need some adviced on walnut

[yukon cornelius]

long story I guess but here goes. I cut a coupe wanut trees, one over a year ago and the other early last summer before I even thought id have a mill or knew anything about the process. I didn't seal the ends. im going to cut them up as soon as the weather breaks so now ive gotta get advice. should I buck them off and then seal them or just cut off the bad after drying.

I built my saw shed 12'x24' with cedar post like a loafing shed and put a metal roof on it. I don't have any sides on it yet and don't know when I might get to it either. it keeps out rain other than blowing rain and snow always blows in. in the back of the shed, I have a metal rack similar to a lumber yards with shorter racks (only about 2') there are only 3 post for the racks that are 6' apart. so a total of 12' long. so far I have cut my lumber, set it right off on the rack and then used it within a few days.

the walnut I want to let it air dry on the rack but im worried about it drooping between the 6' bunks on the rack. im considering taking 2 long 4x6s I have left from my shop build and placing 2x4s between them on the rack every couple feet and stacking the walnut on them and stickering them. then they can dry out there for a year or so.

any advice or better ideas?   

[dboyt]

Yukon, yes, you need more support for the walnut.  The rule of thumb is no more than 20" apart for 1" thick boards.  The other concern is air circulation.  It needs to be away from the walls, and if it is in a closed-in shed, you might want to put fans on it.  If it were my wood, I would wait to trim the boards until they are air dry.  Walnut is pretty forgiving wood, and puts up with a lot of abuse.

[yukon cornelius]

thanks! with no walls on the shed (just post) it should be fine then. not too much sun would hit it if its on the top rack but what about the sun bleaching it? is that a concern?

[Magicman]

Protect the drying lumber from the sun.  Metal roofing above and on the side should do the trick as long as it does not impede air circulation.

I would not be concerned about the ends.

[Tom the Sawyer]

Yukon,

The problem with direct sun is not bleaching but rather that the part of each board that is in direct sunlight, or direct moisture for that matter, will dry at a different rate than the rest of the board and cause splitting, crook or other stress in your boards.   :'(

[yukon cornelius]

ok that makes sense. now for the sawing question. quarter or flat saw it? I have no idea what im going to do with it. probably make some furniture. maybe sell it. im sure it needs to be cut full dimension to be planed down to desired thickness. one log is 18- 20 inches at the base. it is really straight and no knots. first limb was at about 16 feet or so. total length 24 feet. second log is 14 feet long 16 inches at base, really straight, no limbs but maybe lightning strike a long time ago. I thought the center would be junk but seems to be solid. there is a gap n the bark all the way up. I will cut it and see if  can salvage any. both trees were alive and thriving.

[Tom the Sawyer]

Unless you have a specific need for quartersawn stock because of a design element in your project, walnut will look much better flatsawn, it highlights the grain patterns for which walnut is treasured.

[yukon cornelius]

thanks tom! I was thinking it was the other way. I have no specific plans other than my 3 step plan. step 1 buy a sawmill, step 2 ???????, step 3 profit. ;D I have felt that was a pretty good plan!

[Magicman]

Tom is spot on.  Flat saw it.

[Tom the Sawyer]

Yukon,

Pre-Step 1.  If you haven't done so already, visit someone with a mill in the class that you are looking at.  Watching, asking questions, helping are all valuable ways to get comfortable, and confident, in what you are considering.  Even if you have had someone mill for you in the past, visiting as a prospective mill owner is different.  :P

In my experience, most (but not all) sawyers are friendly and helpful people - eager to share.  You can search the member map (most members aren't on it and many are out of date), use the Find-A-Database function on the Forum or sawmill search pages, or just post a general request.  Its worth a couple of hours drive time for the valuable experience you will gain. 

If you are considering a small, manual mill beware of visiting someone with a big, diesel, fully-hydraulic mill.  You'll still learn something but it may leave you with unrealistic expectations.   

[yukon cornelius]

actually I never had any intensions of doing any other milling other than my own. I bought an ez boardwalk jr in September and logged and milled the lumber off our property and built our house, minus the siding, and got us in here just before Christmas. we built with green oak, cedar and hickory using information I found on here. I still have flooring for upstairs, wood for wall coverings, siding and counter to to mill and build. it will come with time when I get to it. I just have a few logs I want to mill with the best possible results. there has been a learning curve but I always find all I need to know in here. we have been trying our hands at some furniture and other projects from materials on our property to try and create a little cash flow. our primary income has all but stopped for now and im feeling a little worried and desperate. our mill is bought and paid for and logs are cut and sittin there. time to try something new.

[Don_Papenburg]

Flat saw .  Make some thicker slabs if you plan to do any woodwork of your own. I always look for thick boards when I build things with walnut. up to 3" many 2.5" thick for sills and other decoration .  most never have to be more than 4'  .  I use a lot of 5/4 for head blocks . 4/4 for  window and door trim.

[yukon cornelius]

I cant wait to open them up and see whats inside. its gonna be my first walnut. just as excited as my first erc. I wish I had visited a mill first so I would have had any clue when I started but I still have all my digits and appendages, no damages to my equipment so im happy.

[Magicman]

Look quickly because Walnut changes colors when you saw it.  The greenish tint quickly fades when the oxygen reaches it.  Us sawyers are the only ones that ever see it.   

[Andy White]

YC and Lynn,
My neighbor is bringing a 4'x16" half log today for me to cut him a 2" slab for a small table. He has a full log the same size he is giving me for cutting his. I too have never cut Walnut, but am excited to see the green to brown color change! Another first for me.    Andy 8) 8)

[Magicman]

Good for you and the neighbor.  Sounds like a win win.   

[yukon cornelius]

that's a great deal for both of you! I hope yours goes well! are you going to air dry it? that's my only option. 1 yr per inch thickness I've read. I also read that walnut doesn't do well in a kiln as the heat ruins the color. something about damaging the cells.

[21incher]

Walnut was some of the first wood I cut with my mill. I didn't really know what I was doing but I started cutting 5/4 slices off the logs until the pretty grain started to disappear and then rolled them and sliced off the pretty stuff and did that 2 more times and then sliced the remaining cant at 1 inch. 2 of my logs were clear and I got a 10/4 x 18" x 10 ft. clear slab with beautiful grain that would be great for gunstocks and a bunch of 5/4 clear slabs. The other 2 logs looked the same on the outside but they had some knots inside them so you never know until you look inside. It cuts easy but if it is a windy day you may want to wear a dust mask because the sawdust irritates many people.