Two part question

[Moulder]

1.Can someone out there give me an idea of what I should pay for black walnut. A guy has a tree which was cut down 2 weeks ago, the butt end is about 17" seperates into 2 trunks with the larger trunk tapering to about 14" [this trunk is approx 25ft in length] the 2nd trunk drops to about 12" over about 15ft.I'm clueless.
2. I'm suppose to cut approx 20 cherry logs anywhere from 12" to 17" in dia. The guy wants me to quartersaw them. I understand the principle of quartersawing, have never done it but figure I can. What I'm wondering is, is there a benefit to doing this with cherry and what problems can I expect?I have read that many of you out there say that there can be problems with cutting and drying of this wood. Thanks Randy
Hollar if ya here me

[ohsoloco]

Can't help you with the black walnut pricing  :-/

As far as quartersawing the cherry...it sounds like the logs are too small to bother QS-ing.  Flat sawn would yield much more lumber, and flat sawn cherry is very nice.  BUT, I also love the look of true quartersawn cherry...it has rays much like sycamore.  Cherry, however, doesn't seem very forgiving when showing its rays....the growth rings have to be REALLY DanG close to 90 degrees to the face of the board to show this figure.

[Jeff]

I think hes wasting the chewrry to quarter say it. Plane sawing is the way to see the grain in cherry, or for that matter red oak. Unless there are some spectacular rays that you don't find in our cherry, the wood will be rather bland to look at.

[ohsoloco]

I need to start taking some more pictures.  The rays that show up on my black cherry are sweet  ;D  I've never actually QS-ed cherry (a waste of nice grain, I think), but on the edges of some of my boards the rays really stand out.  This was my first batch of lumber cut on the mill, and I sawed the cherry through and through  :(    So the boards that contain the pith (and therefore split down the middle and cupped really bad) get ripped into rails and stiles.  It looks really nice on the doors of the hutch I'm currently working on  

[solidwoods]

The Walnut would have to be seen to price. The tree may have been of more value if left whole with the stump, and then you could pick the cut spot and mill the stump also.  

Since the Cherry is on the small side, and customer want's qtr sawn, suggest cutting "through & through". Sawing the log from top to bottom will produce a significant quantity of qtr sawn

JIM

[ARKANSAWYER]

OK,  If you have a log 25 ft long and 14" dia and pretty clear = guestament of 150 bdft.  If you have a log 15ft long and 12" dia = guestament of 60 bdft.  Thats about 210 bdft and if it was pretty clean I would pay $0.50 bdft or $105.  If you can get the stump and the crotch where they split it may produce more and better stock. ???  It is hard to do this with out seeing the logs.
  I would only flat saw the cherry as it is really small and you would lose 30% of the log.  I generaly do not Qsaw any thing less then 16 inches on the small end.  But if it is what the customer wants then that is what I would do.  You could just knock off the slabs and flat saw to the deck that way you would have both flat and Qsawn with little waste like Jim said.
 Hopes this helps Randy.
ARKANSAWYER

[Fla._Deadheader]

Arky, regarding the Cherry. Why would you not q'saw by your method; remove 2 or 3 boards from the center and then clamp the 2 halves together and saw to the bunks??? This would leave 1 X 4 and 1 X 6, edged on 1 side. Of course, that is for the larger of the bunch???
  We are trying to get the majority of true vertical out of the "Sinkers". I think it will fetch more $$.

[Moulder]

Arkansawyer and all the rest thanks for your input well see what happens with quartersawing the cherry. Arkansawyer it helps to ha ve that baseline to build from otherwise I would still be guessing. Randy

[ARKANSAWYER]

Fla.Dead.
  You could saw them that way but a 1x4 cherry board will crook and by the time it is straight lined may end up as a 1x3.  I get better boards if they are flat sawed or if the middle boards contain the pith to keep the bending down when it dries.   But if the guy wants it sawed that way I would saw it that way.  I just like my cherry flat.
ARKANSAWYER