elm wood is that the grain can show you clearly that you have Elm, a bit harder to do with Pecan, as some Hickories are often classed as Pecan.

So first 2 pictures of close up end grain of Elm and Pecan, where the zigzag of the interlocking grain of the Elm wood is clearly showing.
This is Elm wood grain.

And this is Pecan end grain.

Here is a Pecan board that shows the regular grain of Pecan,

Closely related Hickory wood bowl.

 

[Mike Novak]

I have a bit of wood that came down in a snowstorm last year. I have been wondering about it for a while. I thought it might be Elm, but everything I read says Elm smells terrible. The wood I have has a smell, but it’s very nice. Nutty and a little sweet. Remind me of a campfire without the smoke. Turns nicely too. What do you think?

 

[Michael Anderson]

Looks like Elm to me, Mike. What type, no idea. I haven't personally experienced he urine smell of Elm, but I also have never turned it green.

 

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I have a bit of wood that came down in a snowstorm last year. I have been wondering about it for a while. I thought it might be Elm, but everything I read says Elm smells terrible. The wood I have has a smell, but it’s very nice. Nutty and a little sweet. Remind me of a campfire without the smoke. Turns nicely too. What do you think?

I have turned a lot of Elm wood, especially Siberian Elm, as it would get taken down after every early wet snow storm, happens for the simple reason that it keeps the leaves on a long time after all other trees have theirs fallen off, that with the fine twigs they have, the snow would really load up on them and large limbs would break off.

Yes yours is Elm Mike, never mind the smell is not up to parr to the smell others have claimed or exaggerated as how bad it should be

Some people do dislike some smells while others are not, with the Elm smell, could it be that they are reminded of something that happened in their life ? hahaha

 

[robo hippy]

There is a good sized American Elm down the street from me that pretty much died 2 summers ago. Waiting for it to come down. May want to get some milled for chair seats. We have very dry summers here, and that is probably what killed it. Not the Dutch Elm Disease though. Tree is at least 24 inch diameter.

robo hippy