Turning pecan?

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Woodchipper

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Mar 15, 2017
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Cleveland, TN
I have some rough pecan boards that are thick enough for some Christmas decorations. Need to run a few through the table saw first for sizing. Any particular advice for turning it?
 
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Pecan is a nice wood to turn, I have turned both pens ad bowls from it and love turning it. Sharp tools and patience will serve you well. Happy turning
 
Sharp tools and high speed it is. Don't have carbide tools. Thinking about planing two boards, gluing and turning a shallow bowl or platter.
 
I turn Hickory to make the handles for my turning tools. First because it is known to be hard and shock resistant and secondly because I have ready access and can usually find very interesting grain variations in some of the boards. That is also why I use it for the majority wood in the cutting boards and cheese slicers. I don't know if my Hickory produced nuts, but Pecan is one of several kinds of Hickory. - Dave
 
I turn Hickory to make the handles for my turning tools. First because it is known to be hard and shock resistant and secondly because I have ready access and can usually find very interesting grain variations in some of the boards. That is also why I use it for the majority wood in the cutting boards and cheese slicers. I don't know if my Hickory produced nuts, but Pecan is one of several kinds of Hickory. - Dave
The fellow mentioned that pecan is a first cousin to hickory. "Hickory is used for hammer handles and axe handles." My boards are too thin for handles.
 
Here is a picture of a few that I have made. (Sometimes I think making tools is just about as much fun as making pens). - Dave

IMG_2768 Cropped.jpg
 
I have the carbide inserts, screws and square stock I just have to get off my lazy butt take the thread gage and see what the threads are and make the tools.
 
I have the carbide inserts, screws and square stock I just have to get off my lazy butt take the thread gage and see what the threads are and make the tools.
My screws were all 4-40 - the same as the ones used in the few Easy Wood Tools that I patterned mine with. Instead of trying to drill them, to make things easier for me, before I glued them together, I made a dado in both halves of the handles to provide a slot for the square (or hexagonal) stock. I also glued some 38 caliber bullets (bullets, not entire cartridges) in the back of my handles as I prefer a little more weight at the back end. I used Pex Stainless Steel Crimp Sleeves for ferrules because I like their shape - with one end flared out and the other end turned in I think they really added to the look. And, finally, I used some paint-on gun bluing on the square stock to darken it. - Dave
 
My screws were all 4-40 - the same as the ones used in the few Easy Wood Tools that I patterned mine with. Instead of trying to drill them, to make things easier for me, before I glued them together, I made a dado in both halves of the handles to provide a slot for the square (or hexagonal) stock. I also glued some 38 caliber bullets (bullets, not entire cartridges) in the back of my handles as I prefer a little more weight at the back end. I used Pex Stainless Steel Crimp Sleeves for ferrules because I like their shape - with one end flared out and the other end turned in I think they really added to the look. And, finally, I used some paint-on gun bluing on the square stock to darken it. - Dave
Thank Dave I,m a retired machinest by trade but dont have access to a mill so i habe to use a grinder and file to shape the square stock on the end. that is why i said get off my lazy butt. so that will be my next project.
 
Thank Dave I,m a retired machinest by trade but dont have access to a mill so i habe to use a grinder and file to shape the square stock on the end. that is why i said get off my lazy butt. so that will be my next project.
I'm in a similar boat. One of the departments I managed was a machine shop, but I haven't gone back to them for any "special projects" since I retired -- it's been very tempting though! I did most of my shaping with a 1" belt sander. - Dave
 
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