Kentucky Coffee Tree Wood

Re: Kentucky Coffee Tree Wood

William R. Duffield on the Cohansey

>Have you tried WoodFinder? Follow the link at the bottom of the page. You might want to search for "Kentucky coffeetree", "Kentucky coffee tree", "coffee tree" and "coffeetree". I tried a search of the scientific name, Gymnocladus, but none of the WoodFinder suppliers use that name. What do you expect from a bunch of lumberjacks? :^)

You might also try a Google search on Gymnocladus dioicus for more information on its properties.

Here is what the scientists at the FS FPL Center for Wood Anatomy Research have to say about the properties of it's wood: G. dioicus. They also provide several other common names you might want to plug back into WoodFinder.

Here are a couple of good references for North American trees.

UConn Plant Database provides photos, excellent distribution maps, and uses in the landscape.

Forest Service Forest Products Lab Center for Wood Anatomy Research provides structural characteristics of the wood.

Re: Kentucky Coffee Tree Wood

Dennis

>Back on Feb14 in the classifieds was some for sale

Dennis

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Re: Kentucky Coffee Tree Wood

SW_IOWA_SAWYER

>I have used it I have a sawmill so I just found a log and cut it up. It worked alot like oak was stable and worked well. It stained up well and had very pretty grain.

Bad experience

Ron in Kokomo

>My only experience with it was bad. It formed parentheses as it was ripped on the table saw.

Probably a bad dry job though. I see no advantage to it over red oak .

Re: Kentucky Coffee Tree Wood

R.J.Whelan

>Patrick ... I like the look of this species; I built a small cabinet on stand from the tiny amount I found.

But ....

Man am I allergic to it - I didn't sand it, but roughing it out on the TS produced enough dust to cause a pretty severe reaction. Once I got to the hand tool phase the sneezing, watery eyes and red skin diminshed to a tolerable level but that first day was pretty uncomfortable.

Your experiece may be different - I don't think I'll be using it again.

I found mine at a good sized hardwood mill in Orange County, CA.

Good luck ... rj

Re: Kentucky Coffee Tree Wood

David Wheeler

>Patrick,

Here in N. Illinois we have a huge Kentucky Coffee tree next to our house. Last summer my neighbor trimmed some of the branches. I kept the larger ones and resawed them into 4/4 boards. The wood is a golden yellow color and the grain is very prominent. I couldn't find a drying schedule for it so i brought it down to 18% in my DH kiln and have air dried it since. I could tell it didn't like drying fast.

Since the wood was cut from branches I'm sure i don't have the best selection. But I'm sure it will make a couple of nice shaker/A&C style of tables.

In general the wood seems to be "brittle"; some of the wild flat grain wants to raise up when worked. I know I will end up throwing more of it out than i'd like; i just hope to have enough to make a couple of tables.

-David