Hackberry for backing?

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I’m curious if anyone has messed with hackberry for a backing material. I helped TimBo to process a large hackberry tree, in addition to one I cut a couple weeks before that. We got several staves that split out as squares about 4”x4” or bigger and about 6-6.5’ long. I’m thinking real hard about rippinga couple of these I to slats on the table saw to use in future projects for backing, since I’ve heard it’s supposed to be tough in tension. It may not be as stiff and snappy as hickory, but I feel it’ll go well with some softer belly materials. What do you all think?

Kyle

[Bayou Ben]

I think it would be great for softer belly materials.  I thought the same thing when I processed a hackberry tree a few months ago.  I didn't have a chance to try it yet, but I do plan to. 

[willie]

why not with even a harder belly materiel? especially some woods that do well with a trapped back

[Hamish]

Give it a go. Its a bit like elm, and elm used to be used as backs in Europe before hickory was readily available.

[TimBo]

Hey, I recognize that hackberry...I got a couple more belly splits and kerfed a wide one into two staves, and have another big pile of wood to deal with now!

[dylanholderman]

Ask around and see if anyone you know has a jointer, I think it could make getting started easier.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

There were an awesful lot of staves in that tree. Was there many more left in that log chunk that was left that night?
With it being a fairly low mass wood I figured it would pair better with light stuff. But it’ll more than likely be fine with harder belly material. I can get enough I’ll try it on lots of things.
Luckily my friends father had a cabinet shop with a nice jointer and table saw I can use to cut up a few of these better hackberry blocks.

Kyle

[Hawkdancer]

I think you guys need to stay out of trouble with so much wood to play with!  Wouldn't know a hackberry if it fell on me !  Unless those knarly tree in the the Buckhorn Skinners meeting area are hackberry - the landowner says they were knarly since she was little and she is older than me and has lived there all her life.  Sounds like a worthwhile experiment, how would the HB work with Osage?
Missed you and TimBo at MoJam, but the heat index flat kicked my rearend!
Hawkdancer