Free black walnut.

[Cguignard]

 

  I have a buddy that has a good size black walnut that he will let me have if I help him take it down.  It is making a mess on his card and denting there roofs.  Going to go and look at it today and bringing a metal detector.  But I have never sawed walnut before, sawed a fair amount of pine and hemlock and a few oaks on my norwood mark 3, I have been using lenox c sharp blades .042 at 10 degree. Should I continue to use these in the walnut and oak or is there something better?  Thanks, and of course pictures will follow! These are a few pictures of some large pine I did on that little mill.


 

[Magicman]

Yup, we will look forward to watching you saw it.  You look cold wherever you are.   ;D

[Cguignard]

I sawed out this pine last January and learned a lot. But the members of the forum have been a great source of information for me.

[WDH]

I have cut a lot of walnut on .042 10 degree blades.  They will work just fine. 

[Solomon]

Try to stay up wind so you are not breathing the saw dust.  Walnut is not real healthy for you.

[Cguignard]

Went to look at the tree and it is close to two houses and a garage, told my buddy that if he wants to cut it we will need a bucket truck and to have the power company cover a set of lines.  But it looks doable from a truck only small branches that we can cut in sections then once the branches are off cut the trunk and get to sawing, lot of work, but for me black walnut in not a very common wood.  Thanks for the warning about the walnut dust i think I will get some dust masks, I have allergies and asthma.

 

[beenthere]

Somehow that tree in the pic doesn't look like a black walnut. Did you see walnuts on it or under it?

The leaves don't look like walnut either, but may have blown in from another tree.... 

Where are you located?

[jmouton]

I  am not the most knowledgeable person in the world but I agree with  beenthere  it does not look like black walnut at all  ,  just sayin  ,, 



                                                                                                       jim

[WDH]

The tree is opposite branched.  It is most likely ash. 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I see one broken limb pointing down toward the white car.  : Better call GEICO.

[5quarter]

It is definitely not a walnut, but we can't discount the nuts hitting the house and the car. Not an Ash either. WDH...what other tree is opposite branched and drops nuts? has the silhouette of a silver maple but the leaf color is not right. Maybe the OP can get some pics of the twigs, leaves and bark?

[hunz]

Its not looking like a black walnut to me either, the bark is too smooth and not near dark enough

[okmulch]

Looks like a maple to me. Maples are also opposites.

[kensfarm]

Smooth bark hickory? 

[Cguignard]

To be honest I am calling it a walnut because that is what my buddy has told me.  I have not seen any nuts and the leaves look a little to wide to be walnut.  The tree is in Maine and walnut is not to common.  Could this tree be some type of chestnut? I will try to go and get a picture of a leaf. Going off what my buddy said it is producing nuts about the size of a walnut, the husks were smooth and the leaf is not a maple, and the bark is very hard.  thanks again

[WDH]

If sure looked opposite branched, but maybe it is not.  There are no nut trees that are opposite branched.  So, if it is not opposite branched, sounds like it could be a hickory. 

[Weekend_Sawyer]

Fire up the BBQ, that's a lot o smokin wood!  8)

[Magicman]

It's gotta be "very valuable".   :D

Personally even if it was Walnut, I do not see anything really worth sawing.   :-\

[5quarter]

If you're helping a friend, then I suppose the type of tree doesn't matter too much. But if you'll be working for saw logs, Then I think its a win/lose situation...he wins, you lose. If its a hickory, there are better trees out there that will make much better lumber, though I hasten to add that I have made great lumber from worse trees.  ;)

[JohnM]

The tree is in Maine and walnut is not to common.

:D :D I guessed you were in Maine just by the garage! ;D  It's so Maine.  Course I didn't call before you said it so it doesn't count. :(  Where abouts in Maine?  I can't really help with the id, looks like red maple to me but that doesn't explain the nuts. ???  If your a woodworker and it's free* there may be something worth sawing up in the butt.  I'm guessing there is a bunch of metal in that thing though!  Excellent firewood though!!

*renting bucket truck ain't exactly free

You can keep the two cents. :

[thecfarm]

Every Mainer should have this book.
http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mfs/publications/handbooks_guides/forest_trees/index.html

I think $15.
It helps help on the latin names. Saying it's a white pine tree is diffeant here than 500 miles away.

