Hackberry?

Re: Hackberry?

Gary Evans

>Hi Mark,

Hackberry is a type of elm. Turns like elm and has the same type of feather patterns in the grain. Spalts like nobody's business. I like it and always keep an eye out for it.

GE

Well, then . . .

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

|;=}}}

Re: Hackberry?

Sonja Lemon, Sacramento CA

>Mark, we looked it up in a reference book. It is similar to Elm and Ash and is used in the manufacture of farm implements, cabinetry and other purposes similar to ash and elm. Seems that some of our turners have turned vessels of it (if memory serves me).

Sonja

Re: Hackberry?

Tony Reynolds Newark, OH

>I like turning it. This is a vessel from hackberry I've posted before. It was hollowed via the endgrain.

Tony

Ah, Ha!

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Reckon I'm jes gonna have ta take the whole dang tree . . .

Re: Hackberry?

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Thanks, Sonja,

This may be an opportunity to do some induced spaltin'.

Regards to Bob,

M

Re: Hackberry?

John Lucas

>Mark It spalts along the grain lines and looks incredible. I'd turn some plain. It's very nice just like that. Then take a few more 30" pieces and set one end on the ground or follow your favorite spalting method. You'll get some incredible stuff.

Re: Hackberry? *LINK*

Greg W. in NC

>Mark,

The stuff is awful! Don't use it. Please send to me and I'll dispose of it, ok?

See my photo album at the link below - I have a desk pen / stand, and an oil lamp turned from spalted hackberry.....it's gorgeous stuff! Once dry, it is very light, very easy to work, but it soaks in finish like a sponge. Follow the suggestions here to spalt it, and you'll love it!


Greg's Yahoo Photo Album

Only two kinds of Hackberry...

steve antonucci

>Spalted and going to be spalted.

Has a funky sweet smell when turned wet. I like it, but I haven't seen any in a while.

Steve

Re:Hackberry

ob obrien In Pensacola

>A fellow turner put some 6 to 8 inch diameter logs with the ends down in a couple of 5 gallon buckets. He added some different colors of fabric dye to the water. The wood sucked it up after a couple of days. I turned a piece of it that had been in the red dye and it looked great. The other pieces soaked in blue, green and yellow were also incredible. It's great stuff. Get all you can handle. OB

Re: Hackberry?

David Propst

>Hackberry turns well and develops really nice spalting. Definitely keep it.

David

Forgot to mention...

Gary Evans

>Your mileage may vary!

GE

Re: Hackberry? REALLY??

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Ran a search on Hackberry, and can't seem to find anything that looks like the stuff. Does anyone here recognize this?

Mark

Re: REALLY?? #2 

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>

Re: Hackberry? REALLY??

Gary Evans

>I don't think it's hackberry, Mark.

All the hackberry I've had is one color all the way through; no contrasting heartwood. The best way to tell hackberry is that the upper bark is smooth. As you come down the tree there will be an increasing profusion of wart-like growths on the bark. The bottom, especially on mature trees, can be coarse like the bark in your pictures.

Just guessing here cause the pictures aren't great on my monitor, but I'd say maybe it's sweetgum.

GE

Just occurred to me, Mark...

Gary Evans

>that could be a maple. Maple often has a dark heartwood, and the bark could certainly be maple.

It will be interesting to find out for sure. E-mail me when you know. I'll be out of town for a week and may not remember to look for this thread when I get back.

GE

Re: Hackberry? REALLY??

John Trant (aka Boxes-n-Bowls)

>What did the leaves look like. The image of the logs looks more like a healthy walnut to me (i.e. minimal heartwood).

John

Re: Leaves

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Can't tell you, John. This was in a land-clearing deal where 10 acrea were clear-cut. It's not walnut, however.

Bark is smooth and thin (3/8" max) between the ridges with no decernable sap wood "boundry". Center areas has staining running along the ring lines, but with lighter material in between them.

Sorry, but server limits preclude my being able to post a high rez pic.

Mark.

Re: Hackberry? REALLY??

Ric Taylor

>I don't know what wood is in those pics, but it's not Hackberry.

Re: Hackberry? REALLY??

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey

>Thanks, Ric,

Arborist friend is coming by this PM, and I gues the matter will be settled then.

Mark

Re: Hackberry? REALLY??

Joseph

>Looks like sassafras to me. I have a lot of it behind the house.