lee economy.

L Ross

Well-Known Member
We have so much Iron Wood the DNR forester wants us to cut it like a weed. I makes great fire wood, mallet heads, and probably wheel hubs. I'm looking for the right piece of Maple to make a ball headed war club. Always wanted one of those.
 

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
ABSOLUTELY on the ash - a shame and a boon at once.

I try to cut as much of that as I can so we can at least put it to some respectful use, in deference to letting it rot and serve no purpose.
My grandfather had an excess of Balck Walnut and Honey Locust. It was painful to burn that stuff, particularly the black walnut that was so valuable. But like you, we weren't going to let it rot.

My little Jotul 602 likes a dense pack of smaller stuff anyway.
Jotul makes some of the best stoves I've ever seen. The 602 is still in production and if you ever find a 118; buy it immediately.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
You need to dig around the base of the tree to find a root bulb that will work. We used to make walking sticks by that method in Scouts. Hadn't thought of that in a couple decades!
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Wow now this is a persistent drift!!!
Impressive! But…

I’m envious of you guys with such wonderful hard woods to heat with. There’s only Spruce and Birch in the interior of Alaska.
 
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L Ross

Well-Known Member
You need to dig around the base of the tree to find a root bulb that will work. We used to make walking sticks by that method in Scouts. Hadn't thought of that in a couple decades!
I have dug out a hickory root to make a mallet for primitive wood working.
 

JonB

Halcyon member
My grandfather had an excess of Balck Walnut and Honey Locust. It was painful to burn that stuff, particularly the black walnut that was so valuable. But like you, we weren't going to let it rot.
In MN, Black Walnut (in the form of green logs) being valuable is mostly an urban legend...or would that be a rural legend? LOL.
I've cut my share of Black walnut, and while searching out buyers, I always get some excuse why the logs I am offering are worth nothing. After those several failures, I avoid BW trees/logs. I won't cut it for firewood, I don't like the smell of the smoke, I suspect it has some level of toxicity.

Funny story, the last logs of BW I cut, was from a giant tree in a neighbors yard, wedged between two houses. The tree company that took it down, left the trunk logs in 10' lengths at the home owners request. He thought he was gonna get rich. After he was unable to sell them for more than the price of firewood, He asked me if I was willing to cut and split them (and all the other medium sized branches saved from the tree) for half the firewood as compensation. I told him I wasn't interested in ever burning BW because I disliked the smell and told him I thought it was mildly toxic. He then offered me money to cut and split all of it for him. He said he wanted it for campfire cooking and such, I told him that's the last wood I'd use for such, he didn't seem to care about my opinion. We came to a fair price of my labor, so I cut and split it all in one day. I was happy with the deal, until the next day, when I had some sort of allergy type symptoms, that I blame on breathing the BW dust. LAST TIME, I told myself, LAST TIME!
 
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L Ross

Well-Known Member
In my limited interaction with loggers, log buyers, sawmills etal, I have developed a level of what, disrespect? Loggers come in work at their convenience, break promises, sneak trees they aren't supposed to cut, leave a mess and run away ASAP. The log buyers are a lot like fur buyers, they can find more things to complain about and run down the quality of what you are trying to sell. But go to their mill and try buy something and they only have gold!
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
I was happy with the deal, until the next day, when I had some sort of allergy type symptoms, that I blame on breathing the BW dust. LAST TIME, I told myself, LAST TIME!
Jon,
I have built 5 Jaeger flintlock rifles with Black walnut stocks in the early 2000's for a Rev-war Jaeger re-enacting unit. The members bought Track of the Wolf component part kits and had them drop shipped to my workshop
I regretted working on every one of those! Although being German guns, I was allowed to really be creative with them which was nice! However I suffered respiratory wise;
I guess I'm highly allergic to the sanding and sawing dust! I had many sleepless nights. Probably one of my most creative periods but also one of the worse health experiences in my life
 
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Jeff H

NW Ohio
.....Probably one of my most creative periods but also one of the worse health experiences in my life

Black walnut has never been one of my favorite woods anyway, but I still have some boards left from one I cut in 2001 or 2002, and plan to finish it up on a toy box for my first grand-daughter. getting the stock straight and square meant that I need to use the table-saw and planer, but I'm beyond that at this point. I did suffer some respiratory irritation.

I have no intention of sanding this stuff, as I loath sanding, especially power-sanding anyway. I HATE noise and dust. Aside from bulk stock removal with the drill-press of mortises, the rest will be done with hand tools, which will yield a better surface anyway, but once I'm done with that one hard-earned "free" lumber, I'm not going to go and buy any.

When I was a kid, the register to my room was directly over the wood stove. I kept the register closed, because every time we burned black walnut, I suffered from it. Never knew if it was in my head or real, but it definitely aggravated my sinuses and throat. I never cared to burn much of it.
 

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Is black walnut wood dust toxic?


The effects of juglone

Some people are especially sensitive to juglone, and even sawdust from cutting walnut lumber can coat skin and produce a red welt where it lands. Juglone is a strong respiratory toxin and small amounts will damage other living creatures.
 

L Ross

Well-Known Member
That toxin is what helps Walnut out compete other plants and why you must take it into consideration when planting other trees, shrubs, and even a garden.
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
I have never had an allergy in my life until working with BW. I worked with original 18th century English walnut wood and it did not bother me in the least!
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I've had nothing but good experiences with good, professional loggers. Then there are the scum posing as loggers that result in the poor reputation. Them I don't have much use for.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Any of you fellers try wearing real dust masks when working with wood, and 30dB ear muffs when working with noisy sanders? (Anti-vibration gloves help too). Western cedar is bad for us, too.

Obeche sanding or sawdust tears me a new one, badly. Have to wear goggles to keep the dust out of my eyes or they will nearly swell shut. However, high-quality PPE to the rescue.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
The log buyers are a lot like fur buyers, they can find more things to complain about and run down the quality of what you are trying to sell. But go to their mill and try buy something and they only have gold!
so that's who's working the tables at the gun shows.