wouldwurker Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Here's how this walnut started out Steve built a client a built-in years ago to replace the one they had that was painted white. Underneath the white paint...beautiful unsteamed Walnut. Laminated two panels to get to about 6/4. Finish is Watco Butcher Block. That's a quarter for scale ...it's going to get wall mounted above the bed...or something like that. It's for my wife. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Mmmmmmmmm.....walnut! Looks good, Vinny. Wonder what's driving the current decor fad of giant letters / initials? My wife had me make one a while back, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted January 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Anything but one of those stupid ampersands! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Looks great! Is that a strip of sap wood in the top? Not that it matters, just curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Nice job vinny! Why was the walnut painted to begin with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted January 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Looks great! Is that a strip of sap wood in the top? Not that it matters, just curious. Yep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Painting walnut white. .. just hateful. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 The letter is cool. Reference to C. & C. Is even better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 J stands for JoJo to remind her whose bed it is? How do you know it's unsteamed walnut? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted January 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 J stands for JoJo to remind her whose bed it is? How do you know it's unsteamed walnut? I'm assuming so from the color. Unfinished there were browns, yellows, reds, purples, creamy whites,...all with very hard transitions between them. No sign that the tannins were 'bled' so to speak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Nice J. FTR I wouldn't let the wife hang a "J" above the bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Meh, I see those colors in steamed stuff all the time. Dollars to donuts I put two pieces of walnut in front of 1,000 woodworkers, 999 of them wouldn't be able to tell me which was steamed and which wasn't. But if it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy... Unless walnut is harvested from Uncle Leroy's farm, chances are it's been steamed. There's not much commercially available walnut that doesn't get the hotbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strasberry Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 9 minutes ago, Eric. said: Meh, I see those colors in steamed stuff all the time. Dollars to donuts I put two pieces of walnut in front of 1,000 woodworkers, 999 of them wouldn't be able to tell me which was steamed and which wasn't. But if it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy... Unless walnut is harvested from Uncle Leroy's farm, chances are it's been steamed. There's not much commercially available walnut that doesn't get the hotbox. Didn't know anyone else knew Leroy! Just got some nice walnut from him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted January 14, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Meh, I see those colors in steamed stuff all the time. Dollars to donuts I put two pieces of walnut in front of 1,000 woodworkers, 999 of them wouldn't be able to tell me which was steamed and which wasn't. But if it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy... Unless walnut is harvested from Uncle Leroy's farm, chances are it's been steamed. There's not much commercially available walnut that doesn't get the hotbox. I don't know man...at some point it was in an old house. Then somebody painted it white. I don't know when lumber yards first started steaming walnut for color. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Nice J. FTR I wouldn't let the wife hang a "J" above the bed. It'll be the only thing well hung in the bedroom Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 8 hours ago, vinnyjojo said: I don't know man...at some point it was in an old house. Then somebody painted it white. I don't know when lumber yards first started steaming walnut for color. If it was originally salvaged from an old house then you're probably right that it was never steamed. But my point remains...I don't think the average woodworker can usually tell the difference. I've looked at two pieces side by side - one steamed and one not - and I'll be damned if they weren't as identical as two boards of the same species can be. And I see those iridescent purples and creams in steamed walnut all the time. I know people say that steaming can leech the color out of the heartwood, but I just haven't had that experience, and I've seen a TON of boards in the last few years working at the yard - air dried, kiln dried, kiln dried and steamed. I've always followed the mantra just because everyone else says it...but I'm putting my foot down and changing my tune...if you can't see a difference, there is no difference. At least as far as I'm concerned. Steaming definitely darkens the sapwood noticeably...otherwise, I don't know. Can't really see it. Kilns will toughen the fibers of every species and make hand tooling slightly less enjoyable...otherwise I challenge anyone to a blind taste test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post wouldwurker Posted January 14, 2016 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 You work at lumber yard? I thought you were a professional ballbreaker 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 9 minutes ago, Eric. said: If it was originally salvaged from an old house then you're probably right that it was never steamed. But my point remains...I don't think the average woodworker can usually tell the difference. I've looked at two pieces side by side - one steamed and one not - and I'll be damned if they weren't as identical as two boards of the same species can be. And I see those iridescent purples and creams in steamed walnut all the time. I know people say that steaming can leech the color out of the heartwood, but I just haven't had that experience, and I've seen a TON of boards in the last few years working at the yard - air dried, kiln dried, kiln dried and steamed. I've always followed the mantra just because everyone else says it...but I'm putting my foot down and changing my tune...if you can't see a difference, there is no difference. At least as far as I'm concerned. Steaming definitely darkens the sapwood noticeably...otherwise, I don't know. Can't really see it. Kilns will toughen the fibers of every species and make hand tooling slightly less enjoyable...otherwise I challenge anyone to a blind taste test. maybe it is due to something other than steaming. but the stuff I buy retail is light gray and mushy looking. The stuff i buy dry kilned from a sawyer is more purple and black. Both are kiln dried. Maybe it is the growing conditions. An oil based finish brings a lot of the color back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 If I wasn't so lazy I'd post a bunch of my walnut projects and have people try to guess which are steamed and which aren't. But I'm too lazy. Suffice it to say, no one would get it right because you can't tell the difference. I don't know what they do to your walnut Mike, but the steamed stuff we have looks fine for the most part. Some boards are better than others but that's true with any stack of lumber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 1 hour ago, Eric. said: If I wasn't so lazy I'd post a bunch of my walnut projects and have people try to guess which are steamed and which aren't. But I'm too lazy. Suffice it to say, no one would get it right because you can't tell the difference. I don't know what they do to your walnut Mike, but the steamed stuff we have looks fine for the most part. Some boards are better than others but that's true with any stack of lumber. I am pretty sure I can tell the difference before finish goes on. After applying an oil based finishes much, if not all, of the color comes back. I will admit that the whole steamed vs. unsteamed walnut debate is out of hand and another example of woodworkers chasing that last 1% that no one will ever notice. It is up there with: Arm R Seal vs. Minwax Scraping back dye to pop grain any finish schedule with more than 3 steps honduran vs. cuban pallet wood vs. barn wood planing vs. sanding Granat vs. Rubin abrasives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted January 16, 2016 Report Share Posted January 16, 2016 On 1/14/2016 at 9:00 AM, Eric. said: If I wasn't so lazy I'd post a bunch of my walnut projects and have people try to guess which are steamed and which aren't. But I'm too lazy. Suffice it to say, no one would get it right because you can't tell the difference. I don't know what they do to your walnut Mike, but the steamed stuff we have looks fine for the most part. Some boards are better than others but that's true with any stack of lumber. My crib build from last year contained both steamed and not steamed walnut. The not steamed came from a co-worker who has a mill on the side. I didn't ask him specifically, but I am 99% sure it was not steamed. Poor planning meant I had to make a run to St Charles Hardwoods for some extra material, I am sure their walnut was steamed. I don't remember where the wood from the dealer went. Looking at the crib in it's completed state, I couldn't pick out which is which to save my life. When I was building it I remember being impressed that the woods matched so well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted February 10, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 Its final resting place 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted February 10, 2016 Report Share Posted February 10, 2016 Your right, willie Nelson would be proud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted February 11, 2016 Report Share Posted February 11, 2016 A fabric headboard in a woodworkers house! Maybe you got steamed! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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