Hickory vs Pecan

[Sixacresand]

I read here that pecan is difficult to saw/manage.  Is that true of hickory also?  I never milled either but have a chance to get some of both.  What makes it hard to deal with?  Appreciate any advice.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I read here that pecan is difficult to saw/manage.  Is that true of hickory also?  I never milled either but have a chance to get some of both.  What makes it hard to deal with?  Appreciate any advice.

I've sawn Pecan....but it was green .......no problems. If it's dry......great firewood for your smoker.

What degree blade you running?

[Sixacresand]

the Pecan is dead and dry so I might forget that one.  The "hicka nut" tree is alive so maybe i can use it.

[WDH]

Pecan is a hickory.  There two groups of hickory.  The pecan hickories of which there are several including our traditional nut-tree pecan.  The other group is called the true hickories.  The specific gravity of the hickories is about .7 maybe higher in some species of hickory, and they are among the densest and hardest native woods.  I can only speculate that the hardness of the wood causes the blade to dull quicker, get hot, and wander.  It seems more difficult to cut than other very hard woods like white oak and osage orange.  I have only sawn one dry pecan log, and it was the devil.

I have seen sparks fly when planing dry pecan.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Pecan is a hickory.  There two groups of hickory.  The pecan hickories of which there are several including our traditional nut-tree pecan.  The other group is called the true hickories.  The specific gravity of the hickories is about .7 maybe higher in some species of hickory, and they are among the densest and hardest native woods.  I can only speculate that the hardness of the wood causes the blade to dull quicker, get hot, and wander.  It seems more difficult to cut than other very hard woods like white oak and osage orange. 

I have seen sparks fly when planing pecan.

I've seen sparks fly when reading your replies.  :D :D :D

[slider]

 sixacresand,I was with jake and danny on some dry and wide pecan a while back . when they started having problems jake switched to a 4 degree blade and did well with it.good luck  al

[paul case]

I say saw it the experience will do you some good.

My experience with hicory and pecan is

1 watch for sap build up on the blade. You may have to run the lube double or more than you normally do.

2 reaction wood. It seems to have a lot of tension in it. When you start sawing a cant into boards flip the cant often.The last hickory I saweed I made into 3x4-10' parts for heavy skids. when I made the final cuts off the cants some would be so tight they moved enough to fall off the mill when the saw completed the cut.

3The bark will dull your blade even if it is clean. Very hard and brittle and not nice to bandsaws.

4The wood is quite hard. Milling and planeing green may make it more easy to work.

PC

[Sixacresand]

Thanks guys for the advice and info.  When I get into it, I will be sure to keep the gas can away from the sparks and let you all know what happens.

[LeeB]

As mentioned, the drier, the harder. If you cut the pecan, you will want to cut a few inches off each end before milling. Your blades will thank you.

[sealark37]

As noted above, hickory and pecan are the same wood for saw mill considerations.  Everything must be right, circle or band mill, before you start.  You will have to proceed slowly.  Problems will occur as you saw.  A circle saw will act dull, and a band saw will dip and dive like a worn blade with no set.  It is not impossible, it is just 2X the time required.  Regards, Clark

[Magicman]

Both can be a devil, but I have also sawn both with no problems whatever.  Different trees/logs can and will act differently.  ???   Mature trees seem to behave better.


 
Pecan logs


 
Being sawed


 
A nice whack of lumber 

[DanG]

Considering all the factors here, I say go for it if the logs aren't too big.  I am assuming, since you're running a LT10, that you aren't in a big hurry anyway.  Pecan can be pretty bland in appearance sometimes, but it can also yield some spectacular color and grain patterns.  Get yourself some 4 degree blades and jump on it!

[Riggs]

  Get yourself some 4 degree blades and jump on it!

For those of us with less experience than others, why 4 degree blades?....you never know till you ask ... right?

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Considering all the factors here, I say go for it if the logs aren't too big.  I am assuming, since you're running a LT10, that you aren't in a big hurry anyway.  Pecan can be pretty bland in appearance sometimes, but it can also yield some spectacular color and grain patterns.  Get yourself some 4 degree blades and jump on it!

Here's one of them bland one, hunh?





The story is in this post: https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,14356.msg202358.html#msg202358

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

PC....Al  I got to say is "UNREAL". Dem boards makes ya wanna take a bite outta those boards. 

[Al_Smith]

I've got maybe 3-400 bd ft out at my shop I had sawn maybe 6-8 years ago .It was bitternut hickory one of the softer types  .It 's hard just not as hard as shagbark .

It has a beautiful natural coloration to it and planes smooth as silk .Other than rip a few straight boards and plane a few I've yet to do anything with it .As well I have maybe 3-4000 board feet of shagbark still in logs .They are all good bottom logs with no limbs.The limby stuff gets turned into firewood . We have no pecan this far north .

It's probabley a little hard on  HSS planer knives but with carbide saw blades and router bits I doubt it's too much different than hard oak .

At any rate the gent that did the sawing never complained about them being hard and it was on an older LT  15 with a 12 HP pull start Briggs single cylinder engine .

[dgdrls]

Six,

Go with Pinesol and water lube, take your time advancing through the log.
I cut my first Hickory with a 10Deg. blade second with 9 Deg. 
second log was better behaved than the first so I don't know how much
difference the blade made.

Give it a go!!


   first Hickory had tension


   second did not


 

DGDrls

[Bill Gaiche]

I cut a Hickory log for a 20' header the other day. Used a 10 deg blade 14hp. manual mill. Sawed it on top, back side and place for it to sit on cedar post. It was about 26" butt and 15" little end. It saw quite easy except a little slower and it was fresh cut. Go for it and then you will have some experience under your belt the next time. Good luck. bg

[Dan_Shade]

why did you split the log?

From my experience, hickory can have a lot of tension.  It's also hard.  I have perfected an underbreath grumble when a customer wants hicory sawn.   hah

[cutterboy]

I sawed several Shagbark Hickory logs this spring and they were hard, but I went slowly through them and did ok. The lumber looks very nice.



 

[WDH]

Wait until you try to sand the dried boards  :-[.

[Dan_Shade]

i know DR_Buck loves hickory.  I'm surprised he hasn't chimed in.

[Sixacresand]

I don't have much experience with the blade hook angles, which is something I need to research.  Just a quick look at the WM site, 10 Deg seems to be the only option for the LT10.  BTW, I appreciate all the post on this subject.  I am definitely going to put pecan on the mill and give it a shot.   

[WDH]

John,

It takes more HP as you go lower in hook angle.  The 10 degree will work as long as it is sharp. 

[ellmoe]

   Yesterday, I cut several hickory logs, 14-18' dia., small end. The logs have been cut for almost a year. I had just put on a new 10 degree. .045 blade so I started sawing with it. All of the logs cut fine. Today I might put on a different hickory and try a 7 degree, .050 blade and spend my time cursing the wood gods." Variety", tiss "the spice of life." :D

Mark