Walnut Fever??

[james04]

Did I succumbed to walnut fever? I recently decided to start searching Craig's list for Walnut lumber. Within a few days I found a listing for a walnut log. I wound up paying $350 for it. I was thinking I could recover my money and have some walnut for projects. But once the log was cut in half for loading. I saw nothing but sapwood! Did I act the fool? I will try and post as many photos as I can.

The log was on the ground for 8 months and there is some checking on the fat end. But also on the fresh cut small end of the butt log.

First image is of a tall cookie from the stump. Next is the fat end. Then the small end and an overall shot. It is 11'6".
26" between the bark on the fat end with about 23" of hart wood. pith is about an inch off center.
Small end is 21" between the bark with a 17"x16" area of hart wood. pith about 2" off center. Notice the black/blue stain on the small end. Follow the thread and you will see why.

The tape measure in all photos has 12" of tape out for size reference.

James

 

    

  

 

[Magicman]

I have some more if you want them.   

[hackberry jake]

 What does walnut go for in your neck of the woods. If you take it to a kiln they can make it all (look like) heartwood.

[captain_crunch]

Out on West Coast people belive they are gold but most all the walnut around here is yard tree that has been used for last 70 years to store hardware in

[james04]

Here is the next section. 10'-6" length. 21.5 on the wide end. with a 16" heartwood. Small end 20" with 14.5" heartwood. Notice the stain again.


 

  

  

  

 

[james04]

Where is the stain from? I hope it is just this clothesline hardware and does not go up or down too far. But who knows??

 

 

This crotch is 30" wide where the split starts. Hopefully I can get something out of that.

 

 

[james04]

What does walnut go for in your neck of the woods. If you take it to a kiln they can make it all (look like) heartwood.

Up to $6.50 BF for kiln dried. 4/4 fas
http://www.parkervillewoodproducts.com/domestic-hardwoods.html

I don't think I will be dumping any more money in to this. I have a small kiln that I can use to dry it. I don't mind some sap wood. But this is a bit much considering how much I paid. The log wasn't cut in half till after we made our deal. If you look at the wide end it looked like there was going to be very little sap. What do I know. This is the first walnut I have ever laid my eyes on. There are hard to come by here in CT.

Here is the CL ad.
http://newlondon.craigslist.org/for/2792939998.html

James

[cypresskayaksllc]

you never know what you bought til you cut it open.

[beenthere]

Saw it up and see what you get. Won't be the first lesson learned about log buying and it will for certain not be the last for someone else. But rest assured, either you or the seller will be happy in the end. Hopefully you. Don't be discouraged.

[Ironwood]

Yes, you are feverish. But, you need to "enter" at some point to begin your education.

 I gave $350 for this walnut tree. It was outstanding. AND fresh (important). First log on arch is 24', and about 34"+. I also got it "my way", cut where I wanted with limbs left with 2-3' at crotches. And I got all of the millable pieces. The guy was VERY sharp, called all around and when he realized no one really wanted it, my offer was seemingly generous (it was, I could have paid less, but I made a GREAT referral for the next guy thinking his tree is worth BIG$), I can give out his number to potential "customers" who want to sell me their yard trees.

 He now visits "his" tree in Brooklyn at a resturant, the tree made ALL the furniture in the resturant (smallish), but cool.


 Ironwood

  

  

  

  

 

  

  

 

[eastberkshirecustoms]

It almost looks like they put stain on the end to hide the sapwood?

[Ironwood]

Just from sitting, usually on the "down" side (contacting the ground) or where air can get to the sapwood at a bark scuff. Not that uncommon. Perhaps someone pulling a fast one, but maybe not.


 Ironwood

[james04]

Ironwood,

Those are some really nice boards. Hay! I thought yard trees are supposed to be full of sapwood and iron? hows a fella supposed to know what he's getting into.

Eastb,

If you look at the very first photo. That is a fresh cut from the matting end of that butt. It is from exposure to the air.

I will tell you. That the two guys who sold it to me knew that it was a carp log. One of them was a logger. So why sit on a good log for eight months? I'm not bitter. Like someone has already said. It is a lesson learned. I just hope something good will come out of it. I am hopping the coating of snow we currently have melts off before more comes. I need to get the logs down a hill to my mill.

