Here's a pic of Denli's (http://www.denli.ch/) inventory in Turkey. Would sure be fun to peruse. What bothers me is the fact that they steam their wood before drying it, apparently to kill parasites before exportation

I bet you can't smoke in that room!

Did you ever pursue our side deal we PM'ed each other about? I'm still intrested if you are.

Terry

Terry, ForrestB & I talked some about it, still haven't done anything. I'll let you know.

and they think mecca is in arabia?

it's RIGHT there...

Terry, i bet they smoke in that room 10 at a time.. no osha, remember??!?!


If you guys are wanting to do the same thing I am with OZ walnut, lemme know

jeffe

Gentlemen,

I see nothing but chunks of firewood

Cheers
/JOHAN

the btu's on that wood is pretty low i would choose oak

Hey Forrest,

How about you hop on a plane and just trip over there and pick us out a couple of good pieces and bring them back

.

Heck Alf,
we call southern hearty thin shell walnut grown in california "english" when no thin shell evolved outside of persia... and even persain grown in scotland "english" where there aint no such thing as an "english" walnut, speaking of species....

"middle eastern/eurasia rift grown persian walnut" is a mouthful!!!


jeffe

Well it is all Juglans Regia. If you read the gunsmithing books from before around 1950 and the American Rifleman it was called French or Circassian, lately everyone calls the same stuff English, doggone little of it has ever come from France, Circassia or England.

I assume it is Juglans regia grown in Turkey regardless of what they call it. They have some pretty decent sticks on their website, at reasonable prices. As I said, I'm concerned about the fact that they steam the blanks before drying, seems like it would damage the wood cells, make the blank weak or soft.

Forrest,

It would be interesting to know what process they use and if it does damage the wood.

I wouldn't have a clue if they steam it in a steam room to lower the mosture or if they hit it with 100 psi steam with a hose. I would guess the use a steam room. Chances are it isnt hurting it to much or they wouldnt be doing it. I tried to find some info on this but couldnt.

Billy,
I can give emy mother a call (she's retired customs) and see what the spec is and why...

Here's kinda my thoughts.. if ALL turkish has been steamed in the last 10 years, then it's a normal and constant thing, and the process doesn't "do" anything we notice (a constant)... unless they change what and how..

i think this is like milk... everyone used to complain that it's pastuerized... now, unless you live ON a farm, you can't get fresh milk....

jeffe

Looking at that photo i can just SMELL Walnut!
Ah....

quote:

Originally posted by Gringo Cazador:
Forrest,

It would be interesting to know what process they use and if it does damage the wood.

I wouldn't have a clue if they steam it in a steam room to lower the mosture or if they hit it with 100 psi steam with a hose. I would guess the use a steam room. Chances are it isnt hurting it to much or they wouldnt be doing it. I tried to find some info on this but couldnt.

There is a thread on this very subject in the Big Bore Forum. I googled "steaming walnut" and found some articles on the use of steam to darken sapwood in veneer production. I could not find any mention of an application for gunstocks, but Goby Walnut's page came up because of a statement on their site that they do not steam their blanks. Makes you wonder if other wood merchants use steam to darken marginal blanks. My assumption has always been that the Turkish blanks were steamed to kill bugs and worms before storage and/or export.

All wood products are steamed or heated to 140 degrees (IIRC) to kill all living organisms in it before shipping it internationally.

This is due to a recent UN treaty (to which we are a signatory) and it affects all wood products, from shipping pallets to fine woods.

This is supposed to help prevent the spread of agricultural pests around the world.

I did a search on lumber import requirements. The generally accepted treatment appears to be heating to a core temperature of 56 degrees C. for 30 minutes or treatment with Methyl Bromide. I assume the latter is an insecticide fumigant.

The 140 degree amount is accurate. However, it only needs to reach this temperature for a short period of time under regulation. The Turks steam or boil their wood for 24 hours not to kill bugs but to drive out the natural oils in the wood. This allows them to dry the wood in 5 weeks rather than over a year. In other words, they lie. They also lie about it being Circassian for the same reason. Does it harm the wood? Damned right it does.

quote:

Originally posted by Thumpper470:
The 140 degree amount is accurate. However, it only needs to reach this temperature for a short period of time under regulation. The Turks steam or boil their wood for 24 hours not to kill bugs but to drive out the natural oils in the wood. This allows them to dry the wood in 5 weeks rather than over a year. In other words, they lie. They also lie about it being Circassian for the same reason. Does it harm the wood? Damned right it does.

So I've heard..........

quote:

Originally posted by Thumpper470:
The 140 degree amount is accurate. However, it only needs to reach this temperature for a short period of time under regulation. The Turks steam or boil their wood for 24 hours not to kill bugs but to drive out the natural oils in the wood. This allows them to dry the wood in 5 weeks rather than over a year. In other words, they lie. They also lie about it being Circassian for the same reason. Does it harm the wood? Damned right it does.

This statement is accurate.

Roland

quote:

.... treatment with Methyl Bromide. I assume the latter is an insecticide fumigant.

Yes it is. It is the stuff they use to fumigate strawberry fields with. I think it is also used when they fumigate your house for temintes.

Out here in Kalifornia the liberals have forced the phase of of it's use. Of course there is no reliable data to show it is harmfull. It is NECESSARY to make strawberry crop. A nematode populates the soil after a short period of time making repeat crops on the same ground impossible.

I bought 3 Turkish blanks from Chiron in the last few years. Two of those blanks were hard as rocks, very dense, tight pores. Jeffe made his 550Express on one. The first blank I bought from them, a beautiful and expensive piece, feels light and soft however. Haven't done anything with it yet, starting to get afraid to.

Jeffe has a blank from Chiron now for my Lott. We will soon see what happens with it. Butch

quote:

Originally posted by Scota4570:

quote:

.... treatment with Methyl Bromide. I assume the latter is an insecticide fumigant.

...Out here in Kalifornia the liberals have forced the phase of of it's use. Of course there is no reliable data to show it is harmfull.

If Methyl Bromide is what I remember it being when I worked in the plant nursery business (growing strawberries among other things), it is damn close to what the Nazi's used in gas chambers. If you want to think it's not harmful, I think California probably needs a couple more liberals...

Brent