Replies

1. 
   user-83153 | Apr 29, 2007 05:12pm | #1

   stridor,

     Sure, why not. If you like the look of it go ahead and use it. Hickory is very hard and will dull cutting edges and can be prone to tearout when machining. I personally like the way hickory looks, especially if you use pieces that have heart and sap wood.

                                  Rob

1. 
   stridor | May 01, 2007 03:53am | #3

   Well I'm used to needing sharp tools to avoid tear out as I use cherry almost exclusively.

2. 
   terrylee86 | Apr 30, 2007 05:37am | #2

   If you have a use for it by all means get it.  Bitternut hickory (carya cordiformis) is not considered a true hickory, but a northern pecan tree.  It is not quite as hard as the true hickories and is darker in the heartwood than shagbark.  I think bitternut is the most beautiful for furniture, but it is still challenging to work.  Bitternut dries a little straighter is the kiln as it is not as dense and usually has more grade quality lumber.  I would not hesitate if you like hickory.  It is also the best wood for hickory smoking.

1. 
   stridor | May 01, 2007 03:56am | #4

   So that's why bitter pecan kept showing up on google search. Sounds like I'll be going into the tree business.

1. 
   terrylee86 | May 01, 2007 06:31pm | #5

   I am not familiar with the trends in Canada, but in Michigan right now hickory/pecan is becoming very popular.  I just did a staircase in hickory treads and cherry newel posts and it is beautiful.  Used Chelsea Plank flooring hickory for the floor and carried the hickory up the stairs on the treads and risers.  Then used cherry newels and rail and white painted poplar balusters and it looks great.  If you don't use all the stock I think you will be able to sell whatever you don't want.  Seal the ends of your logs right after you cut them to length because it will end check quickly.  Good luck on your treasure find.

   Terry

3. 
   KeithNewton | May 01, 2007 07:48pm | #6

   One of the things that I have noticed when looking at the numbers when comparing woods, is that most of the hickories have some of the highest volumetric shrinkage when drying, and some have some of the highest numbers of radial to tangental ratio.

   How this relates to the wood drying, means that plain-sawn lumber will have a greater tendency to cup especially where the arc of the annual rings are of a smaller radius when viewing the rings from the end.

   This is a hard thing to understand, and or describe, but it just means that it will be worse closer to the heart, and less the farther out the lumber is cut from the heart.

   If you find any burls, this can make for interesting turnings for someone who wants to use the natural distortion that will occur after the piece is turned green, then left to warp into a more extreme lopsidedness than most other wood.

1. 
   stridor | May 02, 2007 03:24pm | #7

   In the past when we have cut a few walnut trees we have air-dried for a few years. I am wondering if we should have these trees quarter cut to help with some of the wood movement. What do you think?

1. 
   KeithNewton | May 02, 2007 04:09pm | #8

   No, walnut behaves better, and I think it looks better when it is plain-sawn. Back to the hickory,unless these are huge trees, I am not sure that I would bother cutting it QS, even though it will move a lot more if you don't, you can compensate for those problems by cutting a little thicker, and or narrower, or ripping down any cupped boards after it has dried. It depends on how you plan to use this wood after it is dry.

1. 
   stridor | May 09, 2007 03:41pm | #9

   You're right these trees are really not big enough to be quarter-sawn. Do you happen to know what the grain looks like?