Road Trip: Hearne Hardwoods

[Jim Becker]

There's nothing like a little trip to the "candy store" for a little shopping and today was a nice day for it! I had a need to pick up some quarter sawn cherry and some cherry crotch for the two vanities for the master bath that will be in the addition, so I twisted Creeker Robert Tarr's arm to come along for the ride and hooked up the trailer to the Highlander. A quick stop at StarBucks and the ATM on the way and after a bit of a ride, we were in lovely Oxford PA.

Now, Robert has never been to Hearne before and I wasn't sure that my description was convincing enough. But these bubinga slabs next to the parking lot were the first thing he laid his eyes on as we got out of the vehicle. That's the "Holy Moley!" look... :p

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We spent a lot of time there, starting with a quick tour for Robert and then getting down to the business of selecting lumber. My main concern was to try and find some acceptable cherry crotch for door panels in the vanities. That, unfortunately, proved to be difficult. I only found one piece that would work and it was only enough for one vanity. Rick Hearne even took us out to some of the other buildings were we looked through some other options, but it was not to be...today. I did buy that one panel. Maybe I'll find another before I do the vanities. If not, I picked up a very nice piece of quartered English sycamore that will make very nice book matched panels that can be dyed to work for this project.

I spent some time picking through the QS stock and found about 50 bd ft that would work for me. And then I fell in love. :o No, not with a beautiful maiden, but with a beautiful slab of English Brown Oak. Yes, the "I -don't-normally-do-oak" author of this post just had to have that piece of wood. Gorgeous stuff. (Rick said that the interesting brown color comes from a mushroom that grows around the trees and eventually kills them) And then, of course, I needed another piece to use for other structure for what I think will be a sofa table or some sort. Let's just consider this a speculative buy...and here I am speculating about what the number will be on my AMEX card once the dude measuring things up is done writing.

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Thankfully, it was less than I thought it would be. (Professor Dr. SWMBO said the same thing once we got back with the goodies :) ) Here's today's haul.

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And this is that wonderful slab of English Brown Oak. Yes, it will remain a natural edge piece, too...the contrast is wonderful. And I have a 9 bd ft piece of 8/4 to match for aprons and legs. That's an 18" ruler on top for a size reference.

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Wood porn is really a wonderful way to spend part of a Saturday in the spring.... :D

[Roy McQuay]

Jim, I have to agree. Wood porn is a good description of Hearnes.

[Ron Brese]

Candy store? I think it must be more like Candy Land!

Ron

[Corey Hallagan]

Nice haul Jim, some beautiful stock. I am wowed by those slabs of bubby stacked up. Man, what a candy store!

Corey

[Christopher Stahl]

Ah Jim, one of my favorite places to go. It's hard to not walk out of there with a huge bill. :) I can spend hours and hours there.

[Martin Shupe]

It is really too bad I don't live closer to Hearne Hardwoods. They have so much beautiful wood, I could just buy it as I need it, project by project, instead of hoarding it like I do.

[Brett Baldwin]

I have to go to Woodworker's Source every once in a while for the same reason Christopher. I don't have any particular project in mind but just looking at all the exotic wood and seeing new ones every so often keeps the juices flowing.
Thanks for the photo journey to PA's notorious wood den of iniquity Jim.

[Dan Forman]

Candy store indeed! Looks like a fun and productive trip.

Dan

[Michael Adelong]

I love Hearne. Worth every minute of the 45 minute trip (each way).

In the 2nd picture, you're standing in front of the rack where I got the Cherry for my current project. Lucky for me, I got there before you did... :D

Michael

[Doug Shepard]

Nice. If I ever get to PA, I know where I'm headed.

[Pete Brown]

Hearne's is a great place to shop. I drive almost two hours to get up there, but their selection, prices, and people can't be beat. If you live anywhere within driving distance visit them with a good credit card and an empty trailer :)

Last time I was there, I bought a tree (http://community.irritatedvowel.com/blogs/pete_browns_blog/archive/2006/04/01/319.aspx) :p (link includes some shots of hearnes, but no enormous slabs of bubinga!)

http://www.irritatedVowel.com/pub/pmb_renovation_cabinet_wood_01_small.jpg

http://www.irritatedvowel.com/pub/pmb_cabinet_wood_close_up_tiger_maple_figure_small .jpg

http://www.irritatedVowel.com/pub/pmb_hearns_01_small.jpg

Pete

[Lou Morrissette]

How far would Hearne's be from Cape Cod?:(

Lou

[Sean Hughes]

Nice Haul!!! My only question is why didn't you swing by West Chester to drop some of it off?????:) :) :)

[Fred Voorhees]

Pete, that type of Maple was called ambrosia by Simmie Agin, the gentleman that a few of us used to purchase our great lumber from before he passed away. Never heard it called ghost maple, but regardless of the moniker, it still looks great. Some great looking stuff. My son purchased some for a jewelry chest that he built with my guidance last year as a Christmas gift for his fiance.

