Another use for unfinished hickory flooring?

[dkerfoot]

A former customer whose flooring business has closed just gave me the equivalent of twenty pieces of 7' x 6" x 3/4" unfinished Hickory flooring. I say equivalent because about 20% of it is actually 2 pieces that equal 7'.

It is very nice stuff - Select quality, no knots but nice color variation. The only problem is I really don't need flooring since another customer who went out of business (see a pattern emerging here?) gave me a bunch of bamboo flooring and this would only be enough to cover a big closet (or very small room) anyway.

So, what can I make out of it? It has grooves on the bottom that if re-sawed or planed, would bring it down to 1/2" thick - perhaps a bit less.

I'll definitely use it for some boxes, but would love to hear suggestions for bigger projects too. Any brainstorms?

I'll also be getting a smaller quantity of birds eye maple.

[pelligrini]

It might make a really nice tool chest. The machinist type with a bunch of shallow drawers.

[JR]

Plane it down to the 1/2" you mention and use that material for door panels. Un-stained hickory would contrast nicely with darker rails/stiles.

JR

[Bill in Buena Park]

I agree with the door panels - add some drawer fronts, and you could build some nice tool stands with doors and drawers.

Small crafty stuff is a given - picture frames and other gifty things for family and friends (saw more than one "mobile device recharging station" in various gift catalogs.)

Also left me wondering if hickory has good stability for use in making jigs and templates...?

[Popeye]

Glue up case panels for a nice bookcase or any other casework you may have in mind. Or door panels as someone suggested. Something similar to this:


or this:

Pat

[dkerfoot]

Thanks guys - great ideas!

[Russianwolf]

Go ahead and get some new planer blades. You're gonna need them. (save the shavings for the grill)

Hickory is HARD stuff.

As far as what to make? Butcher block, or how about the top for a nice workbench. Just take the tongue off and glue them up.

[dkerfoot]

Go ahead and get some new planer blades. You're gonna need them. Hickory is HARD stuff.

Yep - I actually plan to re-saw using my table saw as much as possible and then just use the jointer to clean them up.

[dbhost]

Do you smoke Cigars or have friends that do? I've got a friend locally doing something similar with stripped reclaimed hickory and is making humidors as gifts. Basically boxes with inset trays, liner, etc...