What's so bad about Walnut?

[dsell]

Smells like black and mild cigars when you burn it. It doesn't pop, so it should work for open fireplaces. It burns good but like others have stated, it doesn't put out much heat in comparison to oak, hickory, black locust, mulberry, etc. According to my chart, it is 21.8 million btu per 20% moisture cord. Hedge is 30.7 and red oak is 25.3, all from the same chart. I don't defend the numbers, I figure it gives me a good comparison. It starts out heavy 4640 lbs and drys to 3120 pounds, a lot of water. Cuts and splits easy, except for the knots and forks.

 

[oppermancjo]

Good info. Thanks guys. I'm not looking to take them down as of yet. It's very light and sandy soil where I'm at so it's just a matter of time until they blow over.

I'm well aware of the value of the wood. The one tree is going to be a perfect log for the mill. The other has a lot of limbs and knots all the way to the bottom of the trunk. Not sure why the difference. They are both black walnut. Thing is, I don't even know how these trees got there. To my knowledge, there isn't a single one in the 80 acres behind my house and the property across the road is all rows of pine. Then again, these trees are probably 40 years old so who knows what was there at that time.

 

[dsell]

Good info. Thanks guys. I'm not looking to take them down as of yet. It's very light and sandy soil where I'm at so it's just a matter of time until they blow over.

I'm well aware of the value of the wood. The one tree is going to be a perfect log for the mill. The other has a lot of limbs and knots all the way to the bottom of the trunk. Not sure why the difference. They are both black walnut. Thing is, I don't even know how these trees got there. To my knowledge, there isn't a single one in the 80 acres behind my house and the property across the road is all rows of pine. Then again, these trees are probably 40 years old so who knows what was there at that time.

Squirrels transfer them.

 

[howard270]

I burned some of the smaller splits last night from the 2 big walnuts we took down in early summer. They put off decent heat and burned to ash pretty quick without much coals. This was my first time to burn it in the insert.

But I gotta say, the smell from the chimney was well worth the lower heat output as compared to my hedge and locust. I really didn't need much heat as this was just a paint curing burn.

I will be mixing in the walnut just so I can enjoy that smell from now on.

 

[Jwalker1911]

I burn quite a bit of walnut as well as elm and mulberry. Seems like around here those trees are a bit easier to score then a good oak. Get quite a bit of hackberry also. Let that walnut dry out real good tho.

 

[Turkeyslayer]

Let that walnut dry out real good tho.

That is the key. When you think it is ready leave it for another 4-6 months.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

I burned some of the smaller splits last night from the 2 big walnuts we took down in early summer.

Was it dry already?

 

[Morgan in AR]

Another nice thing about walnut is that you can leave it outside without it turning into a pile of bugs and mushrooms like many of the other mid grade fire woods do.

 

[Ayatollah]

I've been burning black walnut for a few years now. I really like the smell of the un-burned wood. We have 3 big redwood trees out front, and a bunch of Walnut rounds laying about under them. I always enjoy catching a scent of the walnut just after the sprinklers get it wet.

The Walnut I got was about 80 years old, and the center of the trunk is as dense as anything. That wood, when burned often leaves these hard clinker like formations in the ash. Those centers are good for late night burns, 'cause they're what I find in the morning coals that start the next fire