Walnut tree ....

[Lannis]

A black walnut tree near (overhanging) part of my house needs to be cut down.  I'll do it myself, it's about 15" DBH, but I'm wondering if it's worth saving any of the wood.

There's about an 8' trunk section which is clear of branches ... and I know that I hear folks talk about walnut billets for gun stocks and banjo necks and such things.   

Rather than just saw it up into rounds for firewood, I could save the 8' long 15" diameter section, put it aside for a while under cover to let it dry.   

Question for wood-savvy guys - Is it worth doing?   Is common-or-garden black walnut wood worth anything cut up into pieces suitable for gun stocks or whatever?    Or should I just warm my house with it .... ?

Lannis

[RinkRat II]

 A good place to start is a Woodworkers Supply house as they have the connections for artisans looking for that type of stuff. Another place is a exotic lumber supply,
 they would at least give you some direction. Good Luck!

    Paul :BEER:

[twhitaker]

Most of them will not take 'domestic' wood due to the likelihood of nails hidden inside that could damage their $10,000 blades. I have 18 mature black walnut trees I would like to retire from but my arborist wife would have no part of that.

[Guzzistajohn]

In our neck of the woods harvesting walnut is big business. There are companies that will cut the trees haul them off and pay you for it.

[Lannis]

In our neck of the woods harvesting walnut is big business. There are companies that will cut the trees haul them off and pay you for it.

I had a guy come and cut down a big wild cherry that would have overhung the house site.   It was on a steep slope and difficult to fell and to haul out.   I was expecting to pay a goodly bit to have it done.

But the guy said that if he could have the wood, the job (cleanup and all) was gratis.   I was happy with it!

This one is not very big and I doubt that anyone would come out and cut it.    The sawmill will likely be a small local bandsaw mill (if it IS processed), and I can indemnify them for their blade - there aren't any nails in this tree .....

I just don't want anyone to say "What did you do with the walnut tree that was there?" and I say "Cut it up for firewood" and them to say "You FOOL!  Don't you realize how badly people WANT that sort of wood .... ?"  

Or not.

Lannis

[twhitaker]

I just don't want anyone to say "What did you do with the walnut tree that was there?" and I say "Cut it up for firewood" and them to say "You FOOL!  Don't you realize how badly people WANT that sort of wood .... ?"

Could be worse. You could be talking about an oak tree. They make barrels for aging bourbon from them.   ;D

[Triple Jim]

Lannis,  I sent an email to a pro wood turner friend of mine.  I'll let you know what he says.

[Late to the party]

I have removed walnut trees from backyards local to St. Louis in exchange for the wood. We like it clear, straight and dark. However, I will not travel from Missouri to Virginia and back for the privilege of doing so.

Time to take up wood working, Lannis. Sawdust and red suspenders go well together.

Lateness.

[Moto]

I had a similar black walnut tree that needed to come down a couple of years ago.

I located the operator of a small, portable mill and got a quote from him for cutting up the two logs that would have been usable lengths (> 8 feet each) into 4/4 (1-inch thick) lumber  and drying them over the winter at his place about 10 miles from me. I would have had to deliver the logs. Considering all the costs, including renting a trailer, I would have wound up with lumber at about half the retail price.

I eventually decided that I didn't much like black walnut for furniture, and that it wasn't worth my time. You could make a little money selling it to artisans, but you wouldn't be able to retire to Wall Street with Frank on the proceeds.

[blackcat]

but you wouldn't be able to retire to Wall Street with Frank on the proceeds.

Clearly a slow day around here.

[kevdog3019]

Lannis,
     I've had one milled before.  If it's the northeast variety it will not be like the wests pure dark form.  It is more a marbled or rustic light/dark grained wood.  It's still nice but not like the black walnut you buy at a good price.  You have to get it milled so there's a price there as well as hauling it to the mill.  It's a good bit of work as you then have to sticker it and have a place for it to dry.  I have a drying shed.

[Penderic]

We are doing some milling on our farm - finished a few weeks ago actually, milling our own Douglas Fir (mostly) felled for a building project.




I got me a lil tractor that helps us out a lot moving and dragging stuff around the farm. Still very very dangerous working with trees, saws and gravity!


Lannis, just Fed Ex us the log and we will cut it into boards for you!

Pen.

[Guzzistajohn]

A little info from the Missouri Dept. of Conservation.
http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2013/02/selling-walnut-timber

[Perazzimx14]

Most "residential" trees are good for nothing more than firewood. No sawmill around here big or small will touch any tree that has had been near a residence.

[travelingbyguzzi]

5years ago, my dad sent me a black walnut that had sprouted on the farm in Arkansas. He put it in a ziplock baggie with a wet washrag and mailed it to me. I planted it in the back yard here in Seattle and it has grown into a nice evening shade tree.
Last year, it had nuts (two) for the first time. The squirrels got them before I did. I have high hopes for this year.

