milling thread

[Al Smith]

I think the niche market in walnut could be figured gun stock blanks .

Fact is I saved a few root cut ash just for the figure that I've yet to cut up .I figured it could make nice inlays for table tops etc. for the furniture maker types .

Figured wood can be a rascal to work with but the end results can be mighty pleasing to the eye .

 

[woodworkingboy]

English Walnut can be quite nice to very beautiful too, but the color is paler.

Steve, I've heard the Claro also referred to as California Black.

When I was trying to purchase Walnut from the growers near Stockton, it was very difficult to initially get in with them. All the big orchards had an arrangement with the gunstock maker, Calico, that they would buy the trees and grind the stumps, and only pay a few pennies a pound for the wood. The growers knew they were getting robbed, but Calico would buy the downed trees every year, all of them, and without that arrangement, the growers would be stuck with dealing with the big nuisance in their orchards. Calico told them that if they learned that any orchards were selling elsewhere, they would no longer do business with them. A number of people told me that they hated Calico, but had no choice, unless I would buy all their downed trees every year

I finally found a place that would sell to me on the quiet. Years ago I made this big table (seating for ten) out of Claro, with the wedge being Black Locust. Great Walnut, and very stable and easy to dry.

 

[dastevoe]

Nice table Jay !!!What finish do you have on it ? Oil?
Did you build that here in N.A. or have the wood shipped to you?$?
Nice colour !!
Steve

 

[woodworkingboy]

Thanks. Oil finish on there, lots and lots of applications, I like a good shine. I built that when I was still living in N. California, and it went to Arizona. I later heard that it developed a small crack. Not surprised, being so dry there, and the material was only air dried for a few years.
The owner was cool about it.

 

[rumination]

Beautiful table Jay. I always enjoy seeing pictures of your work.

 

[Al Smith]

With a big wide slabbed table top it's nearly impossible not to get splits .

They often remark about vintage pieces of fine furniture that came from Europe and withstood a few hundred years before they split .It was because they had been in homes without central heating systems for years then once in such an atmosphere that lacked of humidity they dried out .It's really a shame .

 

[woodworkingboy]

Some species have less tendency to split, including Walnut. An area that has drastic changes in humidity, depending on the seasons, is hard on wood, and certainly moved to a different location, can take it's toll. I like to think that the level of care, can also be a factor somewhat.

 

[Bodean]

Awesome table, Great thread.

I got to run the loader today in the Log Dump,
Basically fetching logs to be (alaskan) milled.

I took a mess of pictures today, easy day.

Those 8-10' twinkies are for some benches we're making for some campground.
Then I believe another 4" slab will be attached in some way for a back rest.

Some other random pictures of rot, decay, galleries and wood.

 

[sotc]

Cool gallery shot!! We used an extension ladder half for the first cut, worked well

 

[woodworkingboy]

Nice shady grove to be milling in. Cool pics, Bodean.

 

[rumination]

Waycool insect gallery Deva. You know you got one rocking job when you're getting paid to do some chainsaw milling on big logs like that.

 

[Bodean]

Nice shady grove to be milling in. Cool pics, Bodean.

50 mph winds that day,
lite deadwood was breaking out and those trees were swinging in the wind.

Yeah, everytime I complain I think of other people that have lost there jobs.
I'm very grateful.

 

[Dave Shepard]

Milled some cedar today. First ever. Log was split down the middle most of the way, so I finished it with the mill. Got a couple of 4x6 posts, and some 1x lumber. Colorful stuff.

 

[sotc]

Milled up some pine this afternoon. Some nice blueing and some borer holes I though looked cool. Got 600 board feet out of the first log, got the second log trimmed down to where we can just cut boards tommorrow

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Geee Willie, you need to bring that thing down here. There is still a lot of pine from the fire last year....

 

[thattreeguy]

anyone ever do monterey cypress?

 

[sotc]

Heres Saturdays log, some blued and borered boards, and our final pile of lumber before stickering and banding.
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[squisher]

Nice!

 

[JamesTX]

Does the discoloration make it more valuable or less valuable?

 

[sotc]

Less valuble to the logger as it's a defect but very desirable as interior siding

 

[stehansen]

So will it be used for interior siding?

 

[sotc]

Depends on who wants it and what they want it for.
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[stehansen]

How do you market it? Or are you figuring this out as you go along?

 

[stehansen]

anyone ever do monterey cypress?

I think Deva does.

 

[sotc]

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