Spliting Black Walnut

EZ · April 14, 2003, 06:27:55 PM

Customer has a 40 inch dia black walnut 8 ft long, has crotch on the top end. Cant use black powder, so I guess I will have to split it with chain saw & wedges. The wedges that I can make out of wood are oak or locust, wood locust be better. And how long do I need to make these wedges and how wide at the top.
I dont even know if this can be done, but really need to do this job, cause he'll have alot more timber for me to saw if I can saw the walnut.
EZ

ohsoloco · April 14, 2003, 07:28:34 PM

I wouldn't want to split a black walnut crotch down the middle :-/ If I had one that large, I would take slabs off of the outside of the log with the chainsaw to get it down to a millable size. Guess it depends on what he's going to do with it, but splitting id down the middle (i.e. splitting the crotch apart) would ruin all that nice grain.

Yesterday I just re-stacked two walnut crotches I cut this past fall....I can't believe the grain patterns in it!

EZ · April 15, 2003, 03:18:52 AM

He wants it quarter sawn.
EZ

Rick Schmalzried · April 15, 2003, 06:56:27 AM

In my experience, in general Black Walnut is not quarter sawn. It doesn't have the superb transformation that other species like Oak have. If you have a crotch/burl you ought to try and talk him into sawing for figure in the crotch. Regardless, he is the customer with the $$$ so you need to saw it like he asks. ;)

--Rick

ohsoloco · April 15, 2003, 08:33:52 AM

Yeah, black walnut will be rather plain looking as q-sawn. What is he using it for? I'd try and dig up some samples of crotch walnut and q-sawn walnut to show him.

The customer is always right :

Larry · April 15, 2003, 03:43:11 PM

I sawed some nice big walnut 4/4 last fall and some of the boards came out q-sawn. Really wasn't on purpose as I had already gotten the FAS and 1c flat sawn boards off and was just sawing through & through. Dried and planed all of it.

A guy came out bout a month ago to buy a little walnut and saw the q-sawn boards and called them "ribbon stripe walnut". Never really thought about it but the dark streaks make the boards look very attractive and a little unusual. The guy went through the whole pile and picked out all the q-sawn boards. Should have taken a picture (and also doubled the price).

Fla._Deadheader · April 15, 2003, 04:43:42 PM

Hey Larry. Where ya goin in Arkansas??

EZ · April 15, 2003, 05:57:57 PM

Well I guess its up to me to figure out splitting this walnut.
EZ

ohsoloco · April 15, 2003, 06:17:41 PM

Ya mean we didn't talk ya outta splittin' that beast? :D

How long is the bar on your chainsaw?

EZ · April 16, 2003, 03:35:22 AM

The bar on my saw is 20 inch. I took over a couple of quarter sawn walnut boards that I had and crouch sawn boards and he was very happy with the quarter sawn, so thats what it has to be.
EZ

ARKANSAWYER · April 16, 2003, 05:18:34 AM

EZ
What you want to make is a "glut". Thats a wooden wedge. Dogwood or Ironwood (hornbeam) are best. Hickory works well as does most anything hard to split. A 4 to 6 inch round makes the best size with about a 6 to 8 inch taper. I "cure" my point by heating it over a fire to harden it. Deadstanding dogwood make some of the best. I will try to remember to take a photo of one today and post it.
ARKANSAWYER

EZ · April 16, 2003, 05:19:26 PM

Arkansawyer,
Please remember to post it, thanks.
EZ

ARKANSAWYER · April 17, 2003, 06:20:21 AM

Here are two of them. A ole timmer came by while I was taking the photo and he said that he like persimmon as well as any but his daddy liked sycamore.
ARKANSAWYER

Bibbyman · April 17, 2003, 07:11:20 AM

I've seen my dad make many a glut in the forest. He would pick a hickory, hard maple, etc. sapling about 3-4" diameter at about waist high. He'd cut it off square with his chainsaw at that height. Then he would point the stump running a cut up each side to form the wedge. Then he would cut off the wedge. If he needed two wedges, he would point the stump again and cut off another. Then he'd true up the wedge faces with his ax.

It's hard to explain but the whole process only took only a couple of minutes.

It's far safer to cut the wedge slopes while it is still attached to the stump than to cut the bolt and then try to sharpen it by holding it with your foot or something.

Bro. Noble · April 17, 2003, 08:32:10 AM

EZ,

Maybe you could find an exploding wedge somewhere ;)

Noble

Haytrader · April 17, 2003, 11:21:43 AM

Noble,

Are those things legal?
Maybe someone should ask Jeff.
;)

Bro. Noble · April 17, 2003, 06:35:54 PM

Haytrader,

I would guess that the legality is partially determined by the location of insertion of said wedge prior to ignition

Noble

Fla._Deadheader · April 17, 2003, 06:48:05 PM

Haytrader, If it ain't legal, Don'T they need evidence to prosecute ya?? Like the man said to the fish & game man, in his boat, as he handed him a lit stick of dynamite. You gonna talk or fish ???? ;D

Haytrader · April 18, 2003, 07:20:05 AM

Noble,

Yep. What you said.
8) 8)

Deadheader,

:D :D
Yep, you got it.
At the risk of being "off topic" of this thread.........I shall offer a resemblance to your example.
;)
I heard tell that redneck guys somtimes offer thier girls a couple of options, one being to walk.
;D :D

EZ · April 18, 2003, 06:53:03 PM

Hi guys,
Well I split that walnut log in half, took a couple of hours but I got it. Those wooden wedges wood got really good, the dogwood wedges were the best, Thanks Arkansawyer, and everyone else.
EZ