wnaziri Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 I bought some walnut slabs today from a local woodworker. He had plans to make "rustic" slab tables but after several years of inactivity, he chose to sell the slabs. What I bought: 22 Kiln dried but not steamed slabs. They are 12/4. Most are 22-29 wide, narrowest one is 17". Most are 8 feet long and a few are 6 feet. Finally, I paid $100 per slab. When I calculated, per BF, I paid < $3, after accounting for some waste, etc. How did I do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 I think you know you did well on those... The top slab has way too much sapwood for me, but maybe the others are better? Get some metal legs, and make some tables! BAM! Profit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post JosephThomas Posted February 19, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 Turrible. I will come pick them up to get that junk out of your way. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaziri Posted February 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 7 hours ago, Llama said: I think you know you did well on those... I actually was not sure. I thought I did but then I began to question my judgment. I read about or hear about woodworkers and their lumber finds and began to question my purchase. 7 hours ago, Llama said: Get some metal legs, and make some tables! BAM! Profit! Profit? My wife or kids refuse to pay for anything I make. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Eric. Posted February 19, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 LOL Good deal or not? Really? The slabs we sell are kiln dried and 10/4. While pricing is subjective and based on each particular slab's size and character, I can comfortably say we would have sold those for at least 10 thousand. Probably more considering they're 12/4. Mel's right about the top slab but I'm sure there are a few in there that are decent looking. Just yesterday I sold two slabs for $2200. They were considerably larger than those, but still. You can thank that guy for being an idiot, whoever he is. What a moron. And just as an aside because I can't help myself...I still don't get the appeal. Looks like leg stock to me. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenskye Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 I would say you did good. Just one of those would cost me about $600-800 in my area, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaziri Posted February 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 43 minutes ago, Eric. said: And just as an aside because I can't help myself...I still don't get the appeal. Looks like leg stock to me Neither do I. I am not sure I will ever be doing any slab furniture. It is just superb walnut lumber. I know that it probably heresy that I may not use this walnut for slab furniture but I am not a big of fan of that style. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 42 minutes ago, wnaziri said: I know that it probably heresy that I may not use this walnut for slab furniture but I am not a big of fan of that style. I like slabs/large boards for color match. I am not a huge fan of live edge stuff... It's "fine" when done well, but rarely is. I make it when a client wants me to. I have some left over pieces of a really nice slab I cut down for the last project, and I was thinking about doing something with them. I just don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 Wade, that thick stock will be great fodder for sculpted furniture, if you don't want to do slab tables! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 Got any more pictures of the other slabs? Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaziri Posted February 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said: Wade, that thick stock will be great fodder for sculpted furniture, if you don't want to do slab tables! I had the exact same thought. I'm in the midst of a Maloof rocking chair. It's my trial run. It's proving to be a pain in the you-know-what because Einstein here chose Sapele for the lumber. That stuff is really hard and a pain to work with. But, it is proving to be a great learning experience. I hope to make a few Maloof inspired sculpted pieces using the walnut. As a side note, I came very close to ordering the walnut from Belforrest Products a while back at $800 and now I'm glad I didn't. I can probably make a whole bunch of chairs and have walnut left over. 36 minutes ago, JosephThomas said: Got any more pictures of the other slabs? Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk Not yet. When I get a chance to organize the stacks, I will be sure to document each one and I'll post some of the pics. The guy who sold me lumber included delivery to my workshop in his price and I didn't have the heart to ask him to take time to arrange the slabs in any particular order. