Aged walnut

[FactorySeconds]

I remember reading about walnut and if there was any benefit to letting it sit in regards to color of the wood. I've been waiting for there to be a side by side example sitting in the shop to show. Those familiar with walnut know that when it's freshly sawn there can be vibrant purples and greens in the wood that fade to brown within a half hour. 

One day we had a delivery of 'aged' walnut that on first glance would be firewood. I saw what I'm told to saw and saw them I did only to find a deeper hue to the colors I'm used to seeing in 'new' walnut logs. The difference being that the colors other than brown hung around after the kiln and finishing. It is slight, but it's there.

I don't know for sure how long the logs were left for before they got to us but you can construct how they would have looked from the edges of the aged slabs.

So for those that are unsure, this is what happens if you leave your walnut logs out for a long time.

Top = new
Bottom = Aged


<br
>
 

 

[Jeff]

Really, no concensus can be taken by your example. Every tree is different from every other tree and every log is different from every other log.

[bluthum]

In addition to all logs being unique all climates are as well. Some places logs will degrade sitting, sooner than other locations. Especially end checking comes to mind.

[FactorySeconds]

Really, no concensus can be taken by your example. Every tree is different from every other tree and every log is different from every other log.

I can confirm that the results are the same over the course of 400+ logs. The same through sizes from 10" diameter to 6' diameter.

[Jeff]

Okiedoke

[FactorySeconds]

A couple of examples of the degradation of the 'aged' logs. Sorry if the sample size might not be big enough to be conclusive but the results were consistent. Take it how you will.


 

 

[Ben Cut-wright]

That's beautiful Walnut no matter what caused the color to pop like that.

[doc henderson]

I have seen interesting and pretty color change in old wood even sawn and stored for 30 years.

[moodnacreek]

The only advantage I can see with letting walnut sit is that the sap wood may stain brown. This is a trade off with deep end checks so an eight foot log well produce 6 foot lumber. If it sits too long this sap wood will rot so the edging will be deeper. If the bark comes off there will be more damage. Nothing beats sawing fresh cut logs.

[doc henderson]

here is a glued up stove board, made from circle sawn walnut that spent 30 years in a sears type metal yard shed.  I cannot say what it looked like right after sawn, but it does have great color.



 

[FactorySeconds]

That's a beautiful piece, Doc!

[doc henderson]

Thanks.  the wood was a gift from a neighbor I helped out and he had not developed the wood skill he may have thought he would.  he passed away before I got it picked up, but the family still wanted me to have it.  we also made a bowl for his son from the wood.  I was going to tell you that among other magical properties that the floral frame and cursive first initial of our last name just showed up after sanding, ... but thought that was too much!

[jpassardi]

Doc,
Very nice, is that wood burned or printed on?

[doc henderson]

CO2 laser engraved.  like this plaque I am doing now for my Barbers family for the ceremony and to keep.





Laser engraving in General Woodworking (forestryforum.com)

[Daburner87]

Doc you got a spelling error in there!  Well around here we spell until with one L.   

[Ron Wenrich]

Gives it an old-timey feel. 

[Magicman]

 
Cookies sawed from "aged" Walnut logs are very dark.

I have no idea how long "aged" is but this log was found in the woods and all of the sapwood had rotted off.  They have not edge split beyond what was there when sawn.

[doc henderson]

thanks DB.  i have time to fix that, but did not see it.  the hunters ed patch I did not like so redid it all in a hurry.  

[Southside]

@Poquo made me a beautiful sign for the farm using his laser set up, it's funny to listen to him tell the story of how they were looking at it as it came off the machine and noticed - ooops, too many "R's" in there.... :D

[doc henderson]

i did not mention his life as a barber, so may replace it with a barber pole in the middle.  I will have to sand it down.

[Poquo]

My buddy has the laser , got him to engrave the sign for Jim when I picked it up noticed he spelled forest with 2 R's. In his defense some local families last name is spelled "Forrest". :D

[doc henderson]

some Latin medical spellings I get, but the simple everyday words, get away from me.  I am also a conceptional learner, and a phonetic speller.  most words from Latin use a double r when followed by and h.  like hemorrhoid.  Those are my excuses, and I am sticking to them.  I hope I can always admit when I am wrong.  but I am right so much of the time I may not recognize it!   :D :D :D   My poor wife quoted me on the distance of lighting based on counting seconds till thunder.  someone corrected her and she even said, "my husband is never wrong" about these things.  and I was.   :-[  I guess she was bound to find out someday!    



 

please feel free to proof it for me.  Maybe I should start a proof-reading thread.      the memorial is not till the 3rd of June.  made a few other improvements and added the barber pole in the middle replacing the misspelled word.   ;)   spell check makes all less aware, I think.  

[FactorySeconds]

 
Cookies sawed from "aged" Walnut logs are very dark.

I have no idea how long "aged" is but this log was found in the woods and all of the sapwood had rotted off.  They have not edge split beyond what was there when sawn.

Those are some nice pieces! The cookies we got were very similar. It's certainly a different/unique hue to the colors! A few of our cookies were around 34" and shaped like the millennium falcon. The star wars fans in the makers area had a field day with them.

[Don P]

MM's were from a leaner and in the bottom 2 cookies I believe I'm seeing serious tension wood in those lighter patches on the fat, tension, side. In other words the grain in reaction wood is different and here it has a unique inner layer within the cell that regular straight tree wood doesn't have. A star wars shaped log sounds like something else going on in life along with the aging. Or I was wondering if they are just black(walnut) and blue(stained). I'm just throwing spaghetti at the wall. What doesn't fit the pattern. The cool thing with wood is, however many of us there are can do that for a lifetime and still be trying to figure it out. But if aging is working...

[Magicman]

 Those cookies came from that lower limb in front of the left front tire on this "very valuable Walnut log which explains the tension and off center pith that Don P was describing. 

There is no stain but there is a Tung Oil finish.  Forestry Forum members; Percy, Bandmill Bandit, and redbeard each have one of these cookies.