Elm

Burr Elm Sample

One of the most popular trees in the workshop is Elm. At one time this tall deciduous tree - which grows to heights of 40 metres - spanned the Irish countryside. However sadly in recent times Dutch Elm Disease has taken it's toll and Elm has all but disappeared from our landscape. There are a total of 10 species of elm in Europe, the most popular of which are English, Dutch and Wych Elm. Burr Elm is obtained from all of the elm species and is particularly beautiful for woodturning.

Due to the rapidly decreasing amount of healthy elm trees in Ireland, especially those with burr, only trees that are dead or have fallen due to storm are used for woodturning. In one sense we are lucky, in that trees which have been dead for a number of years, especially those which have been out in the open are particularly suitable for turning and furniture making. Due to it's tendency to warp and the length of time that it takes to dry it is not particularly popular for furniture, however it's rich colour and thick burr makes it an ideal material for woodturning.

All of the wood that has been used in the pieces on this site are from trees which once grew in the mild Atlantic climate of the West of Ireland. This is also where the workshop is located.