Hickory Trestle Table

[Bill Holt]

Our pastor's wife has requested a Hickory Trestle Dinning Table; she likes the color of hickory.  Finding hickory in our area is no problem...except for anything larger than 8/4.

I need a source for 5" x 5" and 4" x 4" hickory

or

a substitute for hickory that beams are available.

Yes, we are considering glue ups, but prefer solid beams.

I look forward to your suggestions.

[Gary G™]

Methinks your issue is most sawmills aren’t milling it this large, so it’s a custom order which means finding a sawmill which has trees big enough to mill to your specs, and then having it milled and properly dried .
It’s going to be expensive as well as time consuming.
If it were me, I’d be looking at a 4-sided mitered glue-up around a core so it looks like a solid, single piece.

[Bill Holt]

If it were me, I’d be looking at a 4-sided mitered glue-up around a core so it looks like a solid, single piece.

This was my first thought, but she likes the cove on edges.  My "foot" design will definitely challenge my skill level using a mitered glue-up.

At this point I'm reminded "No good deed goes unpunished".

I truly appreciate the response.

[Gary G™]

Can you show a picture of the model for this build?

[Bill Holt]

Sorry, Gary, I aint got the smarts to post pictures.  Never felt like my pictures would interest anyone, so I take very few and do not load them on my computer.  Old age has its drawbacks.

[Gary G™]

Alright. So lets say this cove you mention is 3/8”.
If your core for a 5”x5” beam is 4” square and you apply a 1/2” facade on each face, ripping long miters, you can still apply the cove and have it look like one piece.
As the cove increases in size, the core gets smaller and the facades get thicker.
It’s probably best if your face pieces are straight grain and defect free.

[Bill Holt]

It’s probably best if your face pieces are straight grain and defect free.

Good point, thank you.

[Dave Crow]

Is it possible that she likes the "color" hickory but not hickory? Google "hickory color" for examples.

I think when most people, when referring to furniture, will say "I want walnut, maple or cherry", what they mean is "brown, pale or dark brown". 

When my Wife says she wants a hickory table it's unlikely she wants a table built from the wood of a Hickory Tree!


She might be happy with a maple table stained "hickory".

[Bill Holt]

Oh how I wish you were correct.  She likes the color and grain of hickory.

[JosephP]

I think like Gary said, you are looking for an uncommon product. If you find mills supplying pallet facilities or the places that make crane mats, you might have success finding larger pieces...but they won't be kiln dried.

I'd laminate pieces color matching best you can. Most people probably wouldn't see the difference.

One more thought: have you searched for pecan instead of hickory? They are the same genus (Carya) so very similar...up here bitternut hickory (a pecan hickory) is sold alongside the other hickory such as shagbark, shell bark, mocker nut, and pignut). It's challenging to tell the difference. Historically they were separated because the "true hickories" are stronger for handles on striking tools. Kow mills prefer bitternut because it's easier on saws than the bark on shagbark.