Black walnut, lumber or firewood?

twomules · September 05, 2011, 02:08:14 PM

Hello,

The electric utility moved some lines and had to cut about eight black walnuts and an enormous box elder. They sat where they fell for about 4 months because they were hard for me to get to. Now I have five logs in my pasture and another three that'll be a real pain to recover. There don't seem to be any insects or fungus to speak of but a couple have cracked. The two gnarley logs in the photos are the worst. Of course the remaining three are the best! Shortest log in the photo is about six feet long. Am I wasting my time taking these to the saw mill? Should I turn them into firewood?

Weekend_Sawyer · September 05, 2011, 02:37:31 PM

I bet they give some beautiful wood especally the crotch.

Jon

scott127 · September 05, 2011, 09:43:37 PM

turn them into boards!!!

metalspinner · September 06, 2011, 08:18:44 AM

I've cut smaller ones than those into boards. :D

Those look like typical walnut logs to me, so I would not hesitate to mill them.

QuoteAm I wasting my time taking these to the saw mill?

Are you a woodworker? Or do you know a woodworker? Wasting time is a relative thing and depends on what you are expecting to get out of your logs. If you want big money, then yes you will probably be wasting your time. If you want some nice walnut boards for sawing costs only to build a nice peice of furniture, then you will be $$ ahead. It just depends on on your expectations.

The boxelder you mentioned has my curiosity peaked. That might have the prettiest boards in it. Let's see some pics of it.

twomules · September 06, 2011, 10:53:24 AM

I'm not a wood worker. I do know some woodworkers. Mostly I just hate to see what could be beautiful wood burned in the furnace when there's no need for it. If I break even I'll be happy. I enjoy the work.

I'll try to get a photo of the box elder. The weeds are so thick... Earlier in the year I'd already started cutting it up but there are still some logs left. While I was cutting it I was thinking it's pretty wood for such a reviled tree.

WDH · September 06, 2011, 10:37:01 PM

Quote from: twomules on September 06, 2011, 10:53:24 AM
I'll try to get a photo of the box elder. The weeds are so thick...

Spalted!!!

DRB · September 07, 2011, 12:56:05 AM

I would saw them but they do have a lot of sapwood and they do not look real big, but the pictures may deceive when it come to size, so the yield of good walnut will be low. Boxelder can be really nice esp if it has red stain in it. Try to saw it as well.

Ianab · September 07, 2011, 03:18:46 AM

With small logs like that you are gong to get a lot of sapwood, and most boards will have a mix of light sap and darker heart.

This isn't a huge problem, the boards can still be used, but make a very distinctive visual effect in whatever you have built. Some people like it, some don't. Commercial walnut would be steamed to even out the colours. Air dried leaves the heartwood more coloured, and the sap wood still pale.

So talk to your woodworkers, the potential client, and see if they want that sort of wood, at a suitably cheap price. Walnut is easy enough to air dry, so they could even collect it green off the saw and take it home to air dry.

Small logs can also make good turning blanks where the contrast between sap and heart makes the bowl, or whatever, more interesting, so that's another potential use for them.

Ian

WDH · September 07, 2011, 07:38:19 AM

I would highlight the sap in those smaller logs rather than try to saw it off or hide it by sawing the logs "through and through" by live sawing. When offered for sale, the boards can be bookmatched.

twomules · October 06, 2011, 07:50:23 PM

Thanks everyone for the advice. I hauled the logs to the mill this week. I'll post some pics of the lumber. Might be a while... it's corn harvesting time.

SwampDonkey · October 07, 2011, 05:06:29 AM

I'd use them if I had a mill. I can make a lot of stuff from short boards. Even a yellow birch or butternut is gold if it's 10" or bigger. Since I don't sell lumber or sawing services I have a different perspective. Just interested in wood, not time. ;D

WDH · October 07, 2011, 08:09:16 PM

Yes, you even mess around with moosewood.

SwampDonkey · October 07, 2011, 08:12:47 PM

:D

Hey, I had a friend that made some stuff from staghorn sumac. Now that's a challenge, just to find one bigger than a broom handle. :D

Pin cherry makes nice boards to. ;)

Just weeds they say, weeds. :