[bruc101]

I purchased a load of firewood today from a charity and had it delivered to my shop. I almost fainted when they started unloading it and saw almost half of it was Walnut.

I ask the guys about it. They said the sawyer they got it from was out of an 8 foot long 26 inch wide log. They asked him why didn't he saw it into boards. He told them, his interest was firewood only.

I doubt very seriously I can take this home and poke it in a wood heater.

 

[splintergroup]

You have some resaw work ahead!

Good box material. Around here the only firewood is cedars/pines so I don't fret over it too much.

From here I'd call that a score, walnut at "fire sale" prices.

 

[Lazyman]

A buddy of mine brought me an unsplit walnut round from his friends firewood stack that was wating to be split. It was about 12" across and a little over that long. After I cut it in half to prep for turning a bowl, I discovered that it had a curly figured grain. I sliced it up in to short boards for some future box making. It's been drying for about a year now. I guess I should start thinking about making something with it. If that log was all figured like that, I can only image what it would have been worth sawed into lumber or slabs.

 

[Dark_Lightning]

It makes me sad to know how much beautifully figured grain has gone up in smoke. I've cited this example before, except that it wasn't beautiful grain, just some really nice walnut. I was at the local Salvation Army store talking to one of the guys about wood that was available from things like dressers that were donated, but had the drawer front nailed shut because the drawer was broken, stuff like that. I could use the wood for projects for our Cub Scouts. I asked what they did with that sort of thing, and he pointed to their crusher. As we were talking, a guy drove up with a forklift with bunch of stuff on it. One of those things was a 5 foot by 5 foot walnut "room divider", for lack of a better name. "Can you use that?", he asked. I said, "Sure!". I'm ashamed to admit that that wood didn't make it into the Cub projects, but plenty of other stuff did. I posted this project before, but I'll post one view here to show a small amount of what I rescued from the crusher.

 

[bugradx2]

some of the outside curves on those look like they might be limbs, wonder if that was part of the reason to go ahead and chop them up.

 

[KYtoolsmith]

Yep! I use quite a bit of walnut for firewood! Since I have my own sawmill and my own walnut trees, I've been cutting a good deal of walnut and other hardwood lumber for sale. My problem is getting rid of the limbs, log side slabs and other "waste". Around here in central/eastern Kentucky, it's like selling ice to Eskimos. And yes, I save the best for my own use.
Regards, The Kentucky Toolsmith!

 

[Peteybadboy]

I have seen curly maple in firewood. That kills me.

 

[tomsteve]

I have seen curly maple in firewood. That kills me.

i worked in a pallet mill out of high school. the head sawyer schooled me on curly maple. i was thinkin we got some bad logs in but nope- just some dam nice pallet wood.

 

[RevAndy]

It makes me sad to know how much beautifully figured grain has gone up in smoke. I've cited this example before, except that it wasn't beautiful grain, just some really nice walnut. I was at the local Salvation Army store talking to one of the guys about wood that was available from things like dressers that were donated, but had the drawer front nailed shut because the drawer was broken, stuff like that. I could use the wood for projects for our Cub Scouts. I asked what they did with that sort of thing, and he pointed to their crusher. As we were talking, a guy drove up with a forklift with bunch of stuff on it. One of those things was a 5 foot by 5 foot walnut "room divider", for lack of a better name. "Can you use that?", he asked. I said, "Sure!". I'm ashamed to admit that that wood didn't make it into the Cub projects, but plenty of other stuff did. I posted this project before, but I'll post one view here to show a small amount of what I rescued from the crusher. View attachment 3860050

Beautiful

 

[Dark_Lightning]

Beautiful

Thanks!

 

[bruc101]

Thanks folks for all your replies. I contacted a friend down in Athens that makes boxes and turnings and has already came and gotten the Walnut.

Due to Walnut dust causing serious illness and death to some people allergic to it, I don't allow Walnut in my shop anymore. I have two long time clients that visit my shop often, and when they both told me they had been hospitalized because of Walnut dust, that stopped me from using it anymore.

I'm still mad because someone that should know the value of Walnut, bucked the log and split it into firewood, especially when he has a bandsaw mill.

 

[Oregon Woodworker]

I have seen curly maple in firewood. That kills me.

I mill a lot of native big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) where I live in Oregon. Usually a tree will produce various figured grain such as curly, birds eye and quilted. A few years ago I milled the lower section of a tree assuming the best grain would be there. The upper section became firewood. After I split that firewood I saw that it had beautiful quilted grain. We just got to that wood in our woodshed and for the last week it has been heating our house. Here is a sample:

Imagine how it would look sanded! I have a friend who is into turning and he made some beautiful tool handles and pens from some of this firewood. He only needed a few pieces so about two cords are going through the woodstove. Everytime I put a piece in the stove it makes me sick. Next time I will be more careful. This wood does produce a lot of heat BTUs though.

Here are links to one of the projects that I made from the same tree that the firewood came from. Oddly that upper portion had more figured grain than the lower portion that I milled.

Projects - Live edge coffee table with router inlays -...

Projects - Live edge coffee table with router inlays -...

Projects - Live edge coffee table with router inlays -...

Projects - Black walnut fireplace mantle with mountain...

 

[IdleHandsWorkshop]

I live in the Pine belt, all we have for choices at the Big Box Stores is Oak, Cedar, and Pine... the latter in abundance. I bought some very small walnut scraps off a guy a while back and have used it for all kinds of accents on things... really like it, going to have to get some more.