# Black walnut



## Otterhound

Not sure exactly where to post this . Just today , I acquired a black walnut log/tree . Did a slice at the large end in order to provide a clean and unchecked surface . There is some staining on the one side that indicates the presence of metal in the tree . I gotta try to locate said metal although one thing is for sure . I'm not risking a new and sharp chain on it , so I guess I'll have to locate it with an old chain if I can't find it otherwise . This tree measures about 42" in diameter at the base . If cut/split correctly , it should yield substantial quarter sawn billets as well as a crotch or two . I'll snap some pics and post them . If the spirit moves me , I may even do a bit of a tutorial on my processing this tree into the desired parts . This tree shows almost no twist and is very straight . It is not totally clear , but that can be worked around . Once it is cut into rounds , I will be splitting it into wedges where it makes sense to do so . Yeah , I actually do enjoy doing this . I am so anxious to see what I find inside .

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## Steve in VA

Would love to see your process and the end results if you don't mind doing the tutorial!

I used to live in Lancaster; worked at Armstrong. I wish you were just a bit closer as I'd swing by to lend you my metal detector.

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## djg

You're cutting that log up into turning blanks and not sawing into lumber?


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## Otterhound

Not sawing into lumber is correct . My main focus is quarter sawn instrument wood . Of course , with this log , not all of it is applicable . As far as turning wood is concerned , I have a considerable amount already here that could be used for that purpose . The round that I cut from the base in order to remove the checking that has started has a unique potential . Because of the manner in which this tree was felled , the center 2-3" of the bottom 2'or so is pulled out . I may take that round and use it for a table top . It has a perfect and naturally removed void that a table umbrella would fit through . Combine that with the natural beauty of black walnut ...... Of course , how I finally cut this log will be determined on how it yields what I want first . There will be some nice crotch pieces as well as other stuff . I will post the cutting here as it goes along .

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## Otterhound

What I am working with . 


 

 

 

 

 The 3 places where metal has stained the wood are evident . I will be cutting sections tomorrow after work and sealing the cuts in preparation for the next steps . As you can see , this logs is a big one . I just need to locate where that metal is .

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## Steve in VA

Jealous!!!


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## djg

If you do dry that cookie with the void in the middle, it will be interesting to see how much cracking will occur. I posted a thread 'Walnut Cookies' years ago on another forum, and Kevin had a field day with it. After a humorous crack, he basically said it wouldn't work. I've often thought if a centerless cookie or one with a sector removed would dry. Keep us posted.

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## Otterhound

I'm not planning to do anything , as far as the drying process , on the end cut .
I'll simply allow it to dry . The opposite side of what you see in the picture is anything but square , flat or even in thickness at any point and it does have some degree of checking already going on . Let's say the round develops a large crack . Isn't that why epoxy was created ? I may put some legs on this piece and gift it to some friends for an outdoor table that has an umbrella through the center . There is plenty of time to decide what to do with that piece . I should get 2 - 2' sections and 2 - 3' sections before the wood becomes non viable for guitars . There is a long crotch in this log and I will see what it holds as well .

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## djg

That's what I meant - air dry. AnchorSeal?


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## Otterhound

The cookie , as you call it , will receive no sealer since the one side has already begun to check . Air drying to me is the lack of any type of kiln . I have kilns , but walnut tends to lose color and clarity when kilned as compared to air drying . Also , I have an inside area where I can maintain airflow and it's ambient temp . I am of the school that the variations in temps as well as humidity tend to relieve stresses in the wood and thus yield a better end product . Exactly the opposite of today's hurry up vacuum kiln process . If I had access to a pond , there is a chance that I would submerge this log for a year or two and allow the dark heartwood to color the pale white sapwood like was done in the past . I currently use Anchor Seal because of convenience , but would prefer to use Rockler Green Wood Endgrain Sealer . They are likely almost the same , but past results go to the Rockler product for me . It's all a Latex based product . Now , I gotta locate those nails . Once I have finished dimensions , all endgrain will be sealed in Paraffin wax .

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## Otterhound

Steve in VA said:


> Would love to see your process and the end results if you don't mind doing the tutorial!
> 
> I used to live in Lancaster; worked at Armstrong. I wish you were just a bit closer as I'd swing by to lend you my metal detector.


What part of Virginia do you live in ? Which Armstrong plant did you work in ?

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## Steve in VA

I'm down in Northern Virginia, in the Reston / Herndon area. 

I started out as an Internal Auditor, so I worked out of the corp office but did a lot in the main flooring plant. I hit almost every plant (both floor and ceiling) they had at some point, including a subsidiary we had in India. Talk about OSHA; most of the guys in that facility didn't even wear shirts or shoes, at least back then.

