next milling project is walnut

[chuckwood]

I dropped the tree a couple weeks ago, but it seems I cracked the trunk at the base by being a scaredy cat. I'm hoping the crack doesn't go up too far. This will be my first walnut milling. The tree had a lot of large dead limbs on the top half, and I was nervous about any rotten limbs jacknifing back on me as the tree started moving. So I backed off too quickly after movement started and the tree stopped moving and just sat there with a small tilt. I went back and cut some more at the backcut and she went down where I wanted. I was disappointed when I noticed that my nervous felling procedure has left me with a less than perfect trunk. Oh well, I've got more walnuts I can harvest if I need more lumber......

 

[hazard]

I would position the log so the blade runs parallel to your crack.

I have milled a few walnut logs and the end grain seems to be harder than say oak or cherry. More vibration in the mill.

It is beautiful wood though.

Happy milling
Chris

 

[BigOakAdot]

Looks like it will make for some beautiful lumber! More pics once milled please.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Maybe try cutting a couple cookies off the end to see if the crack stops?
Painting the endgrain to slow down drying may help to minimize the crack..

 

[chuckwood]

Maybe try cutting a couple cookies off the end to see if the crack stops?
Painting the endgrain to slow down drying may help to minimize the crack..

I've already cut a couple feet off the end because the crack was even worse at the initial bottom. The same kinds of internal stress that causes barber chairs no doubt caused this to happen. I had a 60 degree notch and did everything by the book except for being too slow and nervous. I'm going to follow another post's suggestions and try to set things up so that my CSM will be cutting right along into the crack so hopefully I only lose one board. I figure I'll cut the boards at an inch thick for my final dried boards to be planed down to 3/4". The trunk on this one is perfectly straight for around 30 feet and should mill well.

 

[buzz sawyer]

What is the diameter of the log?
If not too wide, a bore cut may have prevented the crack and made it a safer drop.
You'll still get some nice wood out of it.

 

[chuckwood]

What is the diameter of the log?
If not too wide, a bore cut may have prevented the crack and made it a safer drop.

Diameter is around 18 inches. I have a second walnut tree even larger, but unfortunately with a crooked trunk and more branches lower down. I plan on milling it as well. For some reason, both of these trees have a lot of dead limbs on the top half of the tree, nearly all dead on the very top. I wonder if they came down with a disease, the two trees aren't very far apart. I do plan on bore cutting the next one.

 

[lone wolf]

Diameter is around 18 inches. I have a second walnut tree even larger, but unfortunately with a crooked trunk and more branches lower down. I plan on milling it as well. For some reason, both of these trees have a lot of dead limbs on the top half of the tree, nearly all dead on the very top. I wonder if they came down with a disease, the two trees aren't very far apart. I do plan on bore cutting the next one.

You will get a lot of nice boards.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Diameter is around 18 inches. I have a second walnut tree even larger, but unfortunately with a crooked trunk and more branches lower down. I plan on milling it as well. For some reason, both of these trees have a lot of dead limbs on the top half of the tree, nearly all dead on the very top. I wonder if they came down with a disease, the two trees aren't very far apart. I do plan on bore cutting the next one.

Was there any unusual activity on the ground around them?