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8/4 Walnut

Started by rs1626, August 21, 2012, 04:08:45 PM

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rs1626

I  Have about  1000 ft. of 8/4 walnut to saw & dry should I air dry it first or go straight to a nyle kiln?   

Ianab

Walnut is pretty forgiving to dry. So you have the option to air dry it for a while first, then kiln it to complete the drying. Means it takes up less kiln time, but it will take longer to get it dry.

Or you can put it straight in the kiln, get it dried faster, but use more kiln time...

Either way would work, depends what your priority is.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Den Socling

You may be happier with the color if you let it oxidize with air drying for a few weeks.

scsmith42

Quote from: Den Socling on August 21, 2012, 05:23:23 PM
You may be happier with the color if you let it oxidize with air drying for a few weeks.

+1.  if it were me, I would air dry for a few months first, outdoors and under cover.  The period furniture restoration guys swear that black walnut will be darker and richer in color if it's allowed to air dry.

I have gone straight into the kiln with 8/4 BW, and was very pleased with the color, but this was a very old tree that grew in a mineral rich environment.
Peterson 10" WPF with 65' of track
Smith - Gallagher dedicated slabber
Tom's 3638D Baker band mill
and a mix of log handling heavy equipment.

rs1626

Thanks guys I think I will let it air dry for a while

metalspinner

Walnut that I've used from commercial sources have a uniform color - dark brown.  Walnut that I have had sawn and dried in my solar kiln has lots of color variation - several browns, red and some purple.  The figure in the wood is also clearer and more sharp than the commercial stuff.
I do what the little voices in my wife's head tell me to do.

WDH

I have had excellent luck with air drying thick walnut, 8/4 to 20/4.  However, with oak, when I get above 8/4, it is very tricky (that means checks and splits  :)).

The air dried walnut sure looks beautiful.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

tyb525

Some of the walnut around here is literally green when it comes off the mill, once dried it is a beautiful purple/chocolate brown.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Norm

Another vote for air drying walnut. For me it's the easiest wood to air dry and you don't lose the patina that would come with kiln drying.

T Welsh

I prefer my walnut and all hardwoods air dried for a year before bring it down to 8 to 10 percent moisture content and working with it. For all my 8/4 I will air dry it for 3 to for years, I work with a lot of crotch material and it help keep it straight and tight if you let it air dry slowly. cooking it to fast to early tends to twist them up pretty good if you cook them to fast. Tim

Migal

Just remember If there is no picture's it wasn't real  8) and it never happened.
Stihl learning and picked up my Log Master LM2 Cat 34hp 02 21 12! 230MF+ the toys that go with it! MS361 MS271 Stihl PB500 Echo 48" LogRite 16ft Bass Tracker Pro' Abua Garcia 5600 bait caster, Wood working equipment' Lake Lot never enough time! oh don't forget the fridge with ale! Loving Wife Rebeca

drobertson

I know one kiln operator for a very popular Walnut supplier of gun stocks.  They cut, wax dip, get a load, kiln load, steam and dry. These stocks are going on some very expensive guns on the market today.  It takes daily checking of the kilns for the course of the cycle.
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

jimF

steaming Black walnut will turn the sapwood,which is whitish, to a darker color but wash out the heartwood some.

Norm

That wouldn't happen to be the one in Warsaw is it drobertson?

drobertson

No this is in Willow Springs Missouri,  Midwest Walnut,   I'm not sure about the wash out that was mentioned, but I know these gun stocks, looks to be millions of them, just saying, go to major manufacturers, Browning, mossberg, remington, Henry, just bunches of them, not to mention over seas.  I am going to ask John about the wash out,  I know for sure it is a critical part of the operation as one would expect. they did some one inch for me a few years ago, turned out as you might expect, perfectly, 
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

tyb525

Kilning and steaming black walnut evens out the color variations for markets that want uniform color.

It turns the sapwood brown and evens out variations in the heartwood color. That would be important if a gun maker wanted a certain model to always have the same color of gunstock.

