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Thread: Road Trip: Hearne Hardwoods

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    Road Trip: Hearne Hardwoods

    There's nothing like a little trip to the "candy store" for a little shopping and today was a nice day for it! I had a need to pick up some quarter sawn cherry and some cherry crotch for the two vanities for the master bath that will be in the addition, so I twisted Creeker Robert Tarr's arm to come along for the ride and hooked up the trailer to the Highlander. A quick stop at StarBucks and the ATM on the way and after a bit of a ride, we were in lovely Oxford PA.

    Now, Robert has never been to Hearne before and I wasn't sure that my description was convincing enough. But these bubinga slabs next to the parking lot were the first thing he laid his eyes on as we got out of the vehicle. That's the "Holy Moley!" look...

    hearne-1.jpg

    We spent a lot of time there, starting with a quick tour for Robert and then getting down to the business of selecting lumber. My main concern was to try and find some acceptable cherry crotch for door panels in the vanities. That, unfortunately, proved to be difficult. I only found one piece that would work and it was only enough for one vanity. Rick Hearne even took us out to some of the other buildings were we looked through some other options, but it was not to be...today. I did buy that one panel. Maybe I'll find another before I do the vanities. If not, I picked up a very nice piece of quartered English sycamore that will make very nice book matched panels that can be dyed to work for this project.

    I spent some time picking through the QS stock and found about 50 bd ft that would work for me. And then I fell in love. No, not with a beautiful maiden, but with a beautiful slab of English Brown Oak. Yes, the "I -don't-normally-do-oak" author of this post just had to have that piece of wood. Gorgeous stuff. (Rick said that the interesting brown color comes from a mushroom that grows around the trees and eventually kills them) And then, of course, I needed another piece to use for other structure for what I think will be a sofa table or some sort. Let's just consider this a speculative buy...and here I am speculating about what the number will be on my AMEX card once the dude measuring things up is done writing.

    hearne-2.jpg

    Thankfully, it was less than I thought it would be. (Professor Dr. SWMBO said the same thing once we got back with the goodies ) Here's today's haul.

    hearne-3.jpg

    And this is that wonderful slab of English Brown Oak. Yes, it will remain a natural edge piece, too...the contrast is wonderful. And I have a 9 bd ft piece of 8/4 to match for aprons and legs. That's an 18" ruler on top for a size reference.

    hearne-4.jpg

    Wood porn is really a wonderful way to spend part of a Saturday in the spring....
    Last edited by Jim Becker; 03-31-2007 at 10:00 PM.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  2. #2
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    Jim, I have to agree. Wood porn is a good description of Hearnes.
    Any day I wake up is a good day.

  3. #3
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    Jan 2007
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    Candy store? I think it must be more like Candy Land!

    Ron

  4. #4
    Nice haul Jim, some beautiful stock. I am wowed by those slabs of bubby stacked up. Man, what a candy store!

    Corey

  5. #5
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    Feb 2004
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    Austin, TX
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    Ah Jim, one of my favorite places to go. It's hard to not walk out of there with a huge bill. I can spend hours and hours there.
    chris

  6. #6
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    Feb 2003
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    Granbury, TX
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    It is really too bad I don't live closer to Hearne Hardwoods. They have so much beautiful wood, I could just buy it as I need it, project by project, instead of hoarding it like I do.
    Martin, Granbury, TX
    Student of the Shaker style

  7. #7
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    Oct 2005
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    Phoenix, AZ
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    I have to go to Woodworker's Source every once in a while for the same reason Christopher. I don't have any particular project in mind but just looking at all the exotic wood and seeing new ones every so often keeps the juices flowing.
    Thanks for the photo journey to PA's notorious wood den of iniquity Jim.

  8. #8
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    Candy store indeed! Looks like a fun and productive trip.

    Dan
    Eternity is an awfully long time, especially toward the end.

    -Woody Allen-

    Critiques on works posted are always welcome

  9. #9
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    Apr 2005
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    Nottingham, MD
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    I love Hearne. Worth every minute of the 45 minute trip (each way).

    In the 2nd picture, you're standing in front of the rack where I got the Cherry for my current project. Lucky for me, I got there before you did...

    Michael

  10. #10
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    Waterford, MI
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    Nice. If I ever get to PA, I know where I'm headed.
    Use the fence Luke

  11. #11
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    Jan 2007
    Location
    Gambrills, MD - Near Annapolis
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    I love Hearne's

    Hearne's is a great place to shop. I drive almost two hours to get up there, but their selection, prices, and people can't be beat. If you live anywhere within driving distance visit them with a good credit card and an empty trailer

    Last time I was there, I bought a tree (link includes some shots of hearnes, but no enormous slabs of bubinga!)







    Pete

  12. #12
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    Jun 2004
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    Cape Cod, Ma
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    How far would Hearne's be from Cape Cod?

    Lou
    Procrastination.......

    Maybe I'll think about that tomorrow

  13. #13
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    Nov 2004
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    West Chester, PA
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    Nice Haul!!! My only question is why didn't you swing by West Chester to drop some of it off?????
    Sean Hughes

    "Your heart is free...have the courage to follow it." Braveheart

  14. #14
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    Pete, that type of Maple was called ambrosia by Simmie Agin, the gentleman that a few of us used to purchase our great lumber from before he passed away. Never heard it called ghost maple, but regardless of the moniker, it still looks great. Some great looking stuff. My son purchased some for a jewelry chest that he built with my guidance last year as a Christmas gift for his fiance.
    There's one in every crowd......and it's usually me!

  15. #15
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    Jan 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fred Voorhees
    Pete, that type of Maple was called ambrosia by Simmie Agin, the gentleman that a few of us used to purchase our great lumber from before he passed away. Never heard it called ghost maple, but regardless of the moniker, it still looks great. Some great looking stuff. My son purchased some for a jewelry chest that he built with my guidance last year as a Christmas gift for his fiance.
    I don't want to hijack Jim's thread, but I have heard it called all of those things. The people at Hearne's (and my local mill, which I rarely buy from) call it Ghost or Wormy Maple. I learned about the "Ambrosia Maple" name here a while back. That does seem to be the more common name.

    It's gorgeous stuff. My wife and I both love it.

    Did your future daughter-in-law like the chest?

    Pete

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