iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Question for you "Walnut cutin'Guys"

Started by Chuck White, March 03, 2011, 06:01:32 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Chuck White

I've got just a couple of Black Walnut trees to saw up for a customer in the Spring!

One of the trees is already cut down (2 months now), but not cut to log length and the other is still standing!

I've never sawn Walnut before, but I figure it would be a lot like Hickory or White Oak!

What would be the "ideal" blade to use to saw it on my LT40?  I'm thinking 1¼x.045x4° with lots of water going!
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

Ironwood

Dont really need alot of water, cut like cherry, only more beautiful ;D

Ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

red oaks lumber

the experts think i do things wrong
over 18 million b.f. processed and 7341 happy customers i disagree

sawwood

We cut lots of Walnut and use a 10deg blade. I like cutting Walnut as its easy pushing
the blade not like oak that is harder.

Sawwood
Norwood M4 manual mill, Solar Kiln, Woodmaster
18" planer/molder

nas

I cut lots of walnut, and it cuts much easier than W Oak or Hickory.  10° blades are fine.

Nick
Better to sit in silence and have everyone think me a fool, than to open my mouth and remove all doubt - Napoleon.

Indecision is the key to flexibility.
2002 WM LT40HDG25
stihl 066
Husky 365
1 wife
6 Kids

terrifictimbersllc

Agree, walnut is easy to cut, 10's are good, anything really wide use a 9.  Nothing like hickory or white oak.  Tends to have a lot of stringy bark debris, if you use a lot of water makes a mess around the rollers.  Keep the guide arm roller cleaned off.  Crud can wedge the roller to the blade and yank the guide arm over. 
DJ Hoover, Terrific Timbers LLC,  Mystic CT Woodmizer Million Board Foot Club member. 2019 LT70 Super Wide 55 Yanmar,  LogRite fetching arch, WM BMS250 sharpener/BMT250 setter.  2001 F350 7.3L PSD 6 spd manual ZF 4x4 Crew Cab Long Bed

Bibbyman

What they said plus it'll stain your hands like crazy.  When we sawed walnut day after day during the summer,  Mary would have a brown band around her ankles from the walnut dust soaking through her socks.

The sawdust causes problems for some people.  It will also kill out other plants.  So consider where you dispose of the sawdust – like, don't put it under your tomato plants in the garden.  Its bad for horse bedding also..  Something to do with foot fungus or something.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

paul case

Quote from: Chuck White on March 03, 2011, 06:01:32 PM
I've never sawn Walnut before, but I figure it would be a lot like Hickory or White Oak!

it is softer than hickory or w oak and it is also lighter. oh yeah, the sawdust is black instead of white. pc
life is too short to be too serious. (some idiot)
2013 LT40SHE25 and Riehl edger,  WM 94 LT40 hd E15. Cut my sawing ''teeth'' on an EZ Boardwalk
sawing oak.hickory,ERC,walnut and almost anything else that shows up.
Don't get phylosophical with me. you will loose me for sure.
pc

Bibbyman

Oh yea,   and another fun thing about walnut,  it's not brown on the inside!  When you saw reasonably fresh cut walnut, watch when you pull a slab or a board.   It will be more of an avocado green in color.  But only for a few seconds.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

5quarter

All of the above...plus it is relatively forgiving when drying. cut it straight, it usually stays that way. btw, thats alot of exclamation points...you're not yelling at us I hope! ;D
What is this leisure time of which you speak?
Blue Harbor Refinishing

carykong

I echo Bibbyman about walnut dust. Walnut sawdust is toxic.  If you do not have a remote operator station, wear a dust mask too.  Green walnut saws just as easy as pine. I sawed walnut logs that were three years on the ground with no rot.  The knots ,however, can be very hard on cured logs. Broke a blade on a walnut knot.  

Chuck White

Well, thanks for all the comments guys!

I guess I'm all set then, I have almost 2 full boxes of 10° blades.

I just thought walnut was really hard, but I guess NOT!

Thanks again.
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

pnyberg

I'm not sure, but the walnut sawdust may be toxic to plants as well.  You might want to advise the customer to be careful how he disposes of the sawdust.

--Peter
No longer milling

5quarter

I Saw mostly hardwoods and random widths and always edge as I go. I QC each board for wane, bark and defects and sort them on the log deck. Then I go back through them and edge everything to largest dimension I can (the exception being nice wide stock that begins to run out after 4 or 5'). I too hate edging, but a clean stack of lumber is a beautiful thing and well worth some extra time.

Chet
What is this leisure time of which you speak?
Blue Harbor Refinishing

5quarter

desregard above...posted in the wrong thread.  sorry.
What is this leisure time of which you speak?
Blue Harbor Refinishing

Chuck White

Quote from: pnyberg on March 04, 2011, 04:25:06 PM
I'm not sure, but the walnut sawdust may be toxic to plants as well.  You might want to advise the customer to be careful how he disposes of the sawdust.

--Peter

Good idea Peter.  I will make sure he's aware of the potential problems with the sawdust!

Thanks for your response!

Chuck
~Chuck~  Cooks Cat Claw sharpener and single tooth setter.  2018 Chevy Silverado and 2021 Subaru Ascent.
With basic mechanical skills and the ability to read you can maintain a Woodmizer  LT40!

tyb525

Green walnut saws fine - standing dead is another story. It seems like blades last half as long on an old dry walnut log.

I've noticed a lot of tension in green walnut, compared to other woods.
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

Bibbyman

The soft and deep walnut bark pick up every little rock and grit.  For some reason, people like to nail stuff to walnut more than any other tree.



Wood-Mizer LT40HDE25 Super 25hp 3ph with Command Control and Accuset.
Sawing since '94

tyb525

Any idea what causes color variation in walnut? Once dry, some are purple brown, red brown, or gray-purple. Is it soil, location, or a combination of everything?
LT10G10, Stihl 038 Magnum, many woodworking tools. Currently a farm service applicator, trying to find time to saw!

beenthere

south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Thank You Sponsors!