Walnut Color

[gsxturbo11]

Hi Guys,

I just purchased some pretty clear Walnut today. First time really working with it so I was really excited. I had some Walnut my grandfather had given me that had already been planned and jointed. I went and planned the new stuff and there are green swirls that is mixed in with the black. Any idea if this is the way it is supposed to be or maybe it's possibly not dried out all the way?

[Vic]

Hi Guys,

I just purchased some pretty clear Walnut today. First time really working with it so I was really excited. I had some Walnut my grandfather had given me that had already been planned and jointed. I went and planned the new stuff and there are green swirls that is mixed in with the black. Any idea if this is the way it is supposed to be or maybe it's possibly not dried out all the way?

That's not a color I've seen in Walnut. Do you happen to have a moisture meter? Be sure to remove about the same material from the other side of the board. If it is still to wet, that will help keep it from distorting. Be sure to sticker it with weight, also, until you figure out what the deal is. Good luck.

[Keggers]

When walnut logs are sawn, the wood does have a green tint to it. I'd sure check the moisture content. If it changes color over night, that will give you a good indicator that it's still got quite a bit of moisture.

[gsxturbo11]

Well the wood came out of the kiln about a week ago and was tested at 5% moisture.

[Onboard]

From what I can find, walnut wood does have a greenish color before drying. Once dried it should go to a gray-brown color. It may be possible that the kiln drying was rushed (higher temperature, shorter time) which can result in case hardening. When you planed “the new stuff”, it could have removed enough of the outer 5% moisture content wood to start exposing the inner wet wood. As you know, case hardening will dry the wood quickly for a short distance below the surface and entrap moisture below that. I'm not saying this is what happened in your case, but it is a possibility.

[Bob Rozaieski]

I've a ton of walnut in my shop right now, and the color can really vary from board to board. I've got shades of green, blue, purple, dark chocolate brown and light grayish tan. It's just one of those woods that can have a lot of color variation. It makes it particularly important to try your best to get all project parts from a single board if you can, or at least from the same tree if possible. Of course sometimes this just isn't possible, so you either learn to love the color variations or become really good at coloring wood during finishing to even all the different colors from the different boards out.

[Bobby Slack]

This makes it tough to have a good and uniform glue up.

[Bobby Slack]

This makes it tough to have a good and uniform glue up.

I've a ton of walnut in my shop right now, and the color can really vary from board to board. I've got shades of green, blue, purple, dark chocolate brown and light grayish tan. It's just one of those woods that can have a lot of color variation. It makes it particularly important to try your best to get all project parts from a single board if you can, or at least from the same tree if possible. Of course sometimes this just isn't possible, so you either learn to love the color variations or become really good at coloring wood during finishing to even all the different colors from the different boards out.

[gsxturbo11]

Yes it does, specially with a Green tint. Doesn't look so good.

This makes it tough to have a good and uniform glue up.

[Bob Rozaieski]

The blue/green/purple tints are pretty typical of walnut that has been milled recently. It's not a sign of improper drying or a moisture content that is too high. It's just normal for the wood. I actually like the surprise of planing off the rough sawmill marks to see what colors a particular board is going to exhibit. It's just one of the beauties of natural wood. The thing with walnut though is that it lightens over time. This is the complete opposite of what happens to most other woods, which tend to darken with age. As the walnut ages, it will lose the green/blue/purple tint, and lighten to a grayish tan color. You just have to give it some time and exposure to light and oxygen. I'd concentrate more on getting a really good grain match and a close color match of the darkness of the browns, and ignore the green tint for now. It will fade in time.

Of course most walnut furniture you see has been colored in some way, so you may not notice it lightening or see the shades of blue and green disappearing, but it happens. If you are opposed to waiting it out, there are finishing recipes for walnut that can help to even things out. So get the grain match right and even the color out with your finish. You have to do this with most woods anyway as there is always some color variation from board to board, even within the same tree. It's a natural material after all .

[Onboard]

Bob, thank you for the wonderful insight on walnut. I have been told that wood from fruit bearing trees will darken over time, but wood from nut bearing trees will lighten over time. I was wondering though, how freshly milled walnut looks color wise compared to dried walnut. Is the color more intense prior to drying, about the same or more intense after drying and milling, but before aging in the presence of light and oxygen? Just curious.

The blue/green/purple tints are pretty typical of walnut that has been milled recently. It's not a sign of improper drying or a moisture content that is too high. It's just normal for the wood. I actually like the surprise of planing off the rough sawmill marks to see what colors a particular board is going to exhibit. It's just one of the beauties of natural wood. The thing with walnut though is that it lightens over time. This is the complete opposite of what happens to most other woods, which tend to darken with age. As the walnut ages, it will lose the green/blue/purple tint, and lighten to a grayish tan color. You just have to give it some time and exposure to light and oxygen. I'd concentrate more on getting a really good grain match and a close color match of the darkness of the browns, and ignore the green tint for now. It will fade in time.

Of course most walnut furniture you see has been colored in some way, so you may not notice it lightening or see the shades of blue and green disappearing, but it happens. If you are opposed to waiting it out, there are finishing recipes for walnut that can help to even things out. So get the grain match right and even the color out with your finish. You have to do this with most woods anyway as there is always some color variation from board to board, even within the same tree. It's a natural material after all .

[Bobby Slack]

Guys I tell you what I did with this. I edited this, wrote an email to my lumber supplier in Los Angeles (Bohnhoff Lumber) and since my next project will use walnut, we will go to the pile, block plane or smooth plane in hand and pick pieces to match and make a nice piece.

It is really fantastic to read and educate myself in these kinds of threads.

Please don't take it the wrong way ... "I love you man"

[Bobby Slack]

One more thing. Having a great relationship and being a loyal customer to your lumber supplier is probably the best thing you can do.

Treat others (including your suppliers) like you want to be treated. Everybody wins.

[Bob Rozaieski]

Bob, thank you for the wonderful insight on walnut. I have been told that wood from fruit bearing trees will darken over time, but wood from nut bearing trees will lighten over time. I was wondering though, how freshly milled walnut looks color wise compared to dried walnut. Is the color more intense prior to drying, about the same or more intense after drying and milling, but before aging in the presence of light and oxygen? Just curious.

It depends. Don't you love that answer .

Walnut has a creamy white sapwood. Many mills will steam walnut before drying to try and push some of the heartwood color into the sapwood. However, I find this lessens the intensity of the color in the heartwood and makes it look kind of dull. I don't like the steamed stuff as much.

Unsteamed walnut heartwood however will look very rich and intense when it's first milled. Deep chocolate with hints of purple, blue & green. The colors get less intense upon drying, but they're still there. Then, as the wood ages, the green/blue/purple colors fade, the deep chocolate lightens, and you're left with a warm grayish brown. It's one of my favorite woods to work with.