# Hackberry?



## sachsmo (Feb 13, 2010)

Has anyone milled Hackberry, is it worth the effort?

There is a very large one down behind my Moms house, we bucked it down to the first fork, but 20 feet of 40"+ trunk is still laying there. If anyone has pics or advice, post it up. I will probably give it a go when the weather warms a bit.


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## TSRuff (Feb 13, 2010)

I've never had the opportunity to mill one up, but the wood has a great grain pattern to it. Definitely worth your while, especially if you have some furniture to make out of it as it has a very even color tone. Great for turning as well due to its tight grain...


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## discounthunter (Feb 13, 2010)

if the ends still clean from the cut take a look for color and grain patterns at both ends,see if theres any thing that stands out maybe even some spalting. hackberry is a project wood not a good stucture wood ,keep that in mind before you decide to cut.

i ,personally would or at least take a couple slabs off to see the potetial,but then again im a woodworker.


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## billstuewe (Feb 14, 2010)

Hackbery will gray-stain quickly so you need to saw it as soon as possible (within a week or so) if you want natural color. It spalts real well too so bury part of it in the manure pile and saw it in a few months for the spalted effect, but watch it close as it also rots fast. I will be surprised it there is not some hollow in that big of a log though. Hackberry can be very good wood. Out local woodworkers consignment store has a couple of tables with spaulted hackberry tops that are stunning. I have about 100bf of it and it saws nice.


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## rkwelp (Feb 14, 2010)

I've made a few projects from spalted hackberry. Beautiful when left natural and only clear coated. There's a local wood supplier here in St. Louis who mills and kiln dries urban lumber. Spalted hackberry goes for $4.00 a bf.
Rob


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## sachsmo (Feb 14, 2010)

Thanks for the info,

Guess when the weather thaws a bit, my little bro, and I will take some slabs off. He is the woodworker in the family, I mostly fabricate from metals. He has the wood tools, and I the welders, lathe and mill. We quartered some big Sycamore rounds before Christmas. Wish we hadn't bucked and split that dude the prior Winter. It was standing dead for many years and was some of the worst stuff we ever put through the hydraulic splitter. But the grain in the bigger rounds we noodled was spectacular.









Is Hackberry not a close realitive to Sycamore?


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## oldsaw (Feb 14, 2010)

Basically, yes, you can't let it sit. I read somewhere that it was often used for internal parts for furniture, especially drawers, etc.

As someone said, no more than a few days in the summer, a bit longer in the winter, if you live where there is winter.


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## htpd43 (Feb 19, 2010)

mobetter said:


> Is Hackberry not a close realitive to Sycamore?



i recently got a tree ID book from my wife - im pretty sure it lists the sycamore as a relative of the maple family. not sure about the hackberry - she hid the book on me when we had company the other day and now i can't find it. i'll repost when i find it. 
lou


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## BlueRider (Feb 19, 2010)

[QUOTEIs Hackberry not a close realitive to Sycamore?[/QUOTE]

Hackberry is a close relative of elm.


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## Ikeholt (Feb 22, 2010)

Hackberry and Sycamore aren't related, however that Hackberry you are blocking up looks a lot like Sycamore. Usually the Hackberry I see is a light color with tints of blue/gray color. Maybe yours has been dead for a while.


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## sachsmo (Feb 23, 2010)

That round the little bro was noodlin' _is_ Sycamore.

Just mourning the planks we could of got off that.


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## lumberjackchef (Feb 23, 2010)

It is a very easy wood to work with. Here are a couple of pics of some spalted hackberry projects that I have done. I made a couple of these matching dresser, mirror, and nightstands for a hunting lodge last year from hackberry.


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## sachsmo (Feb 24, 2010)

LJC,

Thanks for the pics and link, that spalted Hack looks nice. 

Rekon Hackberry would make a good work bench top?

That one behind my moms has been down for 2 years now, it probably has some spalting going on.

If we take some slabs off this weekend, I will be sure to post a few pics.

I see on your site you were quarter sawing Sycamore, I was amazed how nice Sycamore looks!

My bud at work did a lot of firewood cutting in his youth, he always told me "Sycamore aint' good for nuthin'"

I cut and split some last winter, I would agree with my bud on one point. For fire wood it aint worth the effort.


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## lumberjackchef (Feb 26, 2010)

mobetter said:


> LJC,
> 
> Thanks for the pics and link, that spalted Hack looks nice.
> 
> ...



It would work for a work bench but I would seriously doubt that hackberry is going to be good still if it has been down for 2 years, unless the logs are very large diameter. It rots very fast in my climate. you will know after the fist cut I'm sure. 

Sycamore is one of my favorite quartersawn woods as far as grain pattern goes. It has some amazing character. almost looks like snake skin or something.


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## sachsmo (Feb 26, 2010)

Best guess, is that Hack is 50"- 55" Diameter.

My current set-up will only allow 30" max.

Will probably get a few planks off before I take my new mini mill to square off the sides.

That old tree had at least 2 "forts" built in it to my knowledge. I'll take my metal detector to find the ladder side.


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## jdrum (Feb 26, 2010)

quartersawn sycamore has been called lacewood in fine funiture.

jim


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## BlueRider (Feb 26, 2010)

Lacewood usually refers to silky oak (grevillea robusta) it is an australian wood but is widely grown in california as a cultivar. And you will notice that it isn't even an oak(quercus), thuis is a great example of is the inacuracy of common names.

Quarter sawn sycamore is a truely stunning wood and to really make the figure pop try finishing with an analine dye followed by a pigment stain. the dye will give the ray flecking some color but the rayflecking will not absorb the pigment stain so you then get a contrast between the two colors. With the right dye and stain shoice you get a natruarl look but with an aven more vivid figure. This will also work with quarter sawn oak oak and silky oak.


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## jdrum (Feb 26, 2010)

regional differences as well i'm on the east coast. 

jim


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## sachsmo (Feb 27, 2010)

*Sycamore thread?*

my bad,

This _*is*_ a Hackberry thread.

Got the call from the lil' bro', Should be able to post on the slabs Sun. afternoon.


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## sachsmo (Feb 28, 2010)

*few slabs*

We got over to Moms and took a few slabs off that Hackberry.

No doubt I need a longer bar, Had to take the first cut off at an angle to fit between the uprights (~28")




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The second cut I hit 6 nails, rungs from an old tree fort no doubt.




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Sent the little bro packin' with 2 very nice 14' planks. (did I mention we need a BIGGER bar?)




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Heck the little bro even took the crowns for firewood, I felt bad, so when we got back to my place we filled his trailer with firewood. It was great day!

Get a 48" bar and make some 4" bench-tops from that hog, 2 crown cuts and 2 planks at 2.25" didn't even take a dent out of it!


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## BobL (Feb 28, 2010)

mobetter said:


> Sent the little bro packin' with 2 very nice 14' planks. (did I mention we need a BIGGER bar?)



It sure does. It also looks like you could use some handles on the mill, and a tie strap on the trigger so you could place your left hand on the wrap handle, and maybe some muffs?

Wood looks good and clean - you're gonna get a heap of wood outa that log.


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