Jump to content

Recommended Posts

My neighbor lost part of his pecan tree. The only thing left was a 4 ft piece of the trunk which was in good condition. He cut that down and ground the stump. He knew I build wood model boats and asked if I wanted it. I said sure and have it in the back by my fence drying out. Now for my question. Is pecan a good wood to use in making a model boat? I have the plans of the Bluenose and I would like to try my first scratch build of the ship using pecan. What say ye master builders?

Allen

 

Current Builds: Mayflower - 1:60; Golden Hind - 1:50

Past Builds: Marie Jeanne, Bluenose, Bluenose II, Oseberg, Roar Ege,

Waiting to Build: Swift

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have a look here:   https://www.wood-database.com/pecan/    They do say this about workability but I'd read the whole article on it before deciding:   Workability: Difficult to work, with tearout being common during machining operations if cutting edges are not kept sharp; the wood tends to blunt cutting edges. Glues, stains, and finishes well. Responds well to steam bending.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Wood Database translated to relevant

the wood is hard

it is essentially interchanged with Hickory - which means that it is open pore. The grain and pores do not scale well.  Sealed and painted or hidden, it should do as well as Hickory, Ash, Oak, Walnut.  It is apparently tricky to mill - tearout or burn if tool edges are not really sharp.  

 

If it were Apple or other fruitwood you would want to kill for it.  Nutwood is better for 1:1 scale projects.

If you seal the ends well, debark, protect from rain, give it good airflow, when seasoned  -1 year per inch - you will have a good utility wood - jigs - inside the hull parts.

I can get other nutwood - Oak, Walnut, Ash - already seasoned and in rectangular form from Yukon Lumber right now. 

It is not trash, (anything in the Cottonwood family is trash),  but for a one off, learning to mill, not going to expand to other really desirable and otherwise unobtainable species,  the specific reward from this log will be relatively low.  I would probably process it and try to make something unique from a small fraction of it as a gift to the neighbor.  Now, if you have neighbors with Apple trees, Plum, Crab Apple, Japanese Plum (Loquat), Hawtorn, Dogwood,  possibly Peach if you can beat the fungus,  and given the prices Holly - for us less than snow white and even Blue Mold infected Holly is right at the top of desirable - -- bribe them -  be a wood vampire.

NRG member 50 years

 

Current:  

NMS

HMS Ajax 1767 - 74-gun 3rd rate - 1:192 POF exploration - works but too intense -no margin for error

HMS Centurion 1732 - 60-gun 4th rate - POF Navall Timber framing

HMS Beagle 1831 refiit  10-gun brig with a small mizzen - POF Navall (ish) Timber framing

The U.S. Ex. Ex. 1838-1842
Flying Fish 1838  pilot schooner - POF framed - ready for stern timbers
Porpose II  1836  brigantine/brig - POF framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers
Vincennes  1825  Sloop-of-War  - POF timbers assembled, need shaping
Peacock  1828  Sloop-of -War  - POF timbers ready for assembly
Sea Gull  1838  pilot schooner - POF timbers ready for assembly
Relief  1835 packet hull USN ship - POF timbers ready for assembly

Other

Portsmouth  1843  Sloop-of-War  - POF timbers ready for assembly
Le Commerce de Marseilles  1788   118 cannons - POF framed

La Renommee 1744 Frigate - POF framed - ready for hawse and stern timbers

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  Have the pecan slab-cut asap and stack with slickers to dry in a covered space (garage or shed) over the winter, then move the stack indoors (adjusting the spacers periodically) for a year.  Dap the ends with melted wax to limit checking.

 

  I was given a freshly cut 3' long x 8" diameter apple wood log by a friend some years ago, and at the time had a radial arm saw with a head that could index 90 degrees,  So I got fancy and figured out a pattern to maximize quarter-sawn pieces.  The whole house smelled like "Christmas" the day of cutting.  The drying was uneventful, and half of the stash remains.

Completed builds:  Khufu Solar Barge - 1:72 Woody Joe

Current project(s): Gorch Fock restoration 1:100, Billing Wasa (bust) - 1:100 Billings, Great Harry (bust) 1:88 ex. Sergal 1:65

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...