all right guys, I know this was just posted on here, but maybe my connection is causing the problem, I just can't get the search to bring it up. so forgive the duplicate questions.

Got a friend that is cutting down an old big walnut tree. All I know is it's a walnut tree in his yard. My uncle wants the stump, but the rest I think is just going to firewood or discard. so.

1. is there any point in trying to get any of it for stocks
2. what part would I want and does it age before cutting or cut first?

thanks.

Red

I'll repeat an earlier posting of mine.Walnut is a tree that is considered mature at 150 years old and can live to 250 !My own tree is only 50 and would not supply too much in the way of stocks.You don't want the outer , lighter color sap wood .You want only the darker heart wood.If it's old enough for stocks it has to be cut properly as far as grain etc and carefully dried .Density of walnut varies -grown in a swamp in warm climate it won't be very dense and not make a good stock.

well, although Fresno is hot as hell in the summer I don't think the weather is severe enough in the winter that it will be very dense.

it was a thought...

thanks again.

Red

Find someone with a portable sawmill and ask them if it's worth sawing to lumber. If the trunk is more than 2.5' diameter about 4' above the ground it's worth it in my mind.

If the tree is much less than that you might just as well make firewood of it, unless you have a wood turning lathe and then even branches 6" diameter are fun to turn after air drying several years.

Even if the wood is not very dense it can still make a fine stock for a .223 or .243 etc and full length glass bedding can replace a lot of the need for hard woods.

I've taken down a good number of trees and made stocks from them and it's an experience I'll tell you.....and it's not cheap either. Many of the trees actuaslly have steel/iron hardware in them from many years ago when fences was attached, horse rings and all manner of stuff attached to them and the tree grew around it.

DR,

Might as well cut some and see, worse case you have an extra stick to toss in the fireplace. If your uncle is getting the stump try cutting a crotch section where there is a branch.

I read somewhere last year that you have to dig out around the stump below the ground line then cut thus preserving as much heart wood as possible.

Have you figured out what kind of walnut tree it is.

I got several large walnut logs about 1 1/2 foot diamiter about 20 years ago in Lake Elsinore Ca.
I had just stored the logs with out cutting them. ( I didnt know squat and still dont about cutting and storeing blanks) . Anyway I made a stock for a old SxS shotgun out of the wood. It took me 3 pieces that I messed up making the butt. I cut and shaped the blank with a chain saw and skill saw, hand drill/ drum sander, dremel, belt sander, files. Pretty much hillbilly style. No plan to successfuly get real stock made from what I was doing. Just messing around.

The stock eventually turned out ok , for not knowing what I was doing. I still dont know what kind of walnut it is. It is pretty dense with tight grain and pores.

The logs had alot of bore beetles so most the wood was not useable.

quote:

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Originally posted by DeBee:
I read somewhere last year that you have to dig out around the stump below the ground line then cut thus preserving as much heart wood as possible.

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I remember reading something like that as well. I believe that there is supposed to be something like a big round bulb beneath the ground that bears the best wood for stockmaking.

I saw a photo at Bill McGuire's home some years ago. It showed 5 o4 six turks digging out the root ball on a very large, 8 to 10 foot diameter Turkish Walnut tree. The job looked like nothing I would want to tackle. It had rocks imbedded in the root ball as it was in incredibly rocky ground. I would imagine it yielded some awesome wood.

I have tried cutting wood in the past. I quickly learned that you put an incredible amount of work into what usually turns out to be mediocre wood. I leave it to the pros now.

I did this drill about five years ago with a walnut tree in the side yard that had to come down for a new house. It was a black walnut perhaps 2 feet in diameter at the base. I ended up with two crappy blanks better suited for a handrail on a circular stairway.

Yard trees always have nails in them. Be careful as you can when cutting them. Some sawmills won't take them if they know they are from a yard. Probably best for firewood although I sold some walnut limbs to a guitar maker before.

I have one in Wisconsin that is about ten feet around. It is absolutely huge. It blew over in a horrendous storm about three years ago, the branches and root ball are holding it about four feet off of the ground. A friend and I are going to get it milled down to four inch slabs. We were hoping to get some blanks from it but after reading this stuff I don't know. The forestry guy guessed it was between 150 and 200 yrs old. I don't know enough about walnuts to know if they gro to be that old or not.

quote:

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Originally posted by Dago Red:

Got a friend that is cutting down an old big walnut tree. All I know is it's a walnut tree in his yard. My uncle wants the stump, but the rest I think is just going to firewood or discard. so.

1. is there any point in trying to get any of it for stocks
2. what part would I want and does it age before cutting or cut first?

thanks.

Red

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If you are willing to do the work you may be rewarded with some great wood. I am doing a stock from an American Black walnut that I salvaged while I was stationed at Ft Hood, TX. It is beautiful peacock feather crotch with perfect grain layout. I will admit that the huge majority of the tree was unsuitable for stocks but I did get a couple of super blanks for lever actions.

If I ever find where I packed the stock when I moved I will post some pics.

Red,

I build custom stocks on a part time basis, so have an interest in any walnut tree that may offer up a blank. My neighbor and good friend down the road has a bucket truck and does tree removal and trimming. Another friend has a portable saw mill. I have a log trailer that I can move logs from the site to the mill at any time. I have a large shed that has plenty of storage. Sounds like the perfect set up for getting some cheap blanks, right?

After several well thought out attempts I will not try again. What I do now is have the logs cut up into 1 inch lumber (as Vapodog advised). Sticker the lumber in a dry place and in a few months you can sell it. Take the money and shop for a good looking blank. I don’t know what rough-cut walnut is going for in your area but I can guess it won’t take many boards to cover the cost of a really good looking blank.

Jim


Carnivore,

I got a free walnut tree from the storm I think you are talking about. By the way, need any walnut firewood?? What happens is the wind, etc. twists the branches to the point it weakens the wood. Everything looks good when you mill the log, but as it dries it comes apart at the growth rings. REALLY comes apart. In my opinion the only part of your tree that may yield anything useable, would be that area 2 feet below the lowest branch, downward to the stump.

Jim

quote:

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Originally posted by Carnivore:
I have one in Wisconsin that is about ten feet around. It is absolutely huge. It blew over in a horrendous storm about three years ago, the branches and root ball are holding it about four feet off of the ground. A friend and I are going to get it milled down to four inch slabs. We were hoping to get some blanks from it but after reading this stuff I don't know. The forestry guy guessed it was between 150 and 200 yrs old. I don't know enough about walnuts to know if they gro to be that old or not.

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This size tree is definitely worth milling. Have it slab sawed into 12 quarter thick pieces (4"). The best prettiest stock wood will come from the wood that was at or below ground level. Most burl walnut comes from the main stump root just below ground, so plan your cuts carefully. Once cut, you need to seal the cut ends with wax or creasote to prevent the wood from drying too quickly. If it dries too quickly it will check or crack. The wood will need to be stacked out of the weather, but not indoors for the first couple years. Stack it level with spacers between each piece to permit air circulation,
I had a friend many years ago that was in the gunstock business. He would spend his summers visiting mills throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey looking for wood. He would buy up Walnut, birdseye maple, and occasionally some hard cherry for stocks. Back in his day he used to sell wood to Fajen and Bishop. His garage was always stacked floor to ceiling with blanks. Don't forget that even the smaller pieces of burl can be used for pistol grips, so don't burn it! If you decide not to make stocks out of it, you can take the slabs and sell them to furniture makers. Do a search and price it. Walnut is extremely expensive and Big wood brings big money.