Has anyone ever turned Hackberry

[Clay Whitworth]

My neighbor has cut down a hackberry tree and gave me a log that is 11 feet by 23 inch. I was wondering if anyone has turned hackberry and if it is any good. I figured get it then ask questions I can always burn it if I don't want it.

Thanks Clay

[Brian Effinger]

It turns pretty well. I got a chunk of spalted hackberry, and turned this bowl from it.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=172002&d=1264565509
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=172003&d=1264565509

Sorry for the large size, that is how they copied from my album.

[Jim Heikes]

I have turned quite a bit of spalted hackberry over the past few months. It turned quite well for me. Spalted Hackberry when finished is beautiful.

[Clay Whitworth]

The bowl is beautiful. I'm glad I told him I wanted it. He was just going to burn it.

[Jim Burr]

Run...don't walk and get more!!!! It is amazing stuff when done.

[Cody Colston]

I've turned a lot of it and it readily spalts to look just like the bowl Brian posted...the color, not the shape. (really nice bowl, Brian)

Just be aware that there isn't much time between looking like that bowl and being too rotten for even firewood.

[Greg Just]

i turned a spalted hackberry bowl a few years ago while it was green. I finished it all in one day and let it dry. It turned into an oval and was very unique. Wish I could get some more.

[Donny Lawson]

Hackberry is a beautiful wood to work with. If you have some room and some time to let it sit around and spalt that is great. I brought home 5-6 logs about a month ago and once I got them off the trailer I pushed them into the weeds. I hope to have some nice spalting around June or so. When it does I will have spalted hackberry everywhere.

[Thomas Canfield]

Unspalted Hackberry is sometimes called Palo Blanco by some due to being a fairly white wood, and they say that it increases the price by at least 50%. It does tend to darken with an oil finish and some in local club use spray lacqure or wipe on poly for finish. I found some recently about 14" D and rough turned it, coated with Anchorseal, and then put in plastic bag with some raw chips. I turned the bag inside out about every 2 or 3 days for a couple of weeks and have since wrapped with newspaper to dry more and stop the spalting. Spalting happens fairly fast and can get wild. Make sure you cut out the pith and get it sealed in case. fun to rough turn green with the easy curls.

[Richard Jones]

Unspalted Hackberry is sometimes called Palo Blanco by some due to being a fairly white wood, and they say that it increases the price by at least 50%. It does tend to darken with an oil finish and some in local club use spray lacqure or wipe on poly for finish. I found some recently about 14" D and rough turned it, coated with Anchorseal, and then put in plastic bag with some raw chips. I turned the bag inside out about every 2 or 3 days for a couple of weeks and have since wrapped with newspaper to dry more and stop the spalting. Spalting happens fairly fast and can get wild. Make sure you cut out the pith and get it sealed in case. fun to rough turn green with the easy curls.

Thomas,

Are you AS'ing the entire piece? Normal 10% rough out size? I actually have about 75 hackberry rough outs right now, and may try this on a few.

Thanks.

Rich

[Donny Lawson]

When you coat with Anshorseal,you need to only coat the endgrain. That's where moisture will escape the fastest and that's what you are trying to prevent. The sides will dry slowly and when the endgrain is coated it will dry like the sides. That's what you want to happen,and that means less warpping. Everything dries evenly.

[Richard Jones]

Donny,

That's my normal practice, was just wondering if the bagging-for-spalt needed something different.

Rich