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## ripjack13

Otterhound said:


> I may even do a bit of a tutorial on my processing this tree into the desired parts



Oh yes, please do.

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## Otterhound

I have 1 more cut to make with the chainsaw . I will then have 2- 2' & 2- 3' sections , the end slice and the crotch . Sealing cuts immediately after cutting . I will take some pics tomorrow , but there really isn't much to see at this point . As I section this log , I am liking what I am seeing . This crotch section will be about 5' long if I am reading this tree correctly . This is always my favorite part . Seeing what's inside reveal itself to me . I guess there is a bit of thrill of the unknown in it . There is also a tinge of sadness knowing that this tree was healthy and was felled without a purpose that I know of . That won't prevent me from enjoying what's inside .

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## Otterhound

Sections cut and sealed . Next is to lay them flat and begin splitting into wedges .
The various backdrops should provide some concept of the size of this wood .

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## woodtickgreg

Man, I'd be busting out my granberg mill on a couple of those for some thick table slabs.

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## Otterhound

Tomorrow , I will begin the process of splitting the rounds into wedges . The crotch section is destined for a mill .


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## Maverick




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## Otterhound

Well , it's off to split some walnut .


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## barry richardson

Great thread Richard, do you make instruments, or process the wood for someone else?


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## Otterhound

barry richardson said:


> Great thread Richard, do you make instruments, or process the wood for someone else?


Yes . 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 This last photo shows the section from the bottom of the tree that will be processed into turning blanks . Because of the branch and it's root , it isn't applicable to luthery . I have a thing about wasting beautiful wood . 
I build both solid bodies and acoustic guitars . I am also a registered vendor to CF Martin Co . I have sold them a good bit of sycamore . Of course , I am always on the lookout .

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## djg

The first few photos looks like you're making firewood. I can do that and faster using my splitter.

Seriously, though, you're going to have to educate me on the rest of the steps.

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## Otterhound

djg said:


> The first few photos looks like you're making firewood. I can do that and faster using my splitter.
> 
> Seriously, though, you're going to have to educate me on the rest of the steps.


Firewood indeed . What have you got to handle sections of this size and weight ? Besides , swinging my sledge is fun , my heavy one in particular . After handling that one the 6 pounder feels like a feather . 
The rest of the steps happen in the order that they do . As for now , this part must first be done . I'm not finished splitting sections . The remaining 2 sections are 3' in length and more difficult to handle .
Patience is a part of this process . 
It really is nice to see a lack of runout in these wedges . I am referring to both types of runout . The areas where runout is present will do fine for other purposes than luthery . 
The Y on the crotch section is a good 48" in width . I need to find someone with a saw that can handle the size . 
Because of some staining , I knew that there was some sort of metal in this tree . I found it early on and it's a nail . I split the round right on the tip of the nail .

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## barry richardson

Otterhound said:


> Yes .
> View attachment 180813 View attachment 180814 View attachment 180815 View attachment 180816 View attachment 180817 View attachment 180818 View attachment 180819 This last photo shows the section from the bottom of the tree that will be processed into turning blanks . Because of the branch and it's root , it isn't applicable to luthery . I have a thing about wasting beautiful wood .
> I build both solid bodies and acoustic guitars . I am also a registered vendor to CF Martin Co . I have sold them a good bit of sycamore . Of course , I am always on the lookout .


Well let's see some of those instruments then!

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## Otterhound

A few .

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## Otterhound

My 3' sections , the end cut and the non clear sections are loaded on the back of my truck . Tomorrow , I will unload them and then it will be time for the crotch section . Did I mention that I consider this to be fun ? Pics will follow .

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## Otterhound

Split both 3' sections in half earlier this evening . It wasn't easy , but what's inside makes it all worth it . Guess I'll take some pics tomorrow . I just gotta weigh this heavy sledge of mine . It's a killer .

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## Otterhound

Well , I have one round split into wedges . The second one will hopefully be completed by Sunday . My camera has been doing funny things , so pics are not taken yet . They will be eventually and I will post them at that time . My apologies for the wait . With that done , I must point out that this is work when you have the tools that I have . Of course , sawing these rounds into wedges wouldn't have shown any runout like splitting does . It's a trade off in ease for some quality . Since I am after the quality , it's a no brainer to me . The wedges with runout will be cut into turning blocks and there will be a few of those . You will see once this is split and organized .


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## Otterhound

Just completed splitting that which can be considered for acoustic sets . The remaining chunks will be sawn into turning blocks and various other things . The end piece that I had split into two while handling it . No worries because I now have two possible half round table tops . 


 

 

 
I have 15 of the 2' wedges and 11 of the 3' wedges .


