houstonwoodworker Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 Is pecan lumber a good choice for a roubo style workbench? I have a local source that is very inexpensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 It's listed as the same hardness as common hickory. It's slightly harder than hard maple. I would take a moisture meter & check before you buy. Otherwise I see no reason not to use pecan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmac Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 Pecan is in the hickory family and behaves very similar to hickory. Tough to dry without checking or splitting. With that said it, being in the hickory family it is strong and has good shock resistance. Sounds like a solid choice for a workbench to me. I agree that you should check the moisture, but I wouldn't be to concerned if it was in the 12% range for a workbench. I had the opportunity to mill some this past winter, 10 ft log that was 32" wide. Tough going with my chainsaw mill but it had some pretty figure and spalting. Not sure what I'll use for but I have to see how it dries first. Love to see how your workbench turns out if you use it and I'd love to hear how it worked with your tools/blades and etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 3 hours ago, houstonwoodworker said: Is pecan lumber a good choice for a roubo style workbench? I have a local source that is very inexpensive! Just a word about Pecan. Be sure to keep you're sharpening stones handy when working with it. It's more like hickory than anyone has mentioned. It will dull any sharp tool within 3 feet in almost no time at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 Keep an eye on tablesaw blades. As soon as you see resin building up clean the blade. The resin build up leads to higher temperatures which leads to rapid dulling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted August 19, 2018 Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 For what it's worth, Jay Bates recently built a Roubo-ish bench of all hickory. It is lovely to look at, but he says it is murder to chop mortises on. Hickory (and its close cousin, pecan) are very hard, and resilient. The springiness makes for great axe and hammer handles, but provides a lot of "bounce" when hammered against. Jay says his left hand gets numb from holding the mortising chisel when using the hickory bench, but not on his other bench, a Roubo-ish model of SYP. However, a hickory or pecan bench should last several lifetimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klappco Posted August 19, 2018 Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 I’ve used it quite a bit for smoking when I can’t get Hickory. Works well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted August 19, 2018 Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 I really like working with pecan. OP, what’s your source, since we share the same back yard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted August 19, 2018 Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 7 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: For what it's worth, Jay Bates recently built a Roubo-ish bench of all hickory. It is lovely to look at, but he says it is murder to chop mortises on. Hickory (and its close cousin, pecan) are very hard, and resilient. The springiness makes for great axe and hammer handles, but provides a lot of "bounce" when hammered against. Jay says his left hand gets numb from holding the mortising chisel when using the hickory bench, but not on his other bench, a Roubo-ish model of SYP. However, a hickory or pecan bench should last several lifetimes. Seems a silicone mat would care for that quite well. No? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonwoodworker Posted August 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 Coop- it’s a guy in Missouri City. He’s selling all kinds of stuff and has lots of slabs. Send me a private message. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted August 20, 2018 Report Share Posted August 20, 2018 On 8/18/2018 at 1:49 PM, RichardA said: Just a word about Pecan. Be sure to keep you're sharpening stones handy when working with it. It's more like hickory than anyone has mentioned. It will dull any sharp tool within 3 feet in almost no time at all. So true. When I finish a pecan hutch that is part of my portfolio I send many of the cutters out for sharpening. I enjoy working with it but, it is tough on tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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