Sawing Burls and Graft Wood -- Looking Good

[Left Coast Chris]

We had 8 English Walnut trees with Black Walnut root stock weaken beyond saving this year so we decided to attempt to saw them through the root ball.  It took several weekends to dig them out and so far we have sawn four of them.   The slabs range from 1" thick (hobby wood),  2" thick for clocks and 3" thick for gun stocks.
Here are the pics of the opeation:
















The top pic shows the logs.  All the roots had to be dug and cut by axe for tree removal .  A slow operation.
The second pic is a pressure washed log.
The third pic is the first log ripped and on the mill.  It was to big to saw whole.
The next pics are some of the various slabs that resulted.
Some good looking wood.  Very slow operation from in the ground to timbore treated and stickered pile.  Should make some spectacular drawer fronts and such.

[Banjo picker]

Very Nice.  Tim

[Burlkraft]

Hey Chris,
Those are VERY nice  8)  8)  8)

I love it when the heart wood flames into the sap wood like that  ;D  ;D

It's a lot of work, but well worth the effort.

Good Job!!

[ErikC]

 Looks pretty nice Chris. We were driving down Highway 99 south of Red Bluff a few days ago, and saw a bunch of walnut chunks out at the end of a drive way, for sale. Some big rootballs and crotches, it looked like. Your pictures make we want to go get a couple and saw 'em up !!!

[Stephen1]

Chris very nice looking wood. I am new to this but I take it you will sticker and let it air dry? Will it check or crack or does the Timbor slow down the process? How thick do you cut them? Will you build with them or sell them?
Thanks
Stephen

[Left Coast Chris]

Hi Steve,  as just a lover of wood, these are really exciting to open up.  None are disapointing.  I'll post some more pics as I go.  8) 8)

Hi Eric,  Ive heard there are some orchards coming out.  Just need to get ahold of the removal company.  Normally they bring in a tub grinder and sell the chips.  Sometimes they are open to allowing a person to take a few.  They are slow to prep and saw but the wood is really unique and nice to work with.

Stephen1 --    Here is what I do:  Dig it out, axe the roots, pull the tree over, pressure wash the root ball, chainsaw off the very lowest part of the root ball, saw it on the mill, clean the slabs with a broom, spray with timbore, paint the ends with Bailey's end seal, stack/sticker and weight the stack inside a barn with pretty tight doors since it is coming into summer time, air dry for 1 to two years.  I then use it for hobby wood.  I use it for any wood working project that tickles the fancy:  desk, coffee table, shelves, pen holder with name plate, bowls, signs, gun rack, fishing pole holder, night stand........you name it.  The thickness depends on what Im trying to build.  Mostly, I make the piece as thick as possible for the potential use.  If I see that I can get a special gun stock piece I saw it at 3", if it looks like a clock or jewlery box I cut at 2", if its long enough for furnature I use 5/4" to allow for small warpage, if its not long and will be a drawer front and it looks like it will not warp much I cut it at 1".     The Timbore is to protect from powderpost beatles only.    I may end up selling some some day but right now Im stock piling on racks to see if I will eventually use it myself.  Ive almost filled a 16x32 room with wall racks of stuff I "may use" some day.   Im enjoying sawing and gathering for now and building a few things as I go.   Im seeing some good retirement projects.. 8) 8)   

[Lud]

Chris,
                Real nice looking stock.   It's amazing what a willingness to do a little extra work will get a fella. 8)

[Ironwood]

Thanks for sharing, I guess you have inspired me to relook at the walnut stump that is laying up in my field. It came from a sewage job, and I bought the upper, and they contractor needed to get the stump "out of there", 34" base diameter. Guess it is time to sharpen my chains :


    Ironwood

[toploader Ford]

Nice lookin wood Chris! Have much problems with rocks? Around my way, trees grow around rocks and are imbeded in the stumps.

[Left Coast Chris]

Ironwood, yea......... the stumps can really have some nice hobby wood in them...not sure I would be so gung ho without my pressure washer to clean them up though. It has really saved the day.

Toploader,   fortunately , we are in class 1 agg soil.  All sandy loam.  Once in awhile I hit a small sand pocket but that is not too bad.  I did gather some Manzinita burls in volcanic soil once and wow....... lots of grown in rocks.  Ouch.  I learned to just take the big tight ones and saw enough above the roots.

[Ironwood]

'round these parts, even w/ a pressure washer there are TONS of imbedded rocks, just keep the fies handy :

     Ironwood

[boardum]

We have found that keeping a loop of Carbide chainsaw chain around is really handy for just such a project as this. I cut apart two walnut stumps. where the log was cut off they were just over 4'. Made short work of both of them cutting through rock and everything (nails). The saw chain was still cutting good when done.
     Anyway, it's a must have if a person's going to cut much stump or ground burl wood.

[Left Coast Chris]

Yea........ when the professional burl buyers show up they usually have carbide chains. 

My cousin used to cut redwood burls off of the beach and they were embeded with sand.  He also used a carbide chain.

I just have not made the plunge yet due to the cost.  Another approach is to save a nearly spent loop that can still be sharpened.  That way it is expendable. 

[Left Coast Chris]

Here are some more pics from the last batch.  Thats it for this year I hope. 

[metalspinner]

 8) 8)

I can just look at the wood and never want to make something with it.

Is that just wet or are they waxed?

[Left Coast Chris]

      It is a slow operation but all the oooogling does slow it down even more.... My wife thinks Im working really hard in the barn......taking all that time :D

They are not waxed.... its just after Ive sprayed them with timbore and then placed them on the stack.

Im starting to think of what Im going to make out of them as a first project.   So far Im favoring a rustic kingsize headborad with bright white silver maple posts and border with claro walnut panels with spaces in between accross the center.   Have to think it out some more..... it woud be very striking.  I would like to add a feature to take concealed reading lamps......that may make it a partial book case. 

[Stephen1]

luv the look of that wood, the timbore is just to keep out the bugs, or does it also cut down on the mold & fungi ???

[Left Coast Chris]

The Timbore is to protect from powderpost beatles only.   It does nothing for mold.  This time of year is tough regarding a bit too much heat for good air drying.  I try to keep the barn doors closed to slow the drying down especially in the first week or so.

[jpgreen]

Wow Chris...!  Just found this thread. The wood is awesome!

You know I bet my stump grinder w/carbide teeth would do a nice job of tuning up the end of those stumps and remove all the rocks etc., while it's out of the ground.

If you have more to do, I can bring it down and leave it with you. The carb needs a float and needle valve though,.  Honda 24hp.

Also- if I wasn't so darn busy and using it all the time, I could bring down my Cat with the claw bucket attachment I have.  That puppy will dig out stumps in no time.

[Left Coast Chris]

Hi Pat,

That is all I have for now.  Its been alot of work to dig, clean, saw and stack.  Good winter work but not for the summer.  I did run into a guy that says he may be wanting to pull some of his trees.  I will stay tunned.

Thanks for the offer on the equipment, I may take you up on it in a year or two depending on how many trees die next year.  I may be the only walnut farmer who's feelings are not hurt when a tree dies... :D 8)

If you have a place to send the wood to make a gun stock (CNC) we will have to pick out a piece to give it a try.