Replies

1. 
   KelsoChris | Jul 27, 2007 07:03am | #1

   If you are planning on air drying it qs would be the way to go as qs lumber is usually more stable.  I am not sure about what the grain may look like as I haven't worked any hickory as yet.  Even if the wood is cut flatsawn you will get some QS grain in some boards.

2. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 27, 2007 07:24am | #2

   Morning Alan..

   I had an older cousin that took quite a large amount down from a pecan grove on property he was going to develop. He had it taken to mill and flat sawn in basically 5/4. He stored it in a building he owned but made the mistake (he just didn't know) of not stickering it. He just stacked it basically till I overheard him mention it and advised him to sticker. At that point he did till it was dry.

   It sat there two years before he decides to to take it to the next level to use and ask me to surface it for him. Some was flat.. some was cupped and the wood that had apparently been on top was somewhat twisted.

   To get it right I had to take a large part down to 5/8" to get it flat. The grain on pecan is very nice IMO in flat sawn, and I can only visualize what Q/S would look like as I have never seen Q/S pecan. But I have a feeling it would look great.

   I cannot advice which would be best as the flat sawn I worked with probably was a result of the improper drying. It's very hard and has a pinkish glow and is stable once surfaced. I surfaced over 3000 linear feet of it and all seemed relatively stable once the cup.. twist.. etc. was taken out.

   Hope something in the above might lead to a hint as to what is best for you to do!

   Regards...

   Sarge.. john thompson

3. 
   citrouille | Jul 27, 2007 01:32pm | #3

   Planesaw,

   I get more and more in the habit of buying logs and have them sawn.
   The best way for me is to have them sawn "through and through" (or live sawn), I reconstitute the logs with sticks and have it kiln dried.
   That way I have flat sawn and quarter sawn, the Europeans have been doing it like that for centuries.

   C.

4. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Jul 27, 2007 03:12pm | #4

   Alan,

   As luck would have it I was reading an older issue of FWWlast night and there was a question about pecan with a reply from Jon Arno. 

   He had a lot of good things to say about the grain in pecan but it can be "cantankerous" as it likes to move around.  I don't remember the issue#, but will find it if you want me to.

   He went on to say that it makes very nice furniture and you must take this into account when deciding on joinery, i.e. design for movement.  Perhaps proper stickering and kiln drying might help.

   Regards,

   Bob @ Kidderville Acres

    

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   woodwish | Jul 27, 2007 04:26pm | #5

   I was given maybe a 1000 bd ft or more of 4/4 pecan that had been air-dried in a barn since the trees were destroyed in Hurricane Opal along here, maybe 12 years ago if I remember right.  All was plain sawn and in pretty good shape and really looks nice when worked.  I've made some boxes and other small items with subtle but interesting grain.  I used more of it to turn into platters on the lathe and also some cut up into segmented turnings mixed with walnut.  Nice combo in my opinion.  My only complaint is that it is the hardest stuff I have ever used.  It makes walnut or oak look like balsa wood in comparison.

   The wood I have does have a lot of cracks in parts of it but I attribute that to the fact these trees were all hurricane victims instead of just being cut.  I'm not sure that having them quater sawn would have made much difference in that the grain in the wood I have is just not that strong.  Mine appears fairly stable with little warping or twisting so I am not sure what advantage their would be to having it QS.

5. 
   JohnWW | Jul 27, 2007 10:58pm | #6

   Alan,

   First of all it is very wasteful and time consuming to slice a log up for quarter sawn only and it requires special equipment. The sawyer can do a few things that will increase the yield of quarter sawn, but again with more waste and at the complete loss of wider flat sawn boards.

   Even if you slice the log the simplest way, just cutting it into slabs, you will get at least one quartersawn board from the center slab and a couple of others, from next to the center, that are at least close to quarter sawn.

   For cabinetmaking, both flat sawn and quarter sawn boards are desirable, depending on the component being made, so cutting the log into slabs which is the simplest and least wasteful method, is usually the best approach since it will give you some of both.

   John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine 

    

1. 
   alanplanesaw | Jul 28, 2007 02:21am | #7

   Thanks everyone for your ideas.

   The pecans are ones that are on property where my grandparents lived across from a university, then two of my children lived there when they were in school.  Then, my dad renovated the place and he and mother moved in for a number of years.  They recently sold it to the university (knowing they wanted property all along the street for parking) with one of the deals being we get the lumber out of the trees.

   Of course, until they cut into the trees we won't know whether it is worth cutting into lumber or not.  But, if it is good, I hope to make a table or such out of the pecan for my parents.

   Appreciate everyone weighing in.

   Alan - planesaw

2. 
   Curtis | Jul 28, 2007 04:06am | #8

   Hello I would agree with John in this case,but Ive found something better that beats the old ways of cutting wood, hands down!

   Look at the Lucas saw mill web site. http://www.baileys-online.com/Mill.htm

   You can quarter a tree with out moveing it! verry little waste too.

   What I did was to look into there mill Demo in your area. thay will give you some owners of there mills. you then can go out and see them or call them up and have them cut your lumber.

   Good luck. ;-)C.A.G.