[Cguignard]

I am in Lewiston, I have been a hobby woodworker for years, I got the sawing bug when I helped clear a lot for my families camp lot, we had red oak the we brought to be sawed and used it all in the camp.  The pictures of me sawing pine are from last winter I was sawing them to use in a new house I am having built, I am planing to make pine t&g and trim.  And I know it is not a great money making thing, but to have some different wood on hand for project, would be kind of neat.  I know there will be metal in one of the buts, ran a metal detector over it and one spot hit,  but I have a blade that I have hit nails with so I think I'll open her up with that.  And we have all helped buddies for less, At least he is willing to do it right and rent a bucket truck and having the power company wrap the lines. Thank everyone for all the input you guys are great!

[thecfarm]

I'm heading that way in a few minutes. Wife has a Dr appointment.

[dboyt]

You didn't mention whether your are bonded and insured for tree service work, or what your level of experience in a bucket truck is.  Personally, I would tell a buddy that I'd be doing him a favor to NOT cut that tree.  It could wind up being way more expensive than hiring a tree service.  Once it is on the ground, you can determine whether there is anything you can use.  Norwood makes a tough little mill, and they still support the older sawmills.  I've been running one for a couple of years, and been very pleased.  Good luck, and let us know how it turns out.

[boxygen]

I bet that is butternut. There are not many of them around but you do see them once and a while. Black Walnut is not native. It would have had to be planted there, also highly unlikely. The only black walnut tree that I ever saw in Maine was one that my dad planted in the backyard, that he brought back from my grandfathers house in Ohio. Butternut looks like that and does drop butternuts that look like walnuts. Butternut is a pretty wood though if you can get your hands on it.

[Cguignard]

Got it done, cut it all down made a dump run with the brush.  Turned out to be black walnut 8).  But logs are quite heavy drug them out of the drive way with my one ton and will have to wait for my buddys farther to come over with his Kobota to load on to a trailer 8) and take it to my mill.  In the past I have used a few small hardwoods poles as ramps to load on to my trailer, but I think these hard woods will squish my trailer. 
We ended up getting a bucket truck and what I thought was going to be a 2 to 3 hr job turned in to an all day job, lot of cutting branches small and lowering them to the ground. My thought for doing this work was to have as few uncontrolled drops as possible. All in all everything went great, pulling brush er broke a light bulb on the outdoor flood light.  Looking forward to getting it to the mill and sawing it up, 

 
we are cutting one of the last branches that we had been using to lower other branches. I am in the bucket.

[Magicman]

Sounds like a safe, successful, but expensive take down.  Now lets make some lumber.   8)

[thecfarm]

How much was the bucket truck? Probably from that place on Center street,Auburn. Jim's? Been by it 1000's of times. Good job. I may have an old maple tree that may need some help,power lines.

[Cguignard]

That's the place we got it from, I think my buddy paid 165$ for the day rent plus .30$ a mile, plus diesel. 

[thecfarm]

That's alot cheaper than having someone else do it.

[Cguignard]

Yeah, he rented the truck and I cut it for him, I am on vacation this week and I shot my deer last Saturday, so my schedule for the week opened up.

[JohnM]

Turned out to be black walnut 8).

Shows what we know don't it! : ;D :D  (Who was the fool that said red maple? : :-[)  Congrats on the rare walnut and the deer!  Make sure to show us what you make out of the walnut.

[Cguignard]

I can't call anyone a fool, I have been wrong more than once, but it has been a good week, except for derailing my mill this morning  :'( and I wasn't even sawing.

[beenthere]

Will you share with us the clue that it was walnut? Interested to learn what it was... a pic or two would be good too.

[Cguignard]

Well I wish I could tell you that I am an expert on tree identification but my buddies farther told him what it was, and I just followed a long.  Never seeing a walnut in Maine I was thinking that it might be a chestnut, but the bark looked too dark, As soon as I cut one branch and saw the white sap wood and dark brown heart,  8) Walnut!

[thecfarm]

I derailed mine a couple times. I have a manual mill too. My hold down for the logs has a flat handle about 6 inches long. When pushing if the ones I am not using are in the way,the wheels will move it out of the way. But on the way back is when things go wrong.  :  And by the time I see what is about to happen I cannot stop the derailment in time.

