BIG walnut log

[AndyR]

Hey guys,

I finally got my courage up and started in on the big walnut log that's been sitting in my Driveway since mid-May (it used to shade the driveway). I decided to freehand rip the log to get it into manageable pieces. It's a bit sloppy but it did the job. I didn't get very far today. I made two cants and have half the log left for two more. I plan on milling more tomorrow (I kind of have to now .

It's a bowl of soup for me and off to bed.

 

[excess650]

I'm envious.....haven't been able to hook up with walnut as of yet. I was milling hemlock today, and its more beautiful every time I see it.

Walnut is my favorite wood to look at. It varies considerably depending upon where its grown, but can be just stunning. In my basement I have what would be considered to be American black walnut, Oregon black walnut, Claro walnut, Bastogne, English walnut, and a piece or two of Turkish walnut. I suspect that the JP Sauer sporting rifle in my safe has Circassian walnut for the stock.

Perfectly quarter sawn with good color, color variation, and figure adds up to a desireable, expensive piece of gunstock wood.

 

[Adkpk]

Freehand? Are you using ripping chain? Looks good from here. That one cant looks like you already sanded it. And then another cant looks like your chain hit a car fender or something before going into the log. Do you have a pic of the saw?

 

[woodshop]

Beautiful chunk of walnut... I've got less than 800 ft of it stashed away as of that last walnut found on Craigs list and I don't turn down chance to mill a walnut. As much as I love looking at the wood and working with it though, I've been told by other woodworkers, and have seen this for myself at my shows, that walnut furniture doesn't sell nearly as well as cherry or oak these days. Careful milling that stuff... in the summer when I wore only a T-shirt the fine walnut dust mixed with my perseration on my arms and neck gave me a nasty itchy rash that took couple days to go away. I've been told by others this also.

 

[slabmaster]

Walnut is nice wood.I milled alot of it last fall.It about filled up a portagarage.It was one of the hardest woods i've done.It worked my saw real hard.I did it with a modded 394 husky.These trees were fresh cut as i milled them.Here's a pic of them stickered in the porta-garage.

 

[AndyR]

Freehand? Are you using ripping chain? Looks good from here. That one cant looks like you already sanded it. And then another cant looks like your chain hit a car fender or something before going into the log. Do you have a pic of the saw?

I slabbed the top off w/the 395xp and the Alaskan mill but my bar (36") wasn't nearly long enough to go again from the top. I snapped a chalkline down the center and tried to follow that freehand. The chain was Oregon 75JGX. Yeah, it is rough and I might have lost a board by doing it this way but its what I had to work with. Tomorrow I get to cut boards with the RipSaw .

 

[slabmaster]

When the log is too big like that,i just make a top cut then two side cuts then go back to the top side which is narrower and finish the rest of the log.

 

[carvinmark]

When the log is too big like that,i just make a top cut then two side cuts then go back to the top side which is narrower and finish the rest of the log.

+1

 

[AndyR]

When the log is too big like that,i just make a top cut then two side cuts then go back to the top side which is narrower and finish the rest of the log.

Yeah, I see your point, I probably should have done it that way. If the log was on the ground I might have tried rolling it but with it propped up on another log I though it would be easier to approach it this way. I'd really like to get a mini mill.

Here's another pic of my butchery, it's actually fairly straight. At the end of the log I turned the saw and cut downwards-lots of long curly shavings and a nice smooth cut.

 

[Adkpk]

Yeah, I see your point, I probably should have done it that way. If the log was on the ground I might have tried rolling it but with it propped up on another log I though it would be easier to approach it this way. I'd really like to get a mini mill.

Here's another pic of my butchery, it's actually fairly straight. At the end of the log I turned the saw and cut downwards-lots of long curly shavings and a nice smooth cut.

Very straight for freehand, ugly but straight.

 

[slabmaster]

mini mill

These are the ticket for doing the big stuff.I will be using it to make some beams this winter.They save you from having to roll the log.

 

[oldsaw]

On walnut, try to get as much figure as you can. Q-sawn walnut is a bit boring, but the color is nice. You would have been better freehanding one edge and then throughsawing since it was too big to roll. I've got a picture of a big one somewhere that was over 36" DBH. I got two of the most perfect 2"x34"x10' slabs you ever saw. Absolutely stunning. Then we put it on the bandmill when I got the size down enough.

I don't break out with it, I guess I'm immune. Fantastic wood to work with though. Machines nicely, dries very stable and quickly.

Mark

 

[dustytools]

Nice job Andy. I love Walnut!

 

[excess650]

I had bought a Haddon Lumbermaker(uses a 2x4 or 2x6 as a guide) about the same time that I bought my Alaskan mill. I finally got a chance to try it today. After milling the larger parts of dead, half dry, hemlock there was a 13' section left, but I couldn't get excited about cutting smaller boards out of it. One of the guys helping commented that someone had hit his mailbox and needed a new post, so that planted the seed. I cut to 10' length, made top and bottom cuts with the Alaskan, and then used the Haddon to make the side cuts. The Alaskan cuts more smoothly in that the bar is captive, but the Haddon did OK, and especially considering that I was using it on Husqvarna 353. It was a pretty nice 6x6!

For bigger wood I think the Granberg Mini Mill might be a better choice. Likewise, if you don't mind rolling the big logs multiple times, the Alaskan does fine work. For a quick, easy job, especially on smaller stuff, the Haddon should fit the bill.

 

[AndyR]

results from todays work

Here's what I was able to accomplish today. I sawed boards out of the two cants that I cut yesyerday. I've got a fair amount of boards and that's only half of one butt log. I put a big slab on top of the other half to try to protect it from the sun/rain-I don't know if I'll get back to it next weekend or not.

I like seeing the color change. This stuff looks about the color of tulip poplar when first cut. In one of the pics there's a board that had one face cut yesterday stacked next to a fresly cut one. The last pic is the total for today-still need to cut some of the slabs up, there's a lot of good wood left in them.

Having fun is HARD WORK!
Andy

 

[dustytools]

Here's what I was able to accomplish today. I sawed boards out of the two cants that I cut yesyerday. I've got a fair amount of boards and that's only half of one butt log. I put a big slab on top of the other half to try to protect it from the sun/rain-I don't know if I'll get back to it next weekend or not.

I like seeing the color change. This stuff looks about the color of tulip poplar when first cut. In one of the pics there's a board that had one face cut yesterday stacked next to a fresly cut one. The last pic is the total for today-still need to cut some of the slabs up, there's a lot of good wood left in them.

Having fun is HARD WORK!
Andy

SWEET! Very nice looking wood there Andy. It sure is hard work but standing back looking at the stacks somehow seems to make it worth it.

 

[slabmaster]

Nice job Andy! You got some nice looking boards there.They sure are heavy when wet aren't they?Can't wait to see the rest when you get at them.

 

[AndyR]

Yeah, I cut a variety of thicknesses up to 3" and man those (2) 3" x 13" x 11.5' boards were really heavy. I got them in the garage and got them stickered ok, but by the end of the day the 1.5" thick boards felt almost as bad.

 

[woodshop]

Very nice... beautiful walnut boards. Nice to see somebody else use the the csm/Ripsaw combo.

 

[Adkpk]

Well that job turned out nice.

Nice setup.