 

 
I also have 3 pieces to cut other things from . The 2 their footers you see here and 1 other 2 footer . Sorry about the fuzzy pics . I am not a pro when it comes to photography .

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## barry richardson

Otterhound said:


> View attachment 180894 View attachment 180895 View attachment 180896 View attachment 180897 View attachment 180898 View attachment 180899 A few .


Those are sweet! You even made a couple of lefties for me, are you a lefty? I have never heard of or seen black walnut used as a tonewood, how is it?


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## Otterhound

barry richardson said:


> Those are sweet! You even made a couple of lefties for me, are you a lefty? I have never heard of or seen black walnut used as a tonewood, how is it?


Yes , I am a lefty . Black Walnut can make a wonderful guitar . For over 100 years , 2 manufacturers have taught the world that either you use a Rosewood or Mahogany for sides and backs and Spruce or Mahogany for tops of acoustic guitars . That simply isn't so , but over 100 years of conditioning is very difficult to change . An example , if I may . The oldest known Martin guitar dates to 1835 and the back and sides are Maple . It sounds great to me . Priceless instruments from Italy were built using Maple and still are . Domestic woods have so much to offer , but it is an uphill climb . Think of it this way . I contacted a small but very reputable luthier in Vermont about wood . One of the woods that I mentioned is Black Locust . He quickly informed me that he would never use that because it is used for fence posts . If you were to travel to Brazil , I have no doubt that you would find Brazilian Rosewood being used for fence posts somewhere . Perspective , perspective , perspective . The luthery world is full of dogma almost as bad as the orchestral world . Don't believe me ? Go to a high end store that deals with the orchestral world and ask to see a left handed violin and then stand back . Here's a hint . Left handed violins actually do exist . Back to Black Walnut after my rant . It can also make a wonderful neck and Gibson is now using it for fretboards . Unlearning the past/old ways will take time . After all it only took over 100 years to shape opinions in luthery to where they are today . PM sent .

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## Otterhound

My camera is doing strange things . I was finally able to load photos into my computer . These show the remaining crotch section . I will need to wait to have this part sawn and I am unwilling to let this wonderful piece sit in the sun and cook , so I brought it here and will store it away from the heat of the sun until the time comes to have it sawn . I think it shows great promise .


 

 

 


In the meanwhile , I have been cutting sections from the other sections for purposes other than luthery . Maybe some of you will be interested in 12"x12"x 6" bowl blocks and other blocks . If anyone here wants any large sizes feel free to chime in before I go further . Of course , if you have a wood stretcher ........ It sure is an advantage to be able to mill stuff like this yourself .

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## Mr. Peet

Otterhound said:


> My camera is doing strange things . I was finally able to load photos into my computer . These show the remaining crotch section . I will need to wait to have this part sawn and I am unwilling to let this wonderful piece sit in the sun and cook , so I brought it here and will store it away from the heat of the sun until the time comes to have it sawn . I think it shows great promise .
> View attachment 181421 View attachment 181422 View attachment 181423 View attachment 181424
> In the meanwhile , I have been cutting sections from the other sections for purposes other than luthery . Maybe some of you will be interested in 12"x12"x 6" bowl blocks and other blocks . If anyone here is interested in any large sizes feel free to chime in before I go further . Of course , if you have a wood stretcher ........ It sure is an advantage to be able to mill stuff like this yourself .



Richard,

might want to edit the last post, simple change. Remove 'is interested in' and replace with 'wants', to skathe the gauging interest issue. I follow you, but others might have issue with your wording.


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## Bigg081

I would want some big bowl blanks. Maybe some crotch if possible. Not sure if I have the patience to let it dry though!

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## Otterhound

Mr. Peet said:


> Richard,
> 
> might want to edit the last post, simple change. Remove 'is interested in' and replace with 'wants', to skathe the gauging interest issue. I follow you, but others might have issue with your wording.


As per request . I have no interest in running afoul of forum rules . Since milling for turning blocks is not a part of my world as of yet , I welcome any input from those with knowledge . I will learn from you as a result .

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## Otterhound

Bigg081 said:


> I would want some big bowl blanks. Maybe some crotch if possible. Not sure if I have the patience to let it dry though!


I was planning on having the crotch milled into 8/4 or 10/4 slabs for table type use . Are those thicknesses of use ? I have a kiln but am reluctant to kiln walnut as it tends to dull color .


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## Bigg081

Otterhound said:


> I was planning on having the crotch milled into 8/4 or 10/4 slabs for table type use . Are those thicknesses of use ? I have a kiln but am reluctant to kiln walnut as it tends to dull color .