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 I got several slabs at work in the rack and under my bench cut from a single tree. If it was up to me I'd give them away. Been sitting there for two years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 I see walnut slabs selling for anywhere from $3bd ft to $20 bd ft (or more). The reality is most of it is ungraded and would make #1c grade at best. But plenty of suppliers cash in on the slab trend and price it like FAS walnut graded on an oak scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephThomas Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 3 hours ago, wnaziri said: The guy who sold me lumber included delivery to my workshop in his price and I didn't have the heart to ask him to take time to arrange the slabs in any particular order. $100 each included shipping/delivery? Wow that's insane. Even if not it's a great deal. I should move to NC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 19, 2017 Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 It should go without saying by now that not all wood is created equal - despite popular belief and wishful thinking among the masses...I mean who knows how those slabs were handled in the kiln? But you can't buy firewood for that cheap, so yeah, it's a damn good deal either way. Let's hope they don't crumble to pieces when you cut into them because someone nuked them from the inside out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wnaziri Posted February 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 On 2/19/2017 at 11:39 AM, JosephThomas said: Got any more pictures of the other slabs? I spent some time organizing my newly acquired loot of walnut and it gave me a good chance to take some pics. I stacked the 8 foot pieces in one corner and took pics of with each set that I arranged. These slabs range from 26" to 32" width. I also wondered about the moisture level because I had no idea how they had been stored. They were all 7-8%. In retrospect, I started this thread because I began to doubt about my ability to find a good lumber deal. I was really sure that the price for these slabs was great right up to the moment I wrote the 2K check. That's when doubt worked its way into my mind. I feel better now with your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 9 hours ago, wnaziri said: They were all 7-8%. You said they were all kiln dried so moisture shouldn't be an issue ever again after that unless they were submerged in water... ...but keep in mind that that reading is at the end of a board where it's almost completely meaningless. You need to lop off at least a few inches and take a reading from the middle of a board to gather any relevant information. And even then it's questionable, depending upon the quality of your moisture meter. But again...if your slabs were kiln dried (hopefully properly kiln dried) it shouldn't matter how they were stored, short of them being stored at the bottom of a river. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted February 24, 2017 Report Share Posted February 24, 2017 Very nice haul. Get some sawdust made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pondhockey Posted February 27, 2017 Report Share Posted February 27, 2017 Just bought a 7ft by 2ft by 2 inch slab for $250 - and my slab was still wet (about 18% moisture.) So I'm a bit envious of your deal! We don't get a whole lot of walnut in my neck of the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billkappel Posted March 12, 2017 Report Share Posted March 12, 2017 Great wood for the Maloof style rockers. Don't be too finicky about the sap wood; use it all and see what wonderful results Mother Nature can provide. Get my ‘Free’ text on how to make a Maloof style rocker and see what interesting short cuts you can find. Bill kappel 'the rocking chair guy' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiknNutz Posted March 13, 2017 Report Share Posted March 13, 2017 That is an incredible buy! By way of comparison, my father and I are in the process of buying two standing walnut trees. These are big specimens, 39" and 48" at breast height. We have agreed to pay the owner $6000 for both and have estimated there is at least 2500 BF, more like 3000 BF. We will have about $12,000 into them before we even get to use them. So for you to have paid only $3/BF for kiln dried slabs is a serious score. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheperd80 Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Nice haul, i wouldve jumped on it too. It should go without saying by now that not all wood is created equal - despite popular belief and wishful thinking among the masses...I mean who knows how those slabs were handled in the kiln? But you can't buy firewood for that cheap, so yeah, it's a damn good deal either way. Let's hope they don't crumble to pieces when you cut into them because someone nuked them from the inside out. Is there any way to tell just by looking? Slabs like that are always rough and dirty so aside from looking for warping, checking and obvious problems whats a guy to do? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 Nice haul, i wouldve jumped on it too. Is there any way to tell just by looking? Slabs like that are always rough and dirty so aside from looking for warping, checking and obvious problems whats a guy to do? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk The ones at my yard are surfaced so you can see what you're buying. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 8 hours ago, ChiknNutz said: That is an incredible buy! By way of comparison, my father and I are in the process of buying two standing walnut trees. These are big specimens, 39" and 48" at breast height. We have agreed to pay the owner $6000 for both and have estimated there is at least 2500 BF, more like 3000 BF. We will have about $12,000 into them before we even get to use them. So for you to have paid only $3/BF for kiln dried slabs is a serious score. If you don't mind me asking, what are your plans for these? How thick are you having them milled? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiknNutz Posted March 14, 2017 Report Share Posted March 14, 2017 We are planning to make some slab tables and furniture, though we are also looking to sell some of the slabs. The widest ones we are planning to mill to 3" thick, the thinner will be about 2-1/2" thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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