Name Pecan Hickory (Carya illinoensis)
Type Hardwood.
Other Names Also known as pecan nut, pecan hickory, sweet pecan, nogal morado, and pecanier.
Sources Grows in United States and Mexico.
Appearance Tight, generally straight grain with a coarse texture. Pale to reddish brown heartwood and whitish sapwood.
Physical Props Very heavy, hard, strong, stiff and shock resistant. Good dimensional stability and low decay resistance.
Working Props Turns and otherwise machines well but can be difficult to work with hand tools. Glues, screws, and nails well. Stains satisfactorily and polishes to a nice shiny finish.
Uses Ideal for applications where strength and elasticity are important. Used for tool handles, farm implements, vehicle parts, baseball bats, flooring, veneers, paneling, long-wearing chair parts (legs, backs, rungs), dowels, poles, ladders, turnery, and interior furniture.

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Name Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)
Type Hardwood.
Other Names Also known as shellbark hickory, scalybark hickory, white hickory, and red heart hickory.
Sources Grows in United States and Canada.
Appearance Generally straight grained and coarse textured. Brown to reddish brown heartwood and wide, nearly white sapwood. One of the hardest, heaviest and strongest woods in the United States.
Physical Props Excellent elasticity, good steam bending, moderate dimensional stability, and low decay resistance.
Working Props Machines well but difficult to work with hand tools due to hardness. Nails and screws require pre-drilling to prevent splitting. Polishes to a naturally smooth finish.
Uses Mainly used for applications requiring strength and toughness: tool handles, skis, golf clubs, wheels, agricultural implements. Other uses include flooring, furniture, ladders, musical instruments, sounding boards, paneling, veneer, fishing rods, dowels, building materials.

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Name American Holly (Ilex opaca)
Type Hardwood.
Other Names Also known as evergreen, white, Christmas, prickly, scrub, and dune holly.
Sources Grows in eastern half of United States.
Appearance Indistinct, close grain with no obvious figure and a fine texture. Ivory-white heartwood and white sapwood - sapwood usually much wider than the heartwood.
Physical Props Moderately heavy and hard, with good shock resistance, and low bending strength, stiffness, and decay resistance. Steam-bends poorly.
Working Props Generally machines well but irregular grain can cause problems. Sands and turns easily and polishes to a fine luster. Glues, screws, and nails well. Stains and finishes satisfactorily - sometimes stained black to simulate ebony.
Uses Used for turnery, carving, piano and organ keys, marquetry and inlay, wood block engravings, novelties, fixtures, handles, T-squares, fixtures, and furniture.

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