Just Curious - Hackberry


Ronn W

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That is a neat looking piece Ronn and I like the grain of the panel. Is it the light but it almost look greenish like poplar. I’ve never seen it sold around here and if it was, they’d probably price it like exotics. Believe it or not but qtr. sawn sycamore is sold as exotics at one of my sources. 

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3 hours ago, wtnhighlander said:

Nice cabinet, Ronn! 

I've heard of hackberry, but never seen it in person. Maybe its one of those species that goes by a different alias in various parts of the country?

bastard elm [it has ulmiform pore structure], sugarberry (which is also the name of a related wood), oneberry, nettletree, and at least one politically incorrect name.

When I first saw hackberry it was in veneer form and I was absolutely convinced that it was American white ash that had been mislabeled. Since then I've observed that although the face grain is VERY similar to white ash, the end grain is unmistakably different [it's ulmiform].

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/hackberry.htm

http://www.wood-database.com/hackberry/

 

 

 

 

 

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It is one of the softer hardwoods.  Works well with hand tools.  There is not a distinct line between heart woood and sap wood and, perhaps that color that I have on the piece pictured is fungal - but it is still solid.  It strongly leans towards yellow under an oil based finish but when stained.  When stained it will surprise you.  When stained the tiny rays pick up the stain and the ray pattern is very fine, intricate and distinct.  The close you look the more interesting it is. I would probably not like to stain it for a finer piece but I did it for a table top and chait seats for the Grand kids and it looks great for that piece.

Sample board..... very different from the cabinet - same wood.

P1010001.thumb.JPG.c8a45537ba75ce39551c2c6ee27929c8.JPGP1010002.thumb.JPG.880e9aca33df960d7c42dcbf80ff5339.JPG

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8 hours ago, Ronn W said:

When stained the tiny rays pick up the stain and the ray pattern is very fine, intricate and distinct.

That's almost entirely the ulmiform pore patterns, not rays. Elm does the same thing. Here's a closeup of each showing the ulmiform pores and what I call the "feathering" in the face grain.

hack.jpg.73bc6cba546e02645b8b1a4da1716ca7.jpgash.jpg.7e03d2081d7ba3c2ba713ea904663d00.jpg

 

OOPS ... that "ash" is elm

 

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