Pecan bowl blanks

[Webb Willmott]

My best friend was taking down a large pecan tree today. Despite the heat I picked up some log pieces ranging from 8” to 14” which I’ll cut the pith out and have bowl blanks and spindle blanks. He is saving a 4’ section of 36” diameter trunk in his barn for me till the weather cools to break down. I feel like I hit the lottery.

After working up the blanks, I will knock loose bark off and seal the ends.

Since this my first adventure into this, am I missing anything or am I on the right track?

 

[John K Jordan]

After working up the blanks, I will knock loose bark off and seal the ends.

Since this my first adventure into this, am I missing anything or am I on the right track?

Nice haul! Seal well. I pour an inch or two of Anchorseal into a plastic coffee can then leave the top off for "a while", until some water evaporates and the sealant thickens. This goes on a lot thicker and seals better - it's often not practical to put on two coats of anchorseal since when the first dries a little the second won't stick to it. However, the thicker stuff solves the problem. Might seal the ends of the large piece in the barn just for grins. Note that if it's standing vertically for a while before sealing (off the ground, maybe on a pallet) a lot of the water inside may run out.

For spindle blanks, of course, I cut to size from the log on the bandsaw then seal the ends and a 1/2" or so down the sides. Dries better if cut up. I even like to cut up bowl blanks round on the bandsaw after flattening when removing the pith.

Pecan and Hickory are close but Hickory is often a little harder and more dense.

JKJ.

 

[Steve Tiedman]

Not a native wood here in MN, but I was given a small 6"x6" log chunk years ago, in the top 2 species I ever turned. My sample had a fair number of worm holes, about 1/16" diameter. Nearing my last few cuts I took a dental pick to the holes to clean out the refuse and make sure no stow-aways were still present. I wish I knew more about it, and had regular access to it, but those two little bowls I made were a pure delight.

 

[Tim Hunter]

Pecan tends to be very wet. Split the chunks through the pith so they can move with less checking. And bugs are quite attracted to Pecan.

Tim

 

[Gary Beasley]

Take a few logs and stash them in a leaf pile for a few months and see if it spalts. Pecan can get some wonderful spalting.

 

[John Grace]

Not a native wood here in MN, but I was given a small 6"x6" log chunk years ago, in the top 2 species I ever turned. My sample had a fair number of worm holes, about 1/16" diameter. Nearing my last few cuts I took a dental pick to the holes to clean out the refuse and make sure no stow-aways were still present. I wish I knew more about it, and had regular access to it, but those two little bowls I made were a pure delight.

Pecan is closely related to Hickory and I've turned quite a bit of both...they 'work' similarly.

 

[Webb Willmott]

Finally got around to processing and sealing. I ended up with 34 blanks. Until I get my new shop built, I gotta figure out where to put my stash. Plenty to turn and plenty to share.

 

[John K Jordan]

Finally got around to processing and sealing. I ended up with 34 blanks. Until I get my new shop built, I gotta figure out where to put my stash. Plenty to turn and plenty to share.

That's a lot of wood! Gonna turn it all yourself?

I'm assuming here you may want to dry what you can't give away or turn soon.

If you have a good bandsaw and the right blade, you might consider cutting some up into square and rectangular turning blanks. By cutting so the pith and area close to it (juvenile wood) is on the corner of a square blank, the risk of checks/cracks is reduced. Although cutting in half improves the chances, the half-rounds are still vulnerable and might still crack. You may have already planned for that but if not, the video I made might have some ideas. Cut away any checks that have already started on the end grain and reseal. I like to cut thin end grain slices until they don't break when bent.

If cut into rectangles as thick as possible,, perhaps for bowls, keep a bit away from the juvenile wood around the pith and remove all or most of the bark. Much of the likelihood of checking AND the drying time can be improved. Storage/drying space is also reduced - I make stacks of blanks with thin spacers.

I sometimes seal the sides of squares and rectangle where the rings are somewhat parallel to that side - that's the second most likely surface to crack. Also, the junction of heartwood and sapwood on radial surfaces of some species can crack due to shrinkage rate differences - a cont of sealant there can help.

I don't know if PPBs are attracted to green pecan/hickory as they are to maple, but if so the wood is vulnerable in open air - if beetles fly into the garage they can bore right through a sealer coat to lay their eggs.

If you plan on turning green but don't have time to do it all at very soon, consider "ponding": stuff a 55gal drum or two with wood and fill with water, weighting as needed to keep the wood submerged. Change the water when it starts getting nasty. Green wood will keep indefinitely this way. Plastic 55gal drums are nice since they don't rust.

JKJ

 

[Scott Hargrove]

Here in south Georgia we have a lot of pecan, and a ton of it fell over during hurricane Helene. I've found that it moves, warps, shrinks and mis-shapes far more than most wood I've worked with. Smells kinda like horse manure when turned a little green, but that goes away with drying. But let it dry completely or your pieces will be ruined.