[Pete Brown]

Pete, that type of Maple was called ambrosia by Simmie Agin, the gentleman that a few of us used to purchase our great lumber from before he passed away. Never heard it called ghost maple, but regardless of the moniker, it still looks great. Some great looking stuff. My son purchased some for a jewelry chest that he built with my guidance last year as a Christmas gift for his fiance.

I don't want to hijack Jim's thread, but I have heard it called all of those things. The people at Hearne's (and my local mill, which I rarely buy from) call it Ghost or Wormy Maple. I learned about the "Ambrosia Maple" name here a while back. That does seem to be the more common name.

It's gorgeous stuff. My wife and I both love it.

Did your future daughter-in-law like the chest?

Pete

[rodney mitchell]

Wow, I'd like to be let loose in that place.

[Don Bergren]

Wow, I'd like to be let loose in that place.

Be even more fun to run loose in that place with Jim's credit card and not mine. :D

[lou sansone]

nice pile of lumber. cherry crotch ... I have tried several times to dry it , only to be disappointed. best wishes in the search

Lou

[Jim Becker]

cherry crotch ... I have tried several times to dry it , only to be disappointed. best wishes in the search

Yes, that was the issue. The boule we looked at out in the sawmill building had some of the very nice feathering I wanted, but aside from having to buy from the outside in to the slices I wanted, there was too much cracking. Rick Hearne indicated that cherry was tough just due to the way the crotches are so inconsistant. Walnut crotch is a dream to dry in comparison and I would have opted for it but for it being darker than I wanted for this project. I also looked at some nice mahogany and bubinga crotch and could have made that work, too...but at $25 a foot and having to buy into the boule as described above, it just wasn't going to happen. So...the vanity door panels will be some nice QS English Sycamore (I cut and book-matched the stock today) and I'll use the one crotch I was able to score for a smaller cabinet elsewhere.

[Dave Malen]

Jim,
Next time you go let me know. That ambrosia maple is to dye for. Nice haul!
Dave

[Jim Becker]

That ambrosia maple is to dye for.

Pick you color... :D

[Dave Malen]

I thought I edited that:p
Dave

[Fred Voorhees]

I don't want to hijack Jim's thread, but I have heard it called all of those things. The people at Hearne's (and my local mill, which I rarely buy from) call it Ghost or Wormy Maple. I learned about the "Ambrosia Maple" name here a while back. That does seem to be the more common name.

It's gorgeous stuff. My wife and I both love it.

Did your future daughter-in-law like the chest?

Pete
Yeah, she was surprised and did like it. Surprised because my son really hasn't spent that much time (read that none) in the shop, so was no expected to be giving something like that.

[Pete Brown]

I spent some time picking through the QS stock and found about 50 bd ft that would work for me. And then I fell in love. :o No, not with a beautiful maiden, but with a beautiful slab of English Brown Oak. Yes, the "I -don't-normally-do-oak" author of this post just had to have that piece of wood. Gorgeous stuff. (Rick said that the interesting brown color comes from a mushroom that grows around the trees and eventually kills them) And then, of course, I needed another piece to use for other structure for what I think will be a sofa table or some sort. Let's just consider this a speculative buy...and here I am speculating about what the number will be on my AMEX card once the dude measuring things up is done writing.


I typically don't care much for Oak, but that piece you have there is very nice. I've never played with English Brown Oak; does it work like domestic oaks?

Pete

[Jim Becker]

I typically don't care much for Oak, but that piece you have there is very nice. I've never played with English Brown Oak; does it work like domestic oaks?

I don't know how it works, Pete. It's pretty coarse grained, but the color is outstanding. I believe it's a "white oak", but could be wrong about that. No matter...I bought it 'cause it just really caught my eye and it was easy to envision "the project". Not inexpensive, however. The 4/4 is $12 per and the 8/4 is $15 per. :o

[Alan Turner]

I have worked Eng. brown oak. It is a bit chippy, but beautiful. Some burls are not uncommon. Pretty expensive wood, but great color and grain.

[Don Bullock]

That's a nice haul of wood Jim. I sure wish we had a place like Hearne near Los Angeles. I guess that's the price we have to pay for living somewhere with good weather most of the time.

[Jim Becker]

Don, we have good weather here all the time, too. The only difference is that sometimes it's good for "me", sometimes it's good for frogs, sometimes it's good for people who repair heating systems and sometimes...well, you know what I mean... ;)

[Jeff Miller]

Thanks for the road trip Jim, I'm still drooling.