[Cguignard]

When I am pulling back is when I have derailed the most piece of bark or build up sawdust what a pain, But best I can tell is the wind blew the carriage down the track and it bounced off the rails when it hit the stops, I went to push it back to get something from under it and it tipped. 

[thecfarm]

I have transport brackets on mine. I only put one on,on one side only. Mine are just 2 pieces of ½ inch flat stock with 2 big 8 inch bolts. I only put the bolts through,and just about put the nuts on so they don't fall off. The wind has never moved in the 8 years that I have had it.And I have sawed on windy days and the head will start to move by the wind.

[5quarter]

Cguignard...Don't take offense, but I'm still a doubting Thomas with regard to the tree being walnut. Fresh cut walnut is olive drab in color. And in your pic, what little can be seen of the end cuts looks like too much sapwood and one of the larger branches is showing a reddish brown heart. Walnut also has an acrid, distinct smell when being cut and the crotches are mostly "U" shaped. in your original pic, most of the crotch areas are "V" shaped.  I just don't see any clues that indicate walnut. I sincerely hope I'm wrong, as it sure would be nice to add some walnut to your stash. I second the motion for some pics of the logs and log ends. Boxygen had an interesting suggestion that it might be butternut. I couldn't ID a butternut tree if someone hit me over the head with it, but I've seen the lumber and it is some awful nice stuff.                           

[WDH]

A close up pic of the end grain would be nice.  Looks pretty sappy to be walnut  .  Still looks opposite branched. 

Nice job!

[RynSmith]

There are no nut trees that are opposite branched.

So, you're saying horse chestnuts aren't really nuts?  I sense a defamation suit!     :D

[thecfarm]

That tree looks like some I have on my land. One picture of the end of the log will solve. I have some maple that is dark in the center too.

[Cguignard]

Good afternoon, just got home from helping my buddy make the last dump run of brush, he took a bunch of pictures of the logs, fresh cut of the stump, nuts and leaves, when he e-mails them to me I will post.  I hope it turns out to be walnut, the nuts looks like walnuts but darker.  It would be great to have some stuck over the barn. When we cut that tree the sap was running like crazy, I wish my sugar bush ran like that.  But that is for another post. 

[thecfarm]

I have a few butternuts on my land. Here's a link for the nuts of walnuts and butter nut.

They are on page 4.

http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-420-W.pdf

From what I can see walnuts look kinda round and butternut look more oval.

[Cguignard]

These nuts are more oval and the leaves have a quite long stem on them. The nuts have a skin covering them and a deep ridged shell and looks like it has two kernels inside, looking at the half shell I have.

[OH Boy]

There are no nut trees that are opposite branched.

So, you're saying horse chestnuts aren't really nuts?  I sense a defamation suit!     :D

are Buckeye  considered nuts also? because Buckeye is opposite branched. thats what they taught us in school, MADBuck, Maple, Ash, Dogwood, Buckeye. -opposite. everything else, Walnut, elm, all others, - Alternate.
Just from the distant pictures on this I'm with the Red Maple crowd. Are the nuts here actually being taken from the tree? or from the ground around.
A leaf picture would be great, if it has one still attached somewhere.

[LoneDuck]

My black walnut are almost round and have a very thick skin on them. Trust me on knowing how black walnuts look. I have around 20 of the @#$@#$ in my yard. What a mess they make.

[Cguignard]

OK here are the pictures, if it turns out to be butternut 8) or walnut 8). I will saw it, use it, and love it just the same. I just hope it is healthy :D.  What do you think?  ???


  

  

  

  

  

 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

WOW....the shape of the butt log would make some nice cookies.

[beenthere]

Nut looks like it is butternut.  Thanks for the pics.  8)

I just hope it is healthy :D.  What do you think?

Not too healthy, as it is cut off at the ground now...   ;D

[NH4000]

OK here are the pictures, if it turns out to be butternut 8) or walnut 8). I will saw it, use it, and love it just the same. I just hope it is healthy :D.  What do you think?  ???


   

 

Pretty sure those are not black walnuts, but can't identify what they ARE.

The wood looks really nice, though.

[thecfarm]

I'm not a betting man.but I bet that is butternut,for sure. I have some nuts just like them in the garage,somewheres.I went out to find them,but could not find them. Did you go to that link I posted,page 4? That shows the nuts of both real good.
swampdonkey would agree too.  :(
I have a good size one down by the mailbox and 2 other small ones. There was one that died and than to get a better view of the field I cut one down. My father would always pick up a few nuts when I was growing up. Does not seem to be as many nuts as there use to be.
The long stems give it away too.