Bill

[Lannis]

5years ago, my dad sent me a black walnut that had sprouted on the farm in Arkansas. He put it in a ziplock baggie with a wet washrag and mailed it to me. I planted it in the back yard here in Seattle and it has grown into a nice evening shade tree.
Last year, it had nuts (two) for the first time. The squirrels got them before I did. I have high hopes for this year.

Bill

We grow a lot of our own stuff for the table in our garden, so I'm no stranger to the hassle of working up the ground, planting, watering, cultivating, weeding, picking, processing, and cooking.

And I really do like black walnuts, especially for holiday desserts.   Something very "holidayish" about the flavor of black walnuts.

But even my threshold for Work vs Benefit is exceeded by black walnuts.   You have to fight the squirrels for them, you have to get them out of that awful black goo they live in, then you have to smash or crush your way into the hardest vegetable shield this side of the coconut, then pick out and store the nutmeats.   

I'll be sort of glad to see this one go.   They are a mess .... and they excrete some sort of tree-hormone that stunts and kills anything growing around them ....

Lannis

[Hymes Inc.]

Penderic, your pictures made me a very jealous man. I also have some walnut trees that should come down. One sits next to my tin carport, nothing like hearing walnuts drop on tin in the middle of the night.

[tris]

OFF TOPIC

Do you have pickled walnuts in the US or is it just a UK delicacy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_walnuts


ON TOPIC

[Triple Jim]

Do you have pickled walnuts in the US or is it just a UK delicacy

I've never heard of them.  Do you have boiled peanuts?

[Lannis]

OFF TOPIC

Do you have pickled walnuts in the US or is it just a UK delicacy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_walnuts


ON TOPIC

I've never seen them in any mainline groceries, but I'm sure they're available in specialty shops, places where you can buy HobNobs, HP Sauce, and other made-in-the-UK things.

Lannis

[travelingbyguzzi]

When we were kids in Arkansas, harvesting black walnuts in the fall was one of the ways we had to make money. We had several very large black walnut trees and they brought 0.07$ per pound. we would fill burlap bags with walnuts and take them to Pocahontas, about 20 miles away.
Yes, Lannis, black walnuts are a lot of effort for what you get, but when you don't have much to begin with...the price is right.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I remember my Mother doing pickled walnuts once, if I recall correctly you eat the husk, shell and all.
Am I out to lunch?


Sent from my shoe phone!

[Lannis]

When we were kids in Arkansas, harvesting black walnuts in the fall was one of the ways we had to make money. We had several very large black walnut trees and they brought 0.07$ per pound. we would fill burlap bags with walnuts and take them to Pocahontas, about 20 miles away.
Yes, Lannis, black walnuts are a lot of effort for what you get, but when you don't have much to begin with...the price is right.

Yes ... it's sort of the equivalent of growing flax, spinning it into thread, weaving it into cloth, and making your own linsey-woolsey clothes.   If you HAVE to do it, you do it ... We kids used to get the feed for our pigs by following the corn picker in the field and stuffing burlap sacks with the corn the picker missed  .... and taking buckets to the timber company woods and filling them with acorns from the chestnut oaks, until the peanuts we planted next to the hog pen were mature and we could turn the pigs into the peanuts to "finish".

But even though I haul my own trash, cut my own firewood, grow my own vegetables, shoot, skin, and butcher my own game, and work on my own motorcycles .... I draw the line at weaving cloth, heating water in a tub for washing clothes, and bagging black walnuts  !!!!!   There IS a line ....

Lannis

[Kiwi_Roy]

In the early history of New Zealand the English would sail to the other side of the globe to get the flax.
A few of the sailors became a source of protein for the locals ;D

[Lannis]

In the early history of New Zealand the English would sail to the other side of the globe to get the flax.
A few of the sailors became a source of protein for the locals ;D

You'd think the sailors would have checked on-line for information on local customs, or for State Department or Foreign Office travel advisories, before they went ashore?   Or maybe their translation program didn't quite get the idiom for "Jack, you are invited to dinner at the village tonight?"

Strange folks.  We won't make THAT mistake again!

Lannis

[boatdetective]

I just wanted to jump in to mention that you all are here discussing sawing wood, weaving flax, and cannibalism on a guzzi board.

Personally, I don't care and in fact am always game for a discussion about cannibalism.  I just wanted to whine about content and, frankly, bust Lannis's (wal)nuts- so to speak.   :+=copcar

Are you folks coming up for the rally?? I can't wait! It will be fun to meet you.

JKK

[Lannis]

I just wanted to jump in to mention that you all are here discussing sawing wood, weaving flax, and cannibalism on a guzzi board.

Personally, I don't care and in fact am always game for a discussion about cannibalism.  I just wanted to whine about content and, frankly, bust Lannis's (wal)nuts- so to speak.   :+=copcar

Are you folks coming up for the rally?? I can't wait! It will be fun to meet you.

JKK

1. You're right.

2. Yes.   The collective wisdom and information always to be found on this board has answered my question, so I thank everyone who responded (both those who do know about wood and those who don't mess with it much) ....

3.  I don't know about "folks", but if the Stelvio holds up, I'll be at Swanzey, and likewise!

Lannis