By the way my wife and and two of my daughters were in Pittsburg over the weekend were they anywhere near you or Hearne on their way there Via the turnpike from Ohio. If they were they could have dropped me off;)

[Tom Sweeney]

I bet I drove right by while you were there. I had to go down to the bay to help my Dad take the cover off his boat & put the canvas top on. Drove right past Hearnes at about 8 AM & on the way back at around Noon. If I'd of known I would have stopped in to help you spend some of your money :rolleyes:

I don't go to Hearnes very often, even though they're 20 minutes from my house, because I love my Wife & would hate to have her divorce me over the AMEX bill when I finished shopping at the candy store. One time I was there & they had a bunch of $100 BF stuff in the showroom - YIKES! I haven't been there since they installed that giant sawmill. Is it up & running?

[Tom Sontag]

Does Hearne segregate their cherry quartersawn vs. plain sawn? Do they do the same for walnut? Do they charge more? In the case of the cherry, does all of it exhibit the hard to catch cherry rays, or is it more a thing of a board having straight annual rings? You've got the nail that saw line just so to get ray flecks in cherry....


I currently segregate oaks and sycamore quartersawn, rift sawn, and plain sawn. What other domestics should I segregate the QS stuff?

I love wood threads!

[Jim Becker]

By the way my wife and and two of my daughters were in Pittsburg over the weekend were they anywhere near you or Hearne on their way there Via the turnpike from Ohio. If they were they could have dropped me off

It would have been a long walk for you, Jeff...Pittsburgh is in western PA...about, oh...250 miles from Hearne.


If I'd of known I would have stopped in to help you spend some of your money

Nah...I was already on a roll...I would have sicked you on Robert. He needed a little encouragement since with his most recent broken leg, he was not convinced he wanted to have to load lumber in to his second floor shop. Wimp... :)

[Matt Day]

Thanks for the tip about this place. I'll probably stop by there on my next trip from VA to NJ.

[Art Mulder]

Wow, Jim, you resisted the Bubinga. Don't you have the urge to make a one-slab dining table? (looks big enough for that in the photo)

...art

[Jim Becker]

Art, I'd need to build an addition for a slab that large...and bubinga is the one species I'm really sensitive to, so it's "off the table", as it were, for projects for the most part.

[Jim Becker]

Does Hearne segregate their cherry quartersawn vs. plain sawn? Do they do the same for walnut? Do they charge more? In the case of the cherry, does all of it exhibit the hard to catch cherry rays, or is it more a thing of a board having straight annual rings?

Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, and know...as you say, depending on the cut line. I personally don't care about the rays...I want the straight grain for the project I'm currently working on.


I currently segregate oaks and sycamore quartersawn, rift sawn, and plain sawn. What other domestics should I segregate the QS stuff?

I'm not sure, but any species can be quarter/rift sawn.

My objective with the straight grain stock as mentioned above is to keep the focus on the "special" wood in the door panels. I don't like "busy" rails and stiles in that respect. I may consider experimenting with other species in the future for this look...if I want to work with the QS/Rift straight grain, there may be better choices and I can use dye to have the color that I want. So many choices... ;)

[Dave Avery]

Jim,

Crotch cherry veneer is relatively easy to find - might be a good excuse for adding an inexpensive vacuum press set-up to the tool arsenal....... Best. dave.

[Jim Becker]

Crotch cherry veneer is relatively easy to find - might be a good excuse for adding an inexpensive vacuum press set-up to the tool arsenal.......

One would think, but I haven't been able to find any veneer with the feather pattern wide enough for the doors. (~12" or more)

[Greg Cole]

Wish I could make it a day trip.. or in Jim's case a few hours!
I live way out in Kansas City and don't have any problem picking up the phone and dropping an order with them. The selection makes the freight bill easier to swallow.... and when you get your lumber delivered the freight is worth it.
I would need no prompting to load up while there!
The 3/4 ton Dodge Big Horn with turbo diesel & 16' gooseneck out in the parking lot might be a little overkill though.:rolleyes: Maybe.....

[Larry Fox]

The 3/4 ton Dodge Big Horn with turbo diesel & 16' gooseneck out in the parking lot might be a little overkill though.:rolleyes: Maybe.....

Last time I was there there was a mid-size flat-bed in the parking lot loaded to capacity (maybe a bit more) with what looked to be walnut slabs. I think your rig would be right at home there.

My brother lives (essentially) around the corner from them and I can't seem to avoid stopping by whenever I go down to see him. I especially like the "shorts" pile in the back - there are some tasty bits in there and I always end up buying something. Two weeks ago I ventured to the upper racks where they have the bubinga and other tasty goodies. Very nice place staffed by very nice people.

[Jim Becker]

Larry, you're right...the "shorts" room is incredible. That's where that English Brown Oak slab was calling my name from. Hearne supplies many of the makers around SE PA including some of Nakashima Studio's needs. So I'm not surprised at a trailer hanging out, particularly on a week-day when they do a lot of trade business. On Saturday, my trailer was the only one in evidence...but the place really was hopping!