White wood Q???

qbilder · October 11, 2012, 10:45:47 AM

Are there any other white woods that would make a good substitute for holly? I'd like to find something harder & more stable than holly, but similar in color (or lack there of). I know that maples, hack berry, hornbeam, etc. are pretty white but I only have experience with maple. Something much harder & stronger than holly but still very white is what i'd like to fine. Thanks much

SwampDonkey · October 11, 2012, 11:11:04 AM

Maybe a serviceberry species? They are a white wood. Very heavy and hard. Trouble might be in sourcing large enough ones.

http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_amar3.pdf

Also Beech, it is heavier and harder than sugar maple.

Larry · October 11, 2012, 12:17:22 PM

Yes, serviceberry is white but not as much as holly.

I've never come across any big enough to mill on the sawmill. I slice it up on the shop bandsaw.

We call it sarvis round here.

hackberry jake · October 11, 2012, 05:30:49 PM

Dogwood is pretty white if you stay away from th heartwood. Also smaller, but hard as nails.

wesdor · October 11, 2012, 10:55:45 PM

We have a lot of hackberry here in the Midwest. A couple of woodworking friends are always looking for Hackbery because it is so white.

Is it white enough for your purpose? More important do you have any on your part of the country

tyb525 · October 11, 2012, 11:11:27 PM

Cherry, walnut sapwood maybe? Tulip poplar sapwood is pretty white also, but might be too soft? Honey locust and hickory sapwood is also white, but probably too coarse grained?

taw6243 · October 11, 2012, 11:42:18 PM

cottonwood

qbilder · October 12, 2012, 11:00:30 AM

Thank you all for the ideas. Dogwood completely slipped my mind. Very hard wood with a satin smooth texture. I'll try some hackberry, too.

Ron Wenrich · October 12, 2012, 12:45:34 PM

A lot of the hackberry I have sawn seems to have a grey tint to it. They're fresh logs, so it isn't sap stain. Might be regional.

hackberry jake · October 12, 2012, 01:48:50 PM

You said you wanted something harder and more stable than holly. I never have worked with holly, but hackberry isn't very stable.

WDH · October 12, 2012, 10:11:56 PM

Not at all, and if you turn your back on it, it will gray stain.

Migal · October 12, 2012, 10:14:55 PM

Just curios why not white oak?

SwampDonkey · October 13, 2012, 04:40:42 AM

He might be looking for closed grained wood, not sure.

hackberry jake · October 13, 2012, 04:51:51 AM

White oak isn't white, it's dark brown.

beenthere · October 13, 2012, 10:45:49 AM

Quote from: hackberry jake on October 13, 2012, 04:51:51 AM
White oak isn't white, it's dark brown.

Hmmmm??

Walnut heart is dark brown as I see it.
But agree the wood is not white.

qbilder · October 14, 2012, 01:52:31 PM

Looking for a wood that is very white in color, hard, smooth texture with closed grain. Basically something similar to holly but harder. Sorry for the confusion.

clww · October 14, 2012, 02:36:06 PM

What about Poplar and Aspen?

beenthere · October 14, 2012, 05:33:10 PM

Not hard, as I think is desired.

WDH · October 14, 2012, 09:40:13 PM

Holly has some unique characteristics that make it hard to substitute for.

SwampDonkey · October 15, 2012, 05:54:00 AM

There is probably a lot more experience and data on something like holly than there is on other large shrubs. Lack of experience or published data on a shrub (wood) of interest should not deter the determined. There is probably a lot of folklore rather than fact to weed though. ;D

qbilder · October 15, 2012, 12:43:14 PM

Quote from: WDH on October 14, 2012, 09:40:13 PM
Holly has some unique characteristics that make it hard to substitute for.

For certain. And nothing wrong with holly, just wanted to know if anybody knew of something harder that was also clean, smooth textured white. Yall have given some good ideas and I have a few of my own. I have some experimenting to do

rbraeking · October 21, 2012, 06:34:52 AM

I don't know if it grows in your area but Magnolia is white and close grained similar to Holly.

Weekend_Sawyer · October 21, 2012, 06:44:13 AM

Well I'm curious, what are you building, how much wood do you need?
At this years pig roast Cedarman brought a 1x3 pice of ERC sapwood that was white, hard and straight. I thought it was hard maple. Course Jeff had us guessing what it was.

Jon

mikeb1079 · October 21, 2012, 10:23:59 PM

thought of this thread today. another idea for you q....i've milled some immature (smallish diameter perhaps 12"?) soft maple that was very white, though it did have red speckles in it. around here it grows by rivers and lowlands and tends to have multiple trunks. i'm thinking if you could find a youngish one it may fit the bill? just a thought....

the older silver maple i milled was more of a tan/pinkish color so i'm not sure when/if they transition in color? i still have a stick of the younger white stuff i'll try to plane a piece and post a pic.