Chinaberry

[darrenjttu]

Has any one ever milled this stuff?

[ellmoe]

Yes. Once. Cuts easy, nice grain.

Mark

[WDH]

I have sawn it too.  Beautiful lumber.  It is in the mahogany family.

[Magicman]

And the slabs make good smoking wood.

[LeeB]

Beautiful wood. A little on the brittle side with a tendancy to split along the very wide growth rings. Turns nicely when dried and makes really good looking platters. i didn't have much luck turning it green, slpits too easy.

[darrenjttu]

Great! Looks like I will give it a shot.

[pineywoods]

Here's some examples. This log was exceptional. They don't usually get this large without being hollow.

[Dodgy Loner]

Agreed with all of the above - I have about 100 BF from a tree I sawed up a couple years back that I need to find a use for. It really is some pretty stuff! I'd describe it as ash-like grain with the color of cherry.

[ely]

i like it too, its makes me think of catalpa or ash in the grain of the wood.

[WDH]

I have had it split/separate at the wide growth rings, too.

[KyTreeFarmer]

I've had some pretty good red whelps from the berries! When green they make excellent slingshot ammo. :D :D, but haven't had the opportunity to saw any.
KTF

[darrenjttu]

Turns out it was hackberry

[WDH]

Not even close  :D.

[pineywoods]

I've had some pretty good red whelps from the berries! When green they make excellent slingshot ammo. :D :D,
KTF

OH yeah  ;D China berry wars... The berries also make excellent ammo for what we called "pop" guns. Piece of bamboo with an airtight plunger.

[Magicman]

I don't remember ever sawing Hackberry, but there is plenty of it on my place.  A few big uns.

[WDH]

Hackberry is in the elm family.  It has interlocked grain.  Very very prone to warp and twist much like sweetgum.  It will gray stain if you look at it sideways  .

Beautiful grain, though.

[Magicman]

Since I hate Sweetgum, know that Elm has a mind of it's own, I already don't like Hackberry.

[Dodgy Loner]

Turns out it was hackberry

Hi darren,
I'm the feller that ID'd the hackberry for you over at WoodNet. Too bad, Chinaberry is much preferable to hackberry, for the reasons WDH pointed out. The Chinaberry I sawed dried quite well. I have only sawed one hackberry and it will probably the last one!

[ely]

i like hackberry too. nothing like chinaberry or catalpa. when its spalted it is prettier than spalted sycamore.

[LeeB]

A couple ofchinaberry platters I turned and one of pecan.

[Tom]

WoW!!  Those are pretty, LeeB.

[WDH]

Chinaberry sure makes for some fine platters!  Very nice, Lee.

[Magicman]

Very nice indeed.   

Chinaberry is related to the Mahogany family, plus the scraps make good smoking wood.