I personally do not like that idea, because walnut has so many beautiful shades, steaming it just ruins that IMO.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Larry

As far as I know, if it is walnut all factory rifle stocks will be kiln dried and steamed.

Stock makers will say air dried walnut cuts differently than kiln dried.  That's my experience also.
Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

We need to insure our customers understand the importance of our craft.

WIwoodworker

I'm also in the air drying camp for walnut. Nothing wrong with just popping it in the kiln right away but my customers and I prefer the nice color variations you get when air drying. Nice reds and purples are common.
Peterson 9" WPF

Kansas

A Nyle kiln will not really dry out the center of 8/4 walnut, unless maybe you put it on a real slow track. And its more likely to honeycomb it. I would vote for the air dry. But its going to take quite a bit of time. You can pop it in the kiln later on. If you have some pieces with some knots, which you will have, put those on the top of the pile, and cut and check them internally from time to time. My personal guess is, it will take close to a year to get the green out of the center. 1 inch walnut gives up its moisture fairly easily in a Nyle. 2 inch does not.

learner

I know this is an old post but I wanted to say Thanks guys.  Just cut my first Black Walnut today and was wondering how best to dry it.  It's a give and take job. The tree service man we do regular bussiness with just wants some of it and we keep the rest.
He's a great guy that allways brings us quality logs so I want to keep him happy.  I'll let him know what I've learned here.
WoodMizer LT40 Super Hydraulic, MF-300 FEL, Nissan Enduro 60 forklift, 2 Monkey Wards Power Kraft Radial arm saws, Rockwell series 22-200 planer, Prentiss 210 loader

beenthere

For the 8/4, stack it well stickered and weighted down, then put it in a place where it can air dry slowly for a couple years.

Or arrange for it to be kiln dried however that may be difficult with just a small volume of walnut.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

WDH

I have had very good luck air drying 8/4 walnut.  Takes about a good year to dry to 14 - 15% down here, but then we get a lot of good air drying days here in GA, even in the winter.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Tree Feller

I ordered some 12/4 Black Walnut from M&G Sawmill at Huntsville about three years ago. It took a little over two years to dry after it was milled but it is perfect...clear 3" thick Black Walnut with absolutely no cracks, warp or checks visible. Most of that two years was spent air drying very slowly.

I intend to build a Bombe chest out of it one of these days.
Cody

Logmaster LM-1 Sawmill
Kioti CK 30 w/ FEL
Stihl MS-290 Chainsaw
48" Logrite Cant Hook
Well equipped, serious, woodworking shop

Den Socling

Boy it always amazes how long conventional drying techniques take. I like to see walnut oxidize a couple months but then my vac kilns will dry 12/4 black walnut in 24 days. If I had to wait 2 years, I'd probably forget where I put it.  :D

learner

There ya go using those Fancy words Tree Feller.  I had to look up what a Bombe chest was.  :D  Hopefully we can speed things up when we get done with these darned buildings.  Converting a 9x36 into an air drying building.  (Yes i see in the pics that the stacks aren't quite lvl.  I'll fix that soonest!)

  

 
This will be the DH kiln when finished.

 
So as i said, Hopefully we will soon be able to move that wood a little faster.  Those 1-3 year drying times are just too depressing!  :)
This is all still a work in progress but here is where we will be putting the table saw from our old lumber mill in Piedmont, Oklahoma. (That was 35 years ago when we made speaker frames for Altec Lansing)
This building will also house the radial arm saw, Old Rockwell 18" planer and other machines.

 
The planer. She's a beautiful old beast that will plane up to 18" wide and 6" thick.

 
And finally, the building for keeping the dried lumber.

 
I'll post more pics as the work progresses.
WoodMizer LT40 Super Hydraulic, MF-300 FEL, Nissan Enduro 60 forklift, 2 Monkey Wards Power Kraft Radial arm saws, Rockwell series 22-200 planer, Prentiss 210 loader

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