hooked82 Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 So I came across a lady that wants a standing Black Walnut taken down on her property and I was lucky enough to come across it. This will be the first time that I've gotten a tree milled, so I'm pretty lost as to what would be best. I don't have a particular need for the lumber, so don't have specific dimensions/slabs that I want. I also think I can get some decent pieces for the lathe? Here's the dimensions: Diameter at Base - 20"Diameter at chest level - 18"Left Branch Diameter - 14"Right Branch Diameter - 13-1/2" It's approximately 50 feet tall and the lady said that it's about 30-35 years old. The woodpeckers seemed to have ravaged the tree, so I'm not sure if there's going to be internal rot/bugs (hopefully not). So what would you do with it and what's usable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I doubt the woodpeckers hurt it, but being mostly branch may give you headaches. Branches grow under more tension than the bole, and often react poorly when cut. You might get some good short boards from the main trunk, the big crotch would make an awesome slab, and the branches could yield a lot of turning blanks. Its walnut, so its ALL good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 If you're going to do it, get what you can out of it. Biggest and thickest pieces. You can always resaw and shorten, you can't add it back on. Not sure what you have in mind for drying but, steam tends to muddy the look. Air dried black walnut is awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I hate to burst your bubble, but that ain't no walnut tree. The bark is too smooth. I can't identify it but I can tell you it's not a walnut. The bark looks more like that of a cottonwood but I can't really see the leaves so I can't say for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I hate to burst your bubble, but that ain't no walnut tree. The bark is too smooth. I can't identify it but I can tell you it's not a walnut. The bark looks more like that of a cottonwood but I can't really see the leaves so I can't say for sure. That was my thought as well. But it is only 20-30 years old, sometimes younger trees have smoother bark and it gets coarse as it ages. The holes and damaged bark remind me of the work of the ash borer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Ash also has deeply corrugated bark. It's not ash. The bark of a walnut tree gets rough fairly early. I have a young(ish) walnut in my backyard...not nearly the diameter of the tree pictured...and it has distinctly corrugated bark. That's not a walnut, I'm quite confident. Those holes are definitely from a woodpecker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trip Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 ==> Getting a free Black Walnut Tree - What to do/suggestions? Hummmmm, let’s see ---A new wood-burning stove for the shop? Point is – ‘yard trees’ are rarely the bargain they seem... Unless it’s a desirable species, tall, straight, bug-free, sparsely branched, etc, etc then ‘free’ really doesn’t figure into it... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Yeah, woodpeckers are usually attracted to certain trees for a reason... food (bugs). I wouldn't touch that tree with a 30 foot pole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooked82 Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 So here's a picture of the flowers that were on the ground all around it, which look to me like they're walnut flowers: There's also a limb lower on the tree that was trimmed at some point, maybe I should go give it a cut with a saw and get a fresh end grain to see what is in there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Hmmm, well those look like walnut buds alright. But never in my life have I seen bark on a walnut tree that looks like that one. Color me stumped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 That may be a hickory tree and hickory flowers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooked82 Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 That may be a hickory tree and hickory flowers. That is true, part of the walnut family, so it could be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keggers Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I'm not sure what kind of tree it is either. I'd think the owner of the property would know if it's walnut if it's producing walnuts. The holes are from a sapsucker. Sort of a woodpecker. I have a pecan tree by my shop window and I've seen those little boogers make straight line holes in the bark. There should be no damage to the good wood. The problem with milling a yard tree is the great chance of there being nails in the wood. Be prepared to replace saw blades for the person sawing it up for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooked82 Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I'm not sure what kind of tree it is either. I'd think the owner of the property would know if it's walnut if it's producing walnuts. The holes are from a sapsucker. Sort of a woodpecker. I have a pecan tree by my shop window and I've seen those little boogers make straight line holes in the bark. There should be no damage to the good wood. The problem with milling a yard tree is the great chance of there being nails in the wood. Be prepared to replace saw blades for the person sawing it up for you. I just texted the lady and asked how she knew it was a black walnut. She said that she looked it up in her tree book and drops black walnuts in the late summer. I'm going to go take another look here in a bit and see if I can check out any of the branch cutoffs for more clues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Don't go to too much trouble. Break one branch and the walnut smell is unmistakable. True it may be butternut or a variant, but the smell is unique. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I really don't know if it is worth paying someone to saw for you. You really only want the lumber from the main trunk, based on this calculator you have about 60 bd ft in that trunk (assuming the main trunk is 5' long and 18" in diameter). Roughsawn, kiln dried walnut is about $6 bd ft from a mill. So you are talking $360 worth of lumber if you can squeeze out 60 bd ft. I am not sure you can get it sawed, stickered, and dried for that much. Yes, retail walnut is closer to $10, but that is after it has been graded and the defects cut away. If you want to do it for the novelty, go for it. Personally I'd have it cut into 2" thick slabs and figure out what to do with it in 2 years once it air dries. http://www.hickoryandoak.com/custom_sawmilling.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I've been where you are with a cherry tree I got for free, the work to get it on the ground, to the mill, stack it properly, let it dry for years or pay to have it kiln dried ect. for not that much wood I would pass. I only did the one tree because I made a hope chest for my daughters graduation from college and that made it extra special. I would do it again only if I could get 3 or 4 good trees and only because I just found a mill that only charges 25 cents a BF to cut it up and 10 cents a BF to dry it in a solar kiln Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FtrPilot Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I was busy typing up a recommendation to do a business case...but Mike Woodsap has done that... ..... based on this calculator you have about 60 bd ft in that trunk (assuming the main trunk is 5' long and 18" in diameter). Roughsawn, kiln dried walnut is about $6 bd ft from a mill. So you are talking $360 worth of lumber if you can squeeze out 60 bd ft. I am not sure you can get it sawed, stickered, and dried for that much. Yes, retail walnut is closer to $10, but that is after it has been graded and the defects cut away. +1 on Mike's recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Bowl blanks start sounding pretty attractive after the input from everyone don't they. Cut Em and wax or seal the end grain very quickly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooked82 Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Great feedback everybody! I just went back and got some more pics of the nuts, branches/leaves and a piece of an old cutoff branch that I cut off and cut in half with my bandsaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooked82 Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Bowl blanks start sounding pretty attractive after the input from everyone don't they. Cut Em and wax or seal the end grain very quickly! Agreed! I'm doing some reading on the proper way of cutting/sealing the large branches into blanks. I need to get some Anchorseal the next time I'm in the area of a Woodcraft/Rockler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 How big is the piece of wood that on the end grain shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooked82 Posted May 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 How big is the piece of wood that on the end grain shot? It's about 4" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Cancelleri Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Bowl blanks, lots of bowl blanks. Get some ArmRSeal for it, cut it, brush it on the ends and let it hang out for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerseyG1960 Posted May 2, 2015 Report Share Posted May 2, 2015 Those nuts are walnuts but I agree with the others who have said the bark is not Black Walnut bark. It looks like English Walnut. It's not native but many yard trees are not. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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