The Great Pecan Project

WDH · February 06, 2011, 06:22:26 PM

Customsawyer (Jake) and I embarked on a pecan adventure. An orchard close to my house was being rogued, and as hardwood sawdust attracts me, I made an arrangement with the landowner to procure a few logs. Needing a Large Log Whisperer, I partnered with Jake in the endeavor. The goal is to saw the lumber on Jake's LT70, dry it, and market it. I am the Sales and Marketing Division, and Jake is the Engineering, Manufacturing, and Operations Division. That means that he does the real work

. Here is the Whisperer and his equipment:

Here is the pecan nemesis:

The plan was to stand it on the stump and back under it, then pull it into the bed of the truck.

Nope!!! The log will not cooperate. Too heavy to lift

.

Plan B. Adapt, emprovise, and overcome! Jake gives the log a pecan haircut.

Jake stands the log up.

Sweet success 8).

A nice Whack of pecan logs ;D.

Dodgy Loner · February 06, 2011, 07:39:51 PM

I was confused at first when I saw you mentioning a pecan project. I thought I was familiar with your opinion of pecan lumber after working on Jody's basement. But now that I see that customsawyer will be doing the real work, it all makes much more sense ;D. That big log is one BIG LOG, by the way. Nice score

metalspinner · February 06, 2011, 08:10:30 PM

That's a good way to spend the day.

I can wait for all this gray sky to go away.

Autocar · February 06, 2011, 08:27:35 PM

What do they make out of peacon ? Ive seen it a few times when I was hunting turkeys in Florida and it looked like a walnut color ? Hard or soft to work ?

Mooseherder · February 06, 2011, 08:44:01 PM

Looks like a great day with a monster log guys.

8)

SwampDonkey · February 06, 2011, 09:32:43 PM

Pecan eh? I am with Dodgey, I thought pecan about drove you mad on one of your earlier projects. So my comments are biased or best kept to myself. :D

I guess maybe, that's a whack of wood!

I hope that brute makes some dandy lumber non-the-less. All that work involved, gonna have to try anyway. It should make you sweat a little. ;)

I notice you southern boys aren't much into the safety gear, even in winter. ;D

terrifictimbersllc · February 06, 2011, 09:56:49 PM

Very exciting and nice pictures that was great. You left out one I would have liked to see, of the truck tires.

WDH · February 06, 2011, 10:17:57 PM

Autocar,

As hard as anything that you have ever tried to work with domestically. You have to have the right equipment, which I did not have in the past. So, it has vexed me in the past, but this lot will be for sale, so it will vex me much less ;D.

I never thought that we would load that first log. It is just shy of 48". However, Jake has a never-say-die attitude and is amazing when it comes to dealing with large logs.

pigman · February 06, 2011, 10:29:25 PM

My daughter and SIL were looking to buy a house between Perry and Macon and saw several new subdivisions that were in old pecan orchards. In some of the developments a lot of the old pecan trees were left. I was hoping they would buy a lot with pecan trees so I could have free pecans. 8)

tyb525 · February 06, 2011, 10:31:37 PM

How does it compare to hickory?

Jeff · February 06, 2011, 10:31:45 PM

Jake, how come there is not a big web address emblazoned across the side of that big white portable billboard?

WDH · February 06, 2011, 10:37:16 PM

Quote from: tyb525 on February 06, 2011, 10:31:37 PM
How does it compare to hickory?

Pecan is a hickory. The hickory genus Carya has two groups, the true hickories and the pecan hickories. The breakout is based on the number of leaflets on the leaf and the nut.

tyb525 · February 06, 2011, 10:44:16 PM

I knew they were related, just wasn't sure how closely

Left Coast Chris · February 06, 2011, 11:02:17 PM

WDH, what has been your secret in drying Pecan? Will you air dry or kiln?

The last good sized Pecan I tried to air dry ended up discoloring unevenly. Suposedly it is a reaction with something in the wood and excessive moisture at too warm of a temperature. I should have put fans on it in warmer weather. That would increase the risk of cracking and checking in our dryer climate but that is what I will try next time if there is a next time. It was pretty slow to saw and needing blade changes more often also (not fun). :(

tyb525 · February 06, 2011, 11:26:43 PM

I sawed up a couple pignut logs, almost totally clear, the wood is a very pretty brown. The growth rings are tight and they are almost indistinguishable on the surface. I really like the contrast between the heartwood and white sapwood.

As far as sawing, it didn't seem unusually hard compared to other hardwoods like sugar maple and white oak. One batch was sawn all 6/4 and no wider than 8", the other 5/4. The 6/4 warped and bowed considerably more, I'm not sure why. It was from the same tree. The 5/4 was sawn from 10" down to 4" many of the boards with both edges left natural, and it dried pretty well.

Both batches were air dried in the same area for about a year and a half.

I treated it all with a form of insect killer/repellent that was also supposed to repel PPB's, and it seemed to work, I haven't noticed any.

Planing and machine seems okay, the planer actually left an unusually smooth surface compared to other woods. It seemed easy to burn with the table saw but otherwise cut well.

LeeB · February 06, 2011, 11:40:34 PM

Pecan tends to have slighly reddish colored streaks through it, otherwise much the same as hickory. Here is a spalted pecan night case I made for lindy.

customsawyer · February 07, 2011, 01:07:53 AM

I have to say that the old truck earned her bacon today. We did not get in a hurry on the way home. ;D
I was right there with Dodgy Loner when Danny first called me about this project but after a bit of talking and looking he had talked me into it. I am looking forward to the work and finding out what all is inside of these ladies.

scsmith42 · February 07, 2011, 06:27:27 AM

Nice score guys! That's what I'd call a "whack of big logs"!

fishpharmer · February 07, 2011, 07:01:13 AM

My Hero strikes again! ;) ;D Way to go Jake and Danny! 8) I know someone with a Lucas if the LT 70 can't handle it. :D :D

Are there any advantages gained by quarter sawing pecan from a woodworkers perspective?

Autocar · February 07, 2011, 08:25:17 AM

The color sure would make a pretty gun stock but probably heavy, saw it 1/8 inch and glue it up with 1/8 inch hard maple that should be real pretty stock.

Magicman · February 07, 2011, 08:32:16 AM

I made a free offer for a certain FF member to bring his swinger and harvest this Pecan tree tree.

If he doesn't/can't do it, it gets Hack-N-Squirted. :-\

34" Diameter Pecan.

LeeB · February 07, 2011, 08:39:33 AM

If you weren't so far from me I would love to have that one Mm. I really like pecan.

scsmith42 · February 07, 2011, 08:56:38 AM

Quote from: LeeB on February 07, 2011, 08:39:33 AM
If you weren't so far from me I would love to have that one Mm. I really like pecan.

+1. Not to mention the fact that the slabs make great grilling wood!

wwsjr · February 07, 2011, 09:22:45 AM

That looks like a good reason to have a Southern Chapter FF meeting in south MS sometime in the future.

Magicman · February 07, 2011, 10:29:01 AM

Quote from: wwsjr on February 07, 2011, 09:22:45 AMThat looks like a good reason to have a Southern Chapter FF meeting in south MS sometime in the future.

I would say "near future". I can fire up the "chicken crisper"