[mikeb1079]

sure looks like black walnut to me, including the sap and the funky outer ring.  i've seen that before

[Ianab]

There is also 20 other species of Walnut other than Black Walnut. As it's a garden tree, and not native to the area it could be an import, from any place in the world? The tree shape doesn't look like the Chinese Walnut that grows wild here, but the nuts, leaves and wood look similar.

While you don't have any really great "sawlogs" there, you will be able to get some interesting and useful wood out of it, even if the exact species remains a bit of a mystery. You don't need 16 ft logs to make a 3 ft long table  ;)

Ian

[Cguignard]

There is also 20 other species of Walnut other than Black Walnut. As it's a garden tree, and not native to the area it could be an import, from any place in the world? The tree shape doesn't look like the Chinese Walnut that grows wild here, but the nuts, leaves and wood look similar.

While you don't have any really great "sawlogs" there, you will be able to get some interesting and useful wood out of it, even if the exact species remains a bit of a mystery. You don't need 16 ft logs to make a 3 ft long table  ;)

Ian

That is why I am going to saw it is to have a different wood in inventory, for a someday project. My wife thinks that it would make a great kitchen island with maple kitchen we are designing.

[5quarter]

I'm with theCfarm...butternut.

[LoneDuck]

Butternut.

[SW_IOWA_SAWYER]

I have cut a fair amount of walnut and quite a few butternut logs. I am pretty sure it isn't Butternut and looks like some type of walnut. It may not be the walnut we have in Iowa but it is really really close.
Butternut Logs some have lost most of their bark


  
Butternut Lumber look how light colored it is compared to the stump of the walnut in question


 
Compared to Iowa walnut


 
Just my .02 worth after cutting both :D

[WDH]

There are no nut trees that are opposite branched.

So, you're saying horse chestnuts aren't really nuts?  I sense a defamation suit!     :D

Technically, the fruit of horse chestnut is a capsule, not a nut  .  Hold off on the defamation suit  ;D.

[5quarter]

Iowa Sawyer...I'm just across the river from you. your walnut looks like mine. I would agree with your assessment except the nuts pictured are butternuts. maybe the tree in question is a natural hybrid, like Bastogne walnut. I would not be surprised.
Cguignard...Scoop up as many nuts as you can and plant them!

[Cguignard]

I am thinking of planting the one nut that I have, my buddie has a sapling about 8-10 feet tall, from this tree growing in a flower bed by his house he wanted me to cut but I talked him out of in and told him I would come and dig it up in the spring.  He said it was mine as long as the leaves didn't come out.  Score x2  8)

[RynSmith]

There are no nut trees that are opposite branched.

So, you're saying horse chestnuts aren't really nuts?  I sense a defamation suit!     :D

Technically, the fruit of horse chestnut is a capsule, not a nut  .  Hold off on the defamation suit  ;D.

I just knew I was going to regret challenging you!

[WDH]

It may be a capsule, but it looks like a nut  ;D.

[Cguignard]

I know that this post in heavy on tree identification, and maybe in the wrong forum, but I promise that I will get to sawing soon. We are going to hall the logs to my mill on Friday, who would want to go shopping on black Friday anyways ???.  Unless bailey's online is having a sale.  I am looking forward to opening up the logs and getting a few boards out of it. You guys have been a great source of knowledge as always. Thanks

[dboyt]

I am thinking of planting the one nut that I have, my buddie has a sapling about 8-10 feet tall, from this tree growing in a flower bed by his house he wanted me to cut but I talked him out of in and told him I would come and dig it up in the spring.  He said it was mine as long as the leaves didn't come out.  Score x2  8)

Good for you!  There is an saying "A young man plants turnips, and old man plants trees".  It is good to see a young man (well compared to a lot of us) looking far enough to the future to plant trees.  By the way, a good, sharp close-up of the buds on a twig will probably answer the question about the tree species in question.  If you do that try to include some lateral buds and the terminal bud.

[Brad_bb]

The OP didn't mill this wood yet?  As always looking for pictures.

[Sawdust Lover]

Im going to say it's English Walnut. Just my thought after sawing one last week.