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Holly Wood, why so high ?

Started by sawwood, January 06, 2006, 09:56:54 PM

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sawwood

I have been looking for some Holly Lumber to do some segmented
turning and have been set back by its high cost. Is Holly that hard
to find and mill or is is it that hard to dry ? I have seen it listed for
about $10.00 bf for 4/4 lumber. Also beside Holly and Maple what
outher woods out there comes close to being that white? :P
Inquaring minds want to know. >:(

Sawwood
Norwood M4 manual mill, Solar Kiln, Woodmaster
18" planer/molder

Tom

Most Holly is small by timber standards and not readily available to most sawmills.   When a sawmill does saw it, it must be dried quickly to preserve the white color.  Woods as difficult to acquire and as hard to handle as Holly, generally deserve a relatively higher price than wood that is easy to find.

There are few woods that are truly white.  Black gum and tupelo have light enough woods to be used for inlay, but don't compare to Holly.

Frank_Pender

Sawwood, what is your time line and what dimensions are you seeking? Please.
Frank Pender

woodbowl

Magnolia is fairly white. Not the Sweet Bay Magnolia but the big leaf flower type. It is the state tree for Mississippi. When I took my sawmill to Biloxi last Oct. I found out that it is against the law to cut it down!  ::)
Full time custom sawing at the customers site since 1995.  WoodMizer LT40 Super Hyd.

sawwood

Thanks guys. Thats what i though might be the reason for the high cost.
May have to use Maple and do some slecting the most with i can find.
Norwood M4 manual mill, Solar Kiln, Woodmaster
18" planer/molder

Engineer

Holly wood is expensive because of all them danGed celebrities.

:D :D ;D ;D ;D

LeeB

I don't know nothen about birthn no inlays, but you might try hackberry. it can be somewhat white. LeeB
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Ianab

Holly is hard to dry, it goes grey if you dont get it into a kiln the same day its felled....

And the trees are small...

and it's hard to find.....

So yeah.. it's expensive  :(

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Max sawdust

What about Basswood or Aspen ???
Aspen is fairly hard and as white as Maple when dry.  Not sure about its turning characteristics, it does have long fibers.
Max
True Timbers
Cedar Products-Log & Timber Frame Building-Milling-Positive Impact Forestscaping-Cut to Order Lumber

Ga_Boy

Another note on Holly:

Best results when it is dried in a vac kiln.  As pointed out you need to fell it, mill it in the same day, then if possible into the kiln that same day.  If not, the outside temps should be below 40 degrees F.  The temp info came from PC Speciality, I sent a load their way for a customer about a year ago.  Excellent results.

It was a 28" DBH Holly, biggest one I have ever cut.  The record biggest Holly for Maryland is 48" DBH, that is one big tree.





Mark
10 Acers in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Sawyerfortyish

How about white ash they can be brown too but if you get a good white one they are very grainy

Larry

Closet match for holly is sap dogwood. Sometimes ironwood shows up with a good white color.  Both are common in our area...got dogwood on my place but have to cross the river to get ironwood.  Never see dogwood much over 6" but ironwood grows bigger.

Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

Ron Wenrich

Sapwood of several species might work, depending on how hard of stock you need.  There's always butternut and beech along with those named.
Never under estimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Flurida_BlackCreek

dogwood as long as it's dried quick, otherwise it turns a light pink. I've cut hackberry (chokeberry) that had sapwood as white but the whitest i ever seen as from the limbs of a pecan, that was paper white. Can trees be albino?
I'm happy anywhere south of the mason-dixon line.
-- cdb

fencerowphil (Phil L.)

There is one other reason for the value of Holly in marquetry work.

It absorbs dyes and stains to yeild about any color you need.  Although
many woods mentioned to have light sap woods, you will never get
Beech nor Pecan sapwood to dye like Holly!  (and the limb wood of Pecan
will twist your arm off when you dry it!)

I think we have 'bout covered it now!   :P

Phil L.
Bi-VacAtional:  Piano tuner and sawyer.  (Use one to take a vacation from the other.) Have two Stihl 090s, one Stihl 075, Echo CS8000, Echo 346,  two Homely-ite 27AVs, Peterson 10" Swingblade Winch Production Frame, 36" and 54"Alaskan mills, and a sore back.

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