A coworker in my office cut down an old pecan tree on his property. There are lots of them around in this part of the country so pecan is not an endangered species. A lot of Texans like to use the wood for smoking barbeque as it imparts a nice flavor. Pecan is a first cousin species to hickory, a species also much used for the same purpose.

The tree was mostly dead wood and was hollow in some areas. An eyesore and somewhat dangerous for a yard tree. So it had to go.

After it was down I asked if there was any decent wood that I might be able to use for woodworking. Of course the tree wasn't harvested with that in mind. My friend brought me a wedge cut from a large section he thought might be fairly aged and dry. That's what produced the pieces you see in the pictures.

The wood is very hard and dense, just like hickory and is used for some furniture making. I read where it was often used for flooring as it would wear really well and didn't need much finishing.

If you look real close you can see there are a lot of cracks and checks. Some pieces look rather good so I may be able to get some pen blanks out of this wood. These pieces I cut 1-1/8 thick, a good size for pen turnings. I am also going to see how it will machine on my CNC (HB2) router. The hard wood might be useful for 3D name tags and medallions.

This wood is not very dry at this moment. Right after I made these cuts I noticed the surface "crying" with streaks of fluid, a sap or most likely just water I assume. I haven't seen that action before. Look at the piece on my knee. It was curious. I have stacked the wood as shown as it certainly needs to dry out before I can use it for anything. I also have to see if more checking develops.

Now that I see what the wood is like once cut, I put this species on my list to see if I can get some quality dried boards for some future projects. I don't know if my coworker has any small logs that would fit on my small 14 inch bandsaw. If he does I'll cut some more for drying. It's nice when I make something to know where the wood was harvested.

I threw in a picture of my Delta 14" bandsaw I bought about 20 to 25 years ago. 3/4 HP with the motor in the base. Best tool investment in a wood shop. I did a tune up after cutting this wood and just before the picture. It's about time for some new blades. The tires still look (and work) good. Click to enlarge pictures.