[Kansas]

I once gave 400 for a log that showed up. I looked at it and something didn't feel right. It had been cut down awhile, I didn't know the guy. What I should have done was cut off a thin cookie off the end of the log. It was full of metal. There was some mud and such smeared on the end. Lesson learned.

[Magicman]

Just because you can load it on the sawmill doesn't mean that it can be sawed.
 

 
The blue stains on the butt tell the story.  The sawblade verified it.   

[MotorSeven]

Jame, look at it a different way. That sapwood is going to contrast really well with the heartwood making some very interesting boards if you cut them right. Someone will want them if you "market" them right...think about it.

[snowshoveler]

I had a real nice 18 foot stick of pine 26 inches at the small end that I felt a bit nervous about.
After I sawed it up I had just about a 5 gallon bucket full of hardware.
Log was free and I only lost a chain in the deal which I got around 600 feet of nice lomber out of. Would have been over 900 without the hardware. Thats just how much was ruined to get rid of the metal.
  Chris

[moeh1]

I sawed my nephew's yard tree walnut for molding.  The sap I had to use in a few spots did blend rather well after a little minwax walnut stain...In a  few spots I left it as "character"

[WDH]

You should be able to get $350 worth of usable wood from that tree. 

[nas]

Sometimes the metal adds character   I built this coffee table from a 6'x20" slab I had laying around for a couple of years after I cut it.  I had a 30" log whittled down to a 20" cant and I hit a piece of chain.  After digging out 2 links I lowered the saw 6" and cut again and didn't hit anything.  The rest of the log was good.  My wife says she could easily get $400-$500 for it if she was to sell it.

Here is the inside of one leg where I tried to dig out the chain.

Nick

[WDH]

Not many coffee tables that I know have a chain inside them  .

[james04]

You should be able to get $350 worth of usable wood from that tree.

No doubt. But I told the wife I would get our $$ back and then have walnut to use. Not pay $350 for a walnut stash.

I am sure once I get to saw this up. I will forget all about the $$. I love opening logs and seeing whats inside.

James

[WDH]

You should be able to sell enough to get your investment back and have a good bit left over. 

[POSTONLT40HD]

Put this bench on the FORUM AUCTION and give FREE SHIPPING! 

[james04]

Put this bench on the FORUM AUCTION and give FREE SHIPPING! 

Darn it. I am still not getting email notifications. I think I will PM the admin.

Poston,

Bench? I don't get it. 

James

[james04]

You should be able to sell enough to get your investment back and have a good bit left over.

If it ever stops raining and freezes up. I may be able to use my tractor some day and get this puppy milled. But then we will get a foot and a half of snow that will stay till spring.

James

[james04]

Here is another one from CL. Is this one the exception?? Will these people get there tree cut down for free. Anyone on the list who does tree work is welcome to this. But please make a post and share with us.

http://hartford.craigslist.org/grd/2819214709.html

Hi James,
 
Here are your answers:
 
How big is this tree? - approximately 75-100ft
Do you have a photo? - nope, but we can take a picture of it if you would like us to, let me know
Are there obstructions? - no, except there is a new septic system to the right of the tree
If you stand at the tree can you hug it and touch your hands? my husband is 6'3" and CAN NOT get his arms around the tree. Also there is about 18ft of tree before the first LARGE branch.
 
Hope this helpfs
Rachel

[Okrafarmer]

I would not have paid that much for it unless I saw it either freshly cut, or better yet, standing before being cut. I bought two trees around that size for $100 apiece the other day and they should be cut down next week. One is about 20" ABH with about a 12 ft clear log and some salvageable leaders, and the other is about 17" ABH with about a 20' clear log and a few salvageables.

I found out I can cut through 16 penny nails with the bandmill and keep on going to finish the log. Did it once, anyway. 3 nails in one walnut log-- I finished the entire log before changing the blade. The lumber was a little wavy toward the end, but I knew I was going to discount it for the nails, and so on anyway.  Walnut is worth enough to risk a few nails, especially for a bandmill. I won't risk it for any other kind of wood, at this point, except maybe ambrosia maple.