Appearance
Color: Pecan heartwood
is reddish brown with dark brown stripes; sapwood is white or creamy
white with pinkish tones. Hickory heartwood is tan or reddish; sapwood
is white to cream, with fine brown lines.
Grain: Pecan is open, occasionally wavy or irregular.
Hickory is closed, with moderate definition; somewhat rough-textured.
Variations Within Species And Grades: In both hickory
and pecan, there are often pronounced differentiations in color between
spring wood and summer wood. In pecan, sapwood is usually graded higher
than darker heartwood. Pecan and hickory are traditionally mixed by
flooring mills.
Properties
Hardness/Janka: 1820;
41% harder than Northern red oak. Pecan is slightly softer than true
hickories.
Dimensional Stability: Pecan, average (change
coefficient.00315; 15% more stable than red oak). Hickory, below
average (change coefficient .00411; 11% less stable than red oak).
Durability: Combination of strength, hardness,
toughness and stiffness found in no other commercial wood; exceedingly
high in shock resistance.
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Workability
Sawing/Machining: Hickory
species' density makes it difficult to season, machine and work with
hand tools.
Sanding: Difficult to sand because of density, and
because light color makes sander markers show more than on darker
woods.
Nailing: Good holding ability; prone to splitting.
Finishing: No known problems.
Comments:
Cost
(relative to plainsawn select red
oak)
Multiplier: 1.20
Availability
Readily Available from specialty
wood flooring dealers, although parquet not commonly available.
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