has anyone used hickory or pecan?

[scott pollack]

hi all. im going to build a huntboard for my entryway hall and since its just for our house id thought id try some different wood. i can get some hickory or pecan. ive never used either. can anyone tell me pros / cons of them?

scotty

[Jim Becker]

Both are beautiful woods and...both are hard as rocks!

[Dan Moening]

I've used Pecan and personally really like the coloration of the grain. The heartwood is a darkish tan while the sapwood is cream colored. I even have a couple boards with some "tigerish" figure in them :D

It is hard and will splinter (not tear out) while machining if your feed rate is too fast. It does not tend towards burning if slow though like cherry. It will hold a nice crisp (sharp) edge when machined. Planes and scrapes very nicely.

Its great for bent laminations.

Let's see, what else?

Wet sanded Natural Watco imparts a beautiful honey golden color to it.

Oh, its usually fairly inexpensive :D

Heres a small bank and a picture of my daughters bed (the bookcase is also Pecan):

[Jim Baker]

I just saw in the local classified ads that a guy down the road has some walnut and Pecan to sell. I assume he probably had to take them down when he built his new home in the woods. Hou guys have sparked my interest enough to get me to call him tomorrow. I really don't need more wood right now but some things just can't be helped. :D

[Greg Heppeard]

Pecan and hickory are almost identical. They both have the same working properties. The wood has been used for tool handles for centuries. Take care when using a router on the wood, it tends to splinter down the grain at times. It takes a little more work than oak to get a nice sanding job done, but it's worth the extra effort. If you hand pick your wood, you can get either a rustic look (using natural "defects" in the wood) or you can get an formal look (avoiding the "defects"). The difference between and oil and water based finish is: oil gives it a nice amber glow and water gives it a more tan finish, just depends on the look you're going for. I personally like the wood.