Walnut has a significant amount of sapwood. I am familiar with the grading requirements of FAS, and recently refused to purchase an amount of walnut the dealer had ready for me. The charge was $5.28/bf and the grade was to be FAS. While I am not as experienced as most on this board, I sure did not want to have to try to cut around all the knots to get my cut plan filled. Also, the wood was about 40% sapwood and was, for the most part, the outside cuts of plane sawed walnut lumber
My question is what is an acceptable amount of sapwood are most of you willing to accept when buying walnut? Also, I have not found any dealer who will let anyone pick out what he wants. I seem to remember some on Knots saying that they could do so .
Replies
I found that when I went to a small lumber co. I couldn't pick my pieces either. I didn't buy it there, but did learn that with walnut, they like to steam it. This is to bring the color of the sap wood and the heart wood closer in color. I am luck enough to work where I can order it from the large wood wholesaler along with some other shipments that come in. If you have a local cabinet company near by, stop in and see if they could order what you are looking for.
Sapwood is not a defect in grading walnut so the amount doesn't affect the FAS grading at all. In addition, walnut can be shorter--6' or 7'--and still be FAS while standard species require a minimum of 8'. The required clear cuttings in walnut are smaller than in standard species, 4" x 3' and 3" x 6', compared to 4" x 5' and 3" x 7'. Cutting around knots is inevitable. What all that implies is that buying walnut by grade isn't the way to go if there is any way to avoid it.
That's why I have driven from Connecticut to Pennsylvania to buy at the top flight lumber yards in the region. (Irion, Hearn, Groff & Groff, Sandy Pond, and Good Hope, for example.) I tend to buy the widest walnut boards I can since large trees have smaller portions of sapwood. Most of the boards in the last batch from Groff and Groff had 15" -18" of heart wood and about 2 inches of sapwood on each side. I probably paid more than $5.28 per board foot for this unsteamed walnut but I have pretty thoroughly repressed the exact number.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I have purchased perhaps 1,200 bf of walnut since I retired and started working in my shop. The batch I refused was by far the worse lot I have seen for FAS. I know that sapwood does not affect the grading, but when it is so much of it, it definatly affects my acceptance.
I really appreciate what all of you have said. It broadens my understanding of this passion in which I now find myself involved.
BTY, I am just about through with a case for a 270 gallon salt water aquarium. The glass alone weighs 400# and the water will add over 2,000# more(2160 completely full). The case is 2.25" thick. it is 6" long and will have a removable cross brace in the middle. The owner wants a removable waist trim for periodic spills and cleaning. I avhieved that using rare earth magnets.
Pics please!
A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working -- yes, I'm retired!
Treehouse, Right now I do not have the doors hung and it is not finished. When I complete that, I will send you pics or wait until the owner has his aquarium populated and post it in the Gallery. He is using green sand in the bottom that he got from a volcanic tropical island.
Thanks for the reply on my request for pics. I will patiently wait for either pics or something in the gallery.
Thanks again!
A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working -- yes, I'm retired!
Steve,
I Live near both Groff & Groff and Sandy Ponds. Both are good mills no question. Next time you are in the area pay a visit to this Local Mill in Colombia Pa. I Know Bob, The owner He is a master craftsmen and a hell of a nice guy. He Refuses!! to pick out your wood for the most part. He mills the trees himself and Has Great Cherry and Walnut always in stock.
http://hollistersawmill.com/promotions.html
When I want Walnut and Cherry this is where I go. The prices are great and bob is always will to shoot the breeze. This is an old time mill where the owners marks up each piece. Do give it a visit.
Rich
In my work I rarely need lumber longer than 6'.
I found mills that sell overseas 8' & lgr. therefore they accumulate quite a lot of "selects".
The premium they get on the long stuff, becomes (almost) the discount you get buying shorts. For example I recently bought a bundle of 5/4 KD at $4.00 a BF .
Nice stuff too, basically clear 2F.C.
Coolbreeze,
I would agree with everything poster Steve Schoene has said.
Will add, there is nothing worse than buying Walnut that looks like it has no sapwood, only later to find out it has been steamed to a homogenized blah brown color that disappears after a trip through the jointer or planer..Sometimes it's better to know what % of sapwood you are buying, rather than it being 'hidden' from view..
Good luck
Edited 8/1/2006 7:57 am ET by BOBABEUI
I live in southern Ohio where there are quite a few saw mills and when you pay over the $5 mark you can normally get what you want, ask for, or except. Me and my hobby- type friends would never pay over $1.00 BF, but we take what is offered and we have to cut off the bark, select, and plane, and it is a lot of work. You get what you pay for...or have time for.
coolbreese,
I buy my wood from sewmill rether then lumberyerd.. I pey one doller bdft ungreded rough nd green et the mill. (Sorry still cen't get severel letters to work)
LOL!!
Frenchy, at my age, I can't buy green wood. I have to think hard before I buy a green bananna.
Thanks for your reply.
coolbreeze,
It takes a year to air dry walnut an inch thick, it takes a month to do so in my house during the winter and depending on exactly what I'm doing with it I can use it sometimes inside a week..
Gosh! I hope you have a week left to live <G>
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