Has anyone ever used pecan wood?

[glen box]

The reason I am asking is that one of my neighbors is wanting to have a pool installed this winter. And there is a huge native pecan in the way:D. He said I could have the trunk. He is going to split the rest and use and sell for smoker wood. The trunk on this sucker is aboud 2 1/2 ft in diameter and bout 12' - 15' tall and straight as a rod.

So i want to know if any of you have ever used pecan for furniture. I don't recal ever seeing any for sale in lumber form so I am guessing there is a reason for that. If bI can find some sort of mobile milling service do you guys think it will be worth it?

[Tony Bilello]

I think the reason that its not normally available is probably because people actually love their pecan trees and the pecans bring in a part-time income for some. Very rarely see pecans in the wild. Usually in orchards.
Anyway, the wood is pretty, but very very hard. It is also difficult to turn. But for free and some chainsaw effort, I would definitely take it.
I personally wouldn't pay for a portable saw mill to come and cut it up unless it had some personal/family heirloom value. But, that's just me.

Tony B

[Lee DeRaud]

I've turned some, both wet Texas wood and also from some 8/4 stock sold locally. Haven't done any flatwork with it, but except for limited availability, I don't see any reason it couldn't be used for furniture. It's harder than poplar and has more interesting figure, but tighter grained than oak.

[Terry Barr]

I've seen several dining tables made with pecan wood the gentleman that built the tables said he wood take any and all the pecan trees he could get his hands on just for the wood to make furniture with. He also stated that it makes excellent chairs and stools, end tables and coffee tables.

[Dick Sylvan]

I have seen several pieces of pecan furniture over the years. As I recall there are a number of professional woodworkers in central Texas and the Hill Country who use pecan. I would think that if you have the space and the inclination, milling this log would be an attractive proposition.

[Mike Henderson]

I've used pecan for furniture and for turning. No major issues. A bit hard - it's in the hickory family - but carbide tools handle it very well for furniture use. The scraps make very good tool handles - such as for chisels.

I usually use a stain on it because I prefer the furniture a bit darker than natural but that's just personal preference.

But to use it for furniture, you'l have to dry the wood and for that you'll need space to store it.

Mike

[Tim Thomas]

Like Mike already said, pecan is in the hickory family. In fact, once pecan has been milled up it is very difficult to tell the difference between it and hickory. Sometimes pecan is even sold as hickory at lumber yards. So it is possible that if you have ever worked with hickory that you have already worked with pecan. :D

I have a few scraps of pecan and some jigs made from pecan wood that I got from my wife's grandfather. The wood is dense, hard and tough, so I think you will probably be pleased with whatever you decide to make from what you get.

[Chase Gregory]

I've heard that it moves a lot while drying. A few guys in the milling forum on Arboristsite have dealt with Pecan and you might want to do some searching there.

A friend of ours lost approx 1000 (one thousand) trees when Francis ran over us. And there will be more to go down I'm sure...

I've got a Stihl 066 w/ 36" bar waiting in the wings for the chance to mill some pecan, but didn't have it back when all the trees were on the ground.


Chaser

[Jim Summers]

My dad and I built a couple of pieces from pecan back in the 70's. Still in use. I recently used one of the un-needed shelves from a stereo cabinet we built and surfaced it down and re-used it in a recent box project.

Like others have said it is really hard but it does machine well.

HTH

[John Thompson]

From the hickory family as mentioned. I had a cousin about 6 years ago who cut down a 30 acre tract of orchard to develope oo. My grand-father had planted the orchard over a 100 years ago. :(

But Jack had it taken to the mill and sawn. He air dried for two years and brought about 4000-5000 board feet to me to surface for him. I did and was given 1500 board feet for my efforts as it was a scratch my back deal

So... I sold some and it attributes to a machine or two in my shop.. I used much to make furniture and I gave some to friends in scratch my back deals. I think I have about 40 feet left in a stickered pile waiting for a purpose with that litte as I mainly build large carcass.

It is very hard as hickory but often has a pinkish hue in some. The little stack left in my wood rack is spalted and some has a few worm holes. But I used some of it already and the worm holes actually looked good when applied to the right piece.

Good luck...

Sarge..

[Jim Holman]

Hard on machine tools (abrasive) but treated right it is very pretty.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Here is a headboard and footboard for a bed made of pecan a friend did not too long ago. You can also check the thread I posted I titled "Pecan Adventures". That particular tree was over five feet at the butt. We have one waiting to be milled right now that looks really nice that's something over four feet across and straight as an arrow for sixteen feet.

93820

It's a hickory and hard as nails but the wood can be really pretty with red striping and 'pecky'. Just have sharp cutting tools.

[Calvin Hobbs]

My Dad built a dining table out of pecan last year. I was skeptical but not after I got a chance to see it. It was stunning.

Cal

[Wayne Cannon]

I've never used pecan, but just two hours ago I was reading all I could find about hickory/pecan because my wife likes it for her kitchen cabinets.

Things I learned (from "Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material", and Hoadley's "Understanding Wood"):
-- It shrinks much more than most varieties, but is stable after it's dry.
-- Gluing requires careful control of the environment and the type of glue (it wasn't more specific).
-- It cuts and turns well, but milling does not leave a great surface.
-- It's hard.

[Ken McColly]

I use it all the time for furniture. Virtually unlimited supply here at no charge from owners of pecan groves who want to get rid of damaged trees. Looks and works exactly like hickory, since it is in the same family. It is susceptible to mineral staining and spalting, and looks beautiful when it does. In this area you have to pick up fallen pecan trees in less than a month, or the ants will infest it. I generally finish with a light stain followed by a precat topcoat. Use sharp tools when milling. Use scraps for smoking and grilling.

[Bill White]

I treat it just like all "nut" wood. Oak, hickory, pecan, and walnut are open grained wood. Works well, and will stain your hands blue (least wise it does mine).
If ya want a really slick finish...fill the pores. You will not be unhappy with the wood's characteristics.
Bill