Pecan Gloat

[Steve Doerr]

Last night I was at an art opening and one of the painters came up to me and asked if I might be interested in some pecan burl. Light bulbs went off lost focus on my wife and started salivating. We talked and I told her that I would call her tomorrow. Well, we ended up meeting today to look at the pecan tree. Unfortunately the "burls" were limb caps but ended up with some really great wood. The first picture gives you an idea of how large this tree was. the second p picture is my haul for the day.
Have a GREAT day,
Steve

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[Daniel Gross]

nice score!!!!!!!!!

[Harry Robinette]

Very nice haul,but remember it turns to concrete when it dries.

[charlie knighton]

looking forward to some forms soon

[Richard Jones]

I love pecan. Great haul, hope it has some good color.

[alex grams]

Very Nice Steve. Any advice you can offer on drying pecan? I came into some larger pieces, but have heard it is moody in cracking when drying. Any suggestions on drying to minimize cracking? Or what method do you use that works best for you?

[Steve Doerr]

Harry, this is my first experience with pecan and was surprised at how hard it was to cut with the chainsaw. I'm currently turning all that I cut into bowl blanks and pen blanks. I think I'll end up with enough pen blanks to last myself and a few others a life time.

Charlie, I couldn't wait to turn a small bowl, so yesterday evening even before I had completed all my blank cuttings and sealing, I finished turned a piece of end grain into a bowl. I have it soaking right now in DNA. I plan on taking it out tomorrow morning, wrapping it in newspaper till it reaches equilibrium. Once that is completed and I put a finish on it I will post my first ever piece of turned pecan.

Richard, I am really pleased with the color and figure that I got from the tree. The tree was over 200 years old so there was lots of heart wood and I also was able to get several pieces of crouch wood.

Alex, as said earlier, this is my first batch of pecan, but I figure it can't crack any worse than oak. What I am doing is cutting it into various bowl blank sizes and then sealing all surfaces with paraffin. I heat the paraffin and apply with an old stiff paint brush. You want the paraffin hot enough that when you put it on the wood that it is clear. If it is milky or white it is not hot enough. I buy my paraffin from Micheal's or Hobby Lobby in the large block form. I have used this method before on oak, cherry, hedge, red elm, etc and it has proven to be successful for me. Please understand, this method (nor any other method) does not completely eliminate checking, but it does greatly reduce the amount that occurs. HTH

Keep on turnin'
Steve

[alex grams]

it can't crack any worse than oak

That is the dang truth. I have some pecan in the process of drying, I am curious how it goes.

Oak shrinkage is about 4.5-5% radial, 10-12% tangential. Pecan is 5% and 9%. So it should be a little better.

I turned to about 15% thickness, then wrapped in sawdust and put in a bag. Oak I do the same, but also anchorseal the end grain. If the pecan cracks, the next pieces i will seal end grain, and wrap with sawdust and see how they go.

[Gus Dundon]

Great score! Really great wood. I bet you have lots of project ideas in mind now.