Black Walnut - Turning Blocks?

Cobleskill

Treehouser
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Dec 31, 2006
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4,708
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Western New York near Lake Ontario
I cut a Black Walnut today that had a limb split most of the way down the main trunk. There is a 20" 6 foot log. Above that is about 15 feet that is firewood. Above that there is some straight 12" trunk and some good size limbs. Anybody ever sell any turning blocks? I know Stig has experience with this, but I thought maybe someone else might too. Any thoughts on lengths or tips on drying? I hate to cut such nice looking stuff into firewood.
 
Have you thought about making lumber out of the bigger log?
 
In this part of the world a log that short would have very little commercial value .Unless the bottom log has a significant nice figure and is suited for a rifle stock .
 
Wax any cut surfaces as quickly as possible after cutting to preserve it in case you find a use for it. Anchor seal is a commercial product for it, but paraffin wax will be much better than nothing. Some people paint them instead of waxing. Sealing in the moisture is the gist.
 
When I cut blanks or blocks for turning, I usually rip the log through the center and cut the blocks about 4-6" longer that the log is wide.

That way if some endgrain checking should occur, I can cut it off and still have a block of the full width to work with.

Remember to seal the ends.

For potential buyers, check the American association of woodturners homepage to find some turners in your area.

http://www.woodturner.org/

I felled two european maples yesterday with a lot of figure.
So I cut a stack of blocks to sell. Doesn't bring in real big money, but I figure making a hundred bucks for spending an hour cutting blocks is a good deal.
Plus I hate to see good turning wood go to waste.
 
Butch, Sean just said how.
How does one "seal the ends," Stig?
Wax any cut surfaces as quickly as possible after cutting to preserve it in case you find a use for it. Anchor seal is a commercial product for it, but paraffin wax will be much better than nothing. Some people paint them instead of waxing. Sealing in the moisture is the gist.
 
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I wish I could find a log buyer near this part of Florida, I knew a guy up in north Florida when I worked up there for a few months, but I only sold him a 20' log out of a white oak.
 
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  • #9
Yard trees are not in high demand because they often have steel, rocks, misc. Look for a band saw hobby sawyer. Forestry Forum, Wood Mizer, and other mfgs. could be a source of leads. Wood Mizer told me who owned a saw in my area.
 
I put them on craigslist for a hundred or 2, cheap enough to move, expensive enough to bother doing. Keeps me in coffee money.
 
You can use yellow or white glue to seal the ends as well, just smear it on thick and keep moisture off of it. Thin the glue with water to make it go farther. Commercially available end grain sealer is also available.
 
I'd think if you were going to cut lumber it would be best to not tarry too long .

I had maybe 200-300 bd ft go bad from sitting too long even though it was up off the ground . Some could have been salvaged but it all ended up as firewood no more than what there was .
 
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  • #15
Isn't the heart kind of rot resistant? There was a pile of firewood down the road that was there for 20 or 30 years. I figured it was pure rot but the nephew of the owner went down and picked through the pile and salvaged quite a bit.
 
It will spalt under the right conditions . Like I said had they been larger logs instead of 12 inch pecker poles I could have salvaged maybe 50 percent of them .Then too it all happened when I was building my shop and I had forgotten to seal the ends on these plus some nice cherry .The later I probabley trashed over a thousand board feet from not prepairing it properly .Live and learn .
 
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