My neighbor is cutting several trees at the back of his lot. One is some type of cherry which I'm going to pick up a few pieces- love to turn cherry. The other has a real light wood which he said was hackberry. Worth drying and turning? Thanks.
other has a real light wood which he said was hackberry. Worth drying and turning? Thanks.
If you can get it to spalt, it looks wonderful. I met a old(er) turner a year ago at a show who had many spalted hackberry bowls that were spectacular.
I've turned a few bowls made from spalted hackberry......turns very easily, and looks good. Without the spalting, it can be rather plain grained, though........If you can get it to spalt, it looks wonderful. I met a old(er) turner a year ago at a show who had many spalted hackberry bowls that were spectacular.
I’ve never had any hackberry but I’ve been spalting maple for 25 years. I get the best results if I keep the log off the ground and just let it sit. For silver maple it’s from 6 to 12 months, for red maple it’s 12-18 months. For sugar maple it’s 16-24 months. These times are for a freshly cut healthy tree. Damaged or dying trees have already started the process so the time can be much less. I’ve read others say they let the log sit on the ground, it will spalt faster but I find with any maple I get more punky wood if I let it sit directly on the ground. When I see the bark is starting to come loose I cut a few inches off the end and check the progress. Timing is important, it will go from just right to too soft in a short period. The softer the wood the faster this will happen, silver maple is pretty soft and will go from barely spalted to rotten in a couple of months in the summer.odie and charlie, like your turnings! OK, next- how do you get it to spalt???? Again, thanks.
Never smelled that in hackberry. Cottonwood, and elm, but not hackberry.I've turned a bit of "hackberry", which indeed spalts quickly. I grew up in middle TN, where it was prevalent, though I think that was common hackberry (celtis occidentalis). Now I'm just south of Houston TX where people call it sugarberry (celtis laevigata) and even though it looks the same to me, it seems to have a stronger odor. After roughing out a few bowls my shop smells like a barn for a couple of days, a strong urine odor. Eventually it fades away though. It also has a tendency to quickly splotch unattractive grey spots, though I suspect that has something to do with the heat and humidity here...
I had a piece of hackberry on the shop floor and it spaulted right there in just a few weeks
I've turned a bit of "hackberry", which indeed spalts quickly. I grew up in middle TN, where it was prevalent, though I think that was common hackberry (celtis occidentalis). Now I'm just south of Houston TX where people call it sugarberry (celtis laevigata) and even though it looks the same to me, it seems to have a stronger odor. After roughing out a few bowls my shop smells like a barn for a couple of days, a strong urine odor. Eventually it fades away though. It also has a tendency to quickly splotch unattractive grey spots, though I suspect that has something to do with the heat and humidity here...
Bill, advised not to open those links as being unsecured, if that's a word. I have a HB in my yard, will look as the leaves are starting to come out.
. Oh, the humanity. (4-1-20)
I have a Texas Sugarberry tree in my back yard. You can easily identify the difference between it and Common Hackberry by looking at the leaves and the bark. The leaf edges on the Sugarberry are smooth while the common hackberry leaves are sharply serrated.