Use Hickory for What?

[Ron Wenrich]

Just out of curiosity, if you could sell lumber for grade, why would you just whack it into ties and sell the balance for grade stakes?  It seems like a waste of wood to me.

Now, I understand how the quality is in some hickory.  I also understand that a lot of guys don't like to saw it because its hard.  10 years ago, birch and hard maple were considered "junk wood".  I also remember when oak was considered junk.  

[FiremanEd]

We don't have a market for grade hickory, the flooring plants all say it makes wonderful flooring but they won't produce it because it's soooo hard on their tooling. The stake plant is the only real market we have other than ties. It's better than nothing but not great.

Thank goodness that Koppers buys non oak ties!!!!

[Frickman]

Hickory is hard, but I don't mind sawing it. It is real important to have a sharp saw though. I move some grade through a local concentration yard. The lower grades go into blocking, especially for customers who work on heavy equipment. They love hickory 6x6 and 8x8 for blocking up dozers and such. The pallet markets won't take a stick of hickory, it is hard on their tools and twists up to much in the pallet.

The most profitable market for me is a niche market, wagon builders. We have a number of full and part-time horse drawn wagon builders in our area and they use it for tounges, axles, and other framework. One gentleman dries it by screwing eyebolts in the ends and hanging it from a shed ceiling. This is a very low-volume, specialty market that does not exist in all areas.

[AtLast]

WHAT!!!...stakes??are you NUTS!!!!...flooring...cabinet.....frames....furniture.....FAR FAR FAR more better things to do with Hickory than frivilious things....CHECK YOUR MARKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DR_Buck]

All these wonderful suggestions and replies and nobody mentioned hickory is HEAVY!      Made some 19ft beams this weekend to use in modifying the barn to use as a saw shed.  Thought I was gonna bust a gasket putting them up.  

Mill shed pictures will follow in a new posting when I'm complete.

[Buzz-sawyer]

The vast majority of ALL hickory goes into rr ties and pallet stock in this area...it is kinda a SHAME cause I like it too

[fabrik]

Saw to 5/4 and 8/4 dimensions, keep it wet by the same techniques boat builders use for white oak (in a tank-framed up with some 2x4 with a heavy poly liner) and fill it with water and about 3 oz. of table salt (keeps the fungi down). Run your ad in Anchorage AK Daily News. The dog sled builders will give you a call. They basically resaw into strips about 3/8" & 1/2" thick by lengths of 8' to 10' and sometimes longer. They like the flat grain running through the width of the board. Clear of course for those parts, because they steam bend it.  Shorter cuttings go into their uprights. Go Gee, Go Haw. They'll tell you what that means when they call.

[FiremanEd]

AtLast,,    Yes,, I've been called much worse than Nuts but I'll make you a deal.

I'll broker and supply you ALL the hickory you want to your diminision, FOB Central Va. @ oh,, let's say $350/k  ? ? Price negotable as the stake market is dropping because,,, go figure,, everyone within 250 miles are shipping their low grade stuff to this stake plant. Cause it's the best deal they can find.

Let me know the amount and diminsions you want for the 1st shipment..  

Take care.