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Green Walnut on my one year anniversary on LJ

1723 Views 13 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Built2Last, Jul 25, 2009

bamasawduster

Discussion Starter · Jul 24, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

I have a friend who cuts trees. He asked me yesterday if I wanted some walnut and yesterday afternoon he delivered a huge trailer load of awesome walnut to me. I have never worked with any of this and don't know how I should go about cutting and drying the wood. The grain is just incredible and I would like to graduate from bandsaw boxes and carved bowls, which is all I've done in my first year of making sawdust. Would love to have some input on how to dry the wood and ideas on what to make from it. Since today is my one year anniversary on LJ, surely someone will give me the gift of assistance in this dilemma. Thanks for all the help everyone has given me over the last year.

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a1Jim

· #2 · Jul 24, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

Hey Gary congrats on you one year at LJs.
As far as drying wood there are a number of ways but a lot of people who mill and dry there own make some type of kiln and many are solar powered. But a key to drying wood includes sealing the ends with paint or other sealer stacking your wood so that there is plenty of are circulation with stickers in between each piece of wood . If out doors keep it from direct sunlight and have some heavy weights on top like concrete blocks to help prevent twisting and cupping. If possible use like material for stickers to prevent stains from unlike woods.

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DanYo

· #3 · Jul 24, 2009

did he send logs or planks ?

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Built2Last

· #4 · Jul 24, 2009

Hey my buddy my friend my fellow Alabamian
I won't do this for just anyone, BUT, since it's you!!!
I'll let you bring that ole green stuff down here to my place and I'll dry it up and when it's dry I'll build a bunch of stuff with it and then take a whole bunch of pictures of the whole process and then when you get another load you'll know what to do with it. SOUNDS GOOD TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

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bamasawduster

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 24, 2009

Dan, the ungrateful guy brought logs. You would think that since I was helpful enough to take the wood off his hands that he would have had it sawed at least. Seriously, the logs are from 24 to probably 40 inches in diamter. Most are cut to about 2 feet in length so that they could handle them well. Guess Ill take Jim's advice and use a chainsaw to get them down to 12 inch blocks, then resaw them on my bandsaw before airdrying them. How long will it take for them to dry if I cut them into 3/4 boards. Will 3/4 be about eight for allowing room for planing?

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Darell

· #6 · Jul 24, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

Happy Anniversary Gary. We share the date as this is my first anniversary here too. Sweet deal on the walnut. Waiting on it to dry will be pure agony. LOL! Just checked out your projects after your post on my anniversay blog. Who's kidding who about advanced projects? You're bowls and boxes are awesome. I can see where some of your walnut is going to go. Great work and happy anniversary.

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Karson

· #7 · Jul 24, 2009 (Edited by Moderator)

Congratulation on your first year.

I'm assuming that he sent planks because you referred to the grain. Stack the wood on a solid flat base so the Wood is stacked on something straight.

Put down a row of stickers about 2' apart 4' long and stack a layer of wood. more stickers in a row with the first row put down. Try to keep the outsides even by having a larger space between the boards in the inside of the pile.

If you have a short board, stack it in one of the inside area, you want all of the outside boards to be the same length if possible. If you have 10' and 8' and 6' then put the 10'ers on the bottom and stack the shorter ones on top.

You want air to be able to move through the pile so don't make all of the boards fit tight together. On the top cover it with something waterproof like tin roofing to keep the rain from getting on the top and soaking in the pile. The sides shouldn't be covered.

Here is a federal gov document on drying lumber.

I tend to do the fan shed air drying Page 3 of the document. But I store mine in the second floor of my shop and blow fans on it. The maple there is at 12%. I put it in about 1 month ago. It was about 16-18% when i started.

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thehammer

· #8 · Jul 24, 2009

I don't have alot of experience with drying wood but I'd love to see some pics of the grain patterns when you cut them up. Walnut is one of my favorite woods. Congrats on the score.

John

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Built2Last

· #9 · Jul 24, 2009

Hey again Gary
I should have my mill running this weekend or first of next week. If you want to bring the logs down to West Blocton I will saw them up for you.
Gary

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bamasawduster

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jul 24, 2009

Thanks, Gary. The larger logs are only 2-3 feet long. Your rig probably needs the logs to be longer. Besides, it's a pretty good piece down there. Sure would love to have them sawed up, though. It would almost be worth the drive. Gotta try to figure out how to do it.

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Ottis

· #11 · Jul 24, 2009

Gary,
I would also cut them a bit thicker than 3/4 for shrinkage

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bamasawduster

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jul 25, 2009

Karson, I read and saved the document on drying. Lots of good info there.

You're right, Don. I am going to cut them i inch after reading some tonight.

I really appreciate all the advice on this. That's what makes LJ the best forum on the net. I am so glad I stumbled upon it one year ago today.

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woodworm

· #13 · Jul 25, 2009

Congratulations!...and what a precious walnut logs you have got.

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Built2Last

· #14 · Jul 25, 2009

Gary
Actuallly, when I built the tracks I built an extra set of log dogs into them so that I could saw logs as short as 2 feet. Whatever you decide to do make sure that you seal the ends of the logs with either a wax sealer or latex paint.
Gary

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