Divets in hickory

[Don Foley]

On my most recent project, a crib made from hickory, the wood has what looks like divets after being planed.  These are random chunks (like the turf from a poor golf shot) missing out of the wood.  Incidentally, I also noticed some of these after running pieces through the jointer.

Realizing I had not changed planer knives in over a year, I installed and adjusted a new set of knives.  I ran a test on a scrap of pine and it came out silky smooth.  I next tested on a scrap of red oak; once again smooth.  I then fed my hickory through.  First piece came out fine, second one had the random divets all down the length of the board.

Do any of you experienced woodworkers have any suggestions?  Could it be the wood?  I've used hickory before without having this issue.

 

Thanks in advance, Don

[Jay Boutwell]

Some Hickory has its tendancy to be contrary to cutting and will fight you everyway.  This is caused by it having twisting and interlocking grain patterns rather than having grains that run in the same direction. If changing the direction of the feed of cutting does not help the only alternative is to cut it in the best direction to less than it final deminsion and sand it using a belt sander or widebelt sander.  Not all Hickory will have this problem but it takes experience in reading the grains before you purchase  lumber.  I am telling you this based on my personal experience from milling and building many hickory cabinets.

There is another member in the community whom has worked many feet of hickory and he will most likely tell you pretty much the same thing as I have.  This person is Justin Waldron.  He and I have both worked many feet of hickory in our building of projects.  It may surprise you but hickory is one of my favorite woods to work as not only is it beautiful and durable wood but it is also is a challenge.  Check out my hickory collection on my project page.

[justin waldron]

Jay is absolutely RIGHT!!  The only thing I have done to combat the lifting of grain, missing chunks while planing is to buy extra lumber from the start.  This isn't meant to be sarcastic, it's just the necessary evil with dealing with it.  Jay has a large planer like I do, even with sharp blades the same thing can happen, even with a spiral head the same thing can happen with what you described.  Jay and I just don't let the Hickory win!  Haha! 

[Don Foley]

Thanks for the information Jay and Justin. 

I guess I was just lucky with my first hickory projects, a bathroom vanity and a mirror frame.  This time I'm building a crib, dresser and chest of drawers for a soon to be born grand nephews room.  I really like the look of the wood, so I guess I'll just have to buy more if I cannot come up with enough good pieces from my current stock.

Is there any tell tale signs I can pick up on when looking through the stack of lumbeer at my local dealer?  Some indicator a certain board is prone to chunk out when being machined?

I guess I'll also invest in extra sandpaper for each future hickory project.

Once again thanks, Don

[justin waldron]

Hey Don,

There really isn't any way to tell that I've found so far.  I just try and either cut around those issues or use them on the back side of a faceframe where they won't be visible.  I haven't built anywhere near the amount of stuff out of Hickory that Jay has, but I have used a good 600 board feet in kitchens so far myself and I still have those same issues, I always order more than what I need.  The only real option is to plane it to around 13/16 and drum sand the rest, but I don't have a drum sander.  The grain in Hickory isn't consistent at all and it also intertwines within the luber.  Take a close look and see how the grain direction changes throughout one board, that's where the issues come in.  It really is just the nature of the beast my friend.