I am the recipient of a 42″ black walnut tree… it’s a mixed blessing. I’m going to put it on the mill tomorrow and I don’t know where to start. I feel like I’m cutting a diamond…I’ve only got one shot at it!
The DBH is 42″ and the first crotch is 6′ from the base and then branches into two 38″ limbs. Should I keep the crotch with the trunk and slab the center? Since it’s so short before the first crotch, should I just go for as much quarter sawn as possible?
I’ve never cut a tree like this before so I’d appreciate any hints or suggestions!
Thanks in advance!
Cliff
Replies
You don't say where you live but with a tree that size you might want help from somebody who cuts a lot of wood that size. In California and in Oregon there are a number of outfits that specialize in that kind of wood, you might contact some of them. Also don't drop the thing on yourself I am sure it ways a lot.
Good luck and send pictures of the wood after you cut it.
Troy
KD7NKN
Well don't go for quarter sawn for one thing.. you will lose some of the potential beauty of the wood. Second plan on air drying it to retain maximum color and vibrancy. Kiln drying will just mottle all the varied colors untill you have this boring brown wood.
Expect a sizeable amount of it to be white.. You can live with that or cut it off or steam it brown but if you steam it all the brillance and variety of colors in natural Black walnut will disappear..
The crotch is a big crap shoot.. some times you get this beautiful reaction wood that's highly prized. A lot of time though it will be a real disappointment..
I would saw that log through and through.. or plainsaw. Most of my black walnut is done that way and I wind up with much wider boards that way.. only very rarely will a properly stickered wide board ever curl on me.. My sawmill is limited to no more than a 22 inch wide board and I have dozens of them all nice and flat..
Thanks for the information!
I live in Oregon and have done some consultation with local sawers. The general consensus is to plain-saw the whole thing! I'll be opening the log parallel to the crotch, taking a look at it and going from there.
There's 36" of heart wood in the trunk and 24" in each of the two major branches. Based on a Scribner Scale, I should yield somewhere in the 1000 BF area. (Fingers crossed)
On a somewhat related topic, I've cut up some of the smaller limbs already and am actually very please with the white wood! I know there are lots of scoffers, but I believe there's some real beauty in it. I especially enjoy the interface between the two.
Thanks again for your input! I'll post some before and after pics.
Cliff
When I was a kid a hated the fish my dad caught and brought home for us to eat. As I got older and was also the one catching the fish; surprise they tasted much better; I even liked them.<!----><!----><!---->
Cutting your own lumber is a lot like that. It’s like treasure hunting. Never know what you’re going to find. I would have to say it also can be very disappointing when you hit stuff. Nails, eye bolts, rocks, electric fence insulators, bullets.<!----><!---->
Post some pics so we can see?
What's this? You give him advice on sawing log but don't encourage him shellac the flitches prior to air drying? I'm disappointed!
He was tired from running back & forth with those 24' x 47" logs! Wore the shellac outa him.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Oh, you mean those curly black walnut logs he got for .03 a board foot? Ah, I understand now.
Just go at it through and through.
I am not sure but having a section of trunk attached to some of the crotch wood may make it do funny things when it dries. All the twisted grain of the crotch might decide to go different directions from the straight grain stuff.
I cut this black walnut up about 2 1/2 years ago. 2" thick and some is 22" wide. The bigger of these trees was about 34" at the butt, but the guys who cut it just wanted gone and there was a good deal of split about 5 feet up.
Still, I got a real nice pile-o-lumber out of itAndy
Edited 3/13/2008 9:57 pm ET by AndyE
Thanks AndyE,
It looks like you got some wonderful lumber out of it! Were the slabs with the crotch wood 2" also?
After 2 1/2 years is it ready to use yet?
Thanks again for the input!
Cliff
Yes, the crotch slabs were 2". There was also a short fat cherry log in there. It's probably ready to be worked I just haven't had the project to use it on yet, or the time lately. I worked a cutoff piece of on the lathe. Made myself a change dish, and boy it has some great color. Browns and purple that you don't see in the racks at the big box lumber stores. I guess that is what you lose when you steam dry it. Seems a shame.Andy
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled