Butternut.

[Dave Shepard]

Came home and found these three logs in the mill yard. A hard maple and two butternut. The one on the left looks to be close to 3' on the small end and 3.5' on the big end. I didn't know it grew that big around here.

 

[Magicman]

For custom sawing?

[Dave Shepard]

Yes. I'll have to make an appointment with the owner to slice and dice.

[Magicman]

Of course I would not know Butternut if it came knocking at my door, so I am interested to see what is inside.

[logboy]

Butternut is very similar to walnut in grain and texture, but the color is a bit lighter brown. Its very soft, so its not the kind of thing you'd want as flooring. Its prized by carvers for how soft it is. Around here its being killed off by disease and unfortunately rots on the stump very quickly.

I hope you plan on slabbing those. I've slabbed truckloads of butternut for a local commercial sawmill. He claims he can get as much as walnut slabs. Now if only the guy would pay the grand he still owes me from cutting back in March.

[YellowHammer]

It may look like butter but it saws like margarine.  ;D. Or styrofoam...

[bandmiller2]

Isn't butternut next of kin to walnut.?? Their very common up through Maine. Frank C.

[YellowHammer]

They are pretty closely related, both are accused of juglone toxicity, I believe mostly by root to root contact with other plants.  Need to get @WDH to weigh in on this.  They are not uncommon around here, and generally sold very cheaply as logs, so I can get them, when I see them, for about the price of a tie log.  I've got some going into the kiln shortly, assuming I get it running again.  The biggest complaint I've heard about it is that it "fuzzes" when it's sanded, but other than that, it's very easy to work.  I've never personly built any furniture with it, but it's sells OK.

[bama20a]

Hey:yellowhammer: could you (or anyone) show a picture of it after it has been sawed ? I'd like to see the wood grain.Thanks,,,, 8)

[YellowHammer]

Hey:yellowhammer: could you (or anyone) show a picture of it after it has been sawed ? I'd like to see the wood grain.Thanks,,,, 8)

Here is the stack I have ready for the kiln it's been air drying for awhile so has darkened up some. It really has a butter brown look, kind of subdued without the big heartwood and sapwood contrast of walnut.

[WDH]

Very pretty, but very soft.  Not a good choice for a project that needs to stand up to heavy use like a table top.

Like black walnut, it is in the genus Juglans.  So, they are first cousins. 

[Dave Shepard]

I have no idea what they are going to get sawn into. Haven't talked to the owner yet.

[beenthere]

Butternut makes great looking paneling.

[Chuck White]

There is a guy, not far from here that makes jewelry boxes and knick-knack shelves with Butternut, and he also makes boxes (urns) for the ashes of a loved one who has passed, I don't think they'd be intended to be burried.

Butternut doesn't last long at ground contact.

[SW_IOWA_SAWYER]

I love Butternut for woodcarving and making furniture. It is soft but works great with hand tools. I carved these out of butternut except for the antlers. It is a beautiful wood and smells fantastic. I would love to get some thick 16/4 cants but it is getting harder to find. 

  I am always on the lookout for Butternut  :D

[Brian C.]

That is some real talent. Beautiful.

[Chuck White]

That's a really beautiful carving, Brian.

[Magicman]

Love the carving.   

[Knute]

Not the best firewood but it makes the best smelling smoke.

[SwampDonkey]

I have an old butter tray for washing the butter after it was churned. It's probably 100 years old, maybe more. I have built a desk, chest, shelves and such with butternut. I saw a carved mask made from butternut not long ago.  A local native fellow carved it.

Up here in some parts of the country it is forbidden to log butternut trees. I don't know that it is here in NB. I was brush cutting on a piece of public land not far from here a couple years ago and all the butternut had been cut on it, a lot of stuff on the ground and lots of new trees had germinated. I found it funny however that in the company policy manual butternut wasn't to be touched since it was listed endangered, yet the mature trees had all been logged and some on the ground as evidence. I did flag a few trees that I walked by so someone would not confuse for ash.  ;D

[WoodenHead]

Up here in some parts of the country it is forbidden to log butternut trees.

Right you are!  Around here we need a permit to cut down a butternut tree.  Everyone asks me if I have any to sell, but logs are hard to come by.  I have trees on my own property, but all of them have a sickness that eventually kills them.  As far as I understand that is why they are protected in these parts.

[SwampDonkey]

The canker is throughout the range. I think restrictions are at the provincial level. There is very little federal land here in these parts, but about half the land is provincial public land (crown) here in NB.

I plant nuts all over my land. They are easy to get going. Plunk'm in and most grow.

[nas]

Here is a butternut Coffee table that I made for my sister in law.


 
I have several large butternuts on my place, but they all seem to be dying.  Cutting down butternuts is not allowed because they are hoping to find one that is resistant to the canker.

Nick

[Banjo picker]

Maybe I have got it...this one is the only survivor of about 30 that I planted that I got from Dodgy Loner...about half came up, but all but this one died shortly there after.

  Its about 12 feet tall now.  Banjo

[WIwoodworker]

Those are some nice Butternut Logs. If they were close to here I'd probably be asking who they belonged to so I could see if I could buy them. I love Butternut and am always on the lookout for nice size logs.

SW_IA_SAWYER... I sent you a PM. I could hook you up with some 16/4 if you're looking for some.