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Zelkova - Will the foul smell fade?

Lou Jacobs

Lou Jacobs

Joined
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Several months ago a neighbor had a Zelkova tree (Japanese ornamental in the elm family) cut down, and I was able to get several pieces. The wood has dried and turns beautifully, and I love the colors. Sort of rose sapwood and light brown heartwood. I hope the colors don’t fade too much, but what I wish would fade right away is the smell. It smells like a cow barn before it’s been mucked out. I wonder if anyone has experience with this and how long it will be before I can bring the bowls inside? We had our almost six year old granddaughter over for a sleepover on Saturday night, and at the breakfast table she said “something stinks like poop.” It’s not quite that bad, but she’s right that it is not anything you want at the table.
 
I have turned some "Piss" Elm wood that was pretty foul turning when wet, once it dried completely the smell went away.
The type of soil and water table that the tree is growing in is a big factor in the odor affect. You might try some wood sealer
or a finish that will encapsulate the wood to contain the odor.
 
I do think it will go away, just like Elm wood, as Zelkova is a close Elm relative.

Also Zelkova is used in Japan and other places in making furniture, I don't think they would if it had a bad smell when dry.
 
Thanks for the responses. Leo, you’re right of course. We have an antique Japanese tansu chest, and while I’m not sure it is Zelkova, I imagine from the research I’ve done about it, it may be. No stench there, so I’ll assume this smell will fade sometime between now and 200 years!
Mike, I hadn’t heard the term “piss elm” before, but pretty clearly related. I’ve already put a Doctor’s oil and wax finish in the bowls, so don’t want to seal them with anything else. I’ll just wait this out.
 
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Lou Jacobs said:
Thanks for the responses. Leo, you’re right of course. We have an antique Japanese tansu chest, and while I’m not sure it is Zelkova, I imagine from the research I’ve done about it, it may be. No stench there, so I’ll assume this smell will fade sometime between now and 200 years!
Mike, I hadn’t heard the term “piss elm” before, but pretty clearly related. I’ve already put a Doctor’s oil and wax finish in the bowls, so don’t want to seal them with anything else. I’ll just wait this out.
Click to expand...
A piece of green piss elm covertly placed on a campfire receives less than rave reviews. It is an odor that lingers in one's olfactory receptors for a long, long time.
 
Well, I have had a few pieces of cotton wood which smells like some one threw up on it. I don't think that smell goes away. I have had some big leaf maple that had a sour smell to it, and it didn't go away. I have turned a few pieces of elm, and it did stink when fresh, but after it dried, it smelled kind of like river bottoms areas, kind of spicy woody type smell, if that makes any sense. Green black walnut smells bad to me, but the smell goes away as it cures. I do like the smell of it in the fire... With some woods, the smell lingers, and finish didn't seem to make it smell better. On some woods the smell goes away.

robo hippy
 
I have turned quite a lotto different species, and some were smelly while wet turned, but there isn't a single one of these that smelled later after they had dried, even when cut later there is often no or a very faint smell, as a matter of fact I just drilled and turned a small piece of Juniper (aka Eastern Red Cedar) and I could barely smell it while working it.

Here is a list of most of the species I have turned over the years, there are a few more, like Afcelia and Afrormosia, Bloodwood, and some pieces of Rosewoods, but they would be just some small pieces.

Species turned by me.jpg
 
That’s a great list Leo! When I have folks come to look at my work they’re often surprised when I can quickly tell them not only the species, but where the specific tree was located. I had a woman come last night who bought three bowls from me to give as gifts. She was particularly thrilled when I told her one was from a home a block away from her. She said she’d keep that one for herself.
 
The worst I've had for lingering smell was some tulip poplar. It took a long time before I could bring it in the house or sell it. I've also gathered logs of other species from swampy areas and can tell it came from a swamp but, it all fades over time. Some longer than others.

Lou, a bit off topic but I try very hard to have the story of where the wood I use comes from. At markets I've seen it over and over that telling them when and where it came from locally has a big influence on their desire to purchase it. Even more so if it's a gift and came from somewhere familiar to them.
 
Funny, I did a sniff test on a few things in the shop a couple of weeks ago. I thought old gym clothes or the beginning of a dead possum under the shop crawlspace. I'm relieved to know its probably one of the mystery woods I made blanks from recently. Its already fading or I'm going nose deaf to it.
Al
 
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