Either of those sizes work for me. I prefer kiln dried. I’ve never had an issue with the color. Not saying it doesn’t dull. Kiln dried is much easier for me since I don’t have a way to speed up the drying process.


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## Otterhound

Bigg081 said:


> Either of those sizes work for me. I prefer kiln dried. I’ve never had an issue with the color. Not saying it doesn’t dull. Kiln dried is much easier for me since I don’t have a way to speed up the drying process.


If that's the case , I'll have a look at what is upstairs . That Walnut is quite dry and air dried . I will post some pics for you to look at . I believe that it was cut 8/4 .

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## Otterhound

it appears that I can no longer take a photo in focus . Once I get this issue resolved , I will post some pics .

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## rob3232

@Otterhound 


I have a kiln but am reluctant to kiln walnut as it tends to dull color.


Just curious. How does kiln drying dull the color ? Do you mean steaming?

Thanks Rob


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## Otterhound

rob3232 said:


> @Otterhound
> 
> 
> I have a kiln but am reluctant to kiln walnut as it tends to dull color.
> 
> 
> Just curious. How does kiln drying dull the color ? Do you mean steaming?
> 
> Thanks Rob


No . Kilning Black Walnut has a tendency to wash out some of the color in the wood . Please don't misinterpret this by thinking water . It just tends to make the color consistent instead of air drying which doesn't alter it at all . It's difficult to explain but so easy to see . I have some Walnut here from the tree that you see in my avatar . It is air dried and you can see the grays , reds and other hues that tend to blend into the brown when kilned .

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## Eric Rorabaugh

I've heard this before about kiln drying walnut but I've never had the two side by side to compare


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## Mr. Peet

Otterhound said:


> No . Kilning Black Walnut has a tendency to wash out some of the color in the wood . Please don't misinterpret this by thinking water . It just tends to make the color consistent instead of air drying which doesn't alter it at all . It's difficult to explain but so easy to see . I have some Walnut here from the tree that you see in my avatar . It is air dried and you can see the grays , reds and other hues that tend to blend into the brown when kilned .



If you follow the standard kiln schedules for American black walnut, the steaming step is often meant to chase color from the heartwood and into the sapwood, increasing more merchantable grade for sale. Solar kiln UV exposed can bleach exposed wood. Container straight kiln should not alter, but lacking the steam step results with higher degrade unless the schedule is altered. @Mike1950 might better answer what is being asked.

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## Otterhound

Mr. Peet said:


> If you follow the standard kiln schedules for American black walnut, the steaming step is often meant to chase color from the heartwood and into the sapwood, increasing more merchantable grade for sale. Solar kiln UV exposed can bleach exposed wood. Container straight kiln should not alter, but lacking the steam step results with higher degrade unless the schedule is altered. @Mike1950 might better answer what is being asked.


Back in the day , walnut logs would be sunk in ponds for a year or so in order to have the dark heartwood coloring leech into the very white sapwood . A slow but effective way to get just a bit more darker colored wood . Personally , I like the contrasting sapwood and since it is structurally identical , it poses no problems as far as structural integrity is concerned .

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## Mr. Peet

Otterhound said:


> Back in the day , walnut logs would be sunk in ponds for a year or so in order to have the dark heartwood coloring leech into the very white sapwood . A slow but effective way to get just a bit more darker colored wood . Personally , I like the contrasting sapwood and since it is structurally identical , it poses no problems as far as structural integrity is concerned .



That pond process used concentration balancing, the juglone was quite toxic. Often oak logs were added, as the tanic acid would aid in the color leaching.

As for your sapwood contrast, I agree, love seeing the contrast, as for structure, disagree. Rupture, elasticity, density and a few other items are different. As for tonal issues, that is another level in its self. For most wood working applications, those differences mean for the most part nothing.

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## Mike1950

Otterhound said:


> No . Kilning Black Walnut has a tendency to wash out some of the color in the wood . Please don't misinterpret this by thinking water . It just tends to make the color consistent instead of air drying which doesn't alter it at all . It's difficult to explain but so easy to see . I have some Walnut here from the tree that you see in my avatar . It is air dried and you can see the grays , reds and other hues that tend to blend into the brown when kilned .





Mr. Peet said:


> If you follow the standard kiln schedules for American black walnut, the steaming step is often meant to chase color from the heartwood and into the sapwood, increasing more merchantable grade for sale. Solar kiln UV exposed can bleach exposed wood. Container straight kiln should not alter, but lacking the steam step results with higher degrade unless the schedule is altered. @Mike1950 might better answer what is being asked.



I usually air dry walnut for a year then through in kiln. and I only use kiln for about 9 months of the year- the other 3 -I live in a kiln. Big difference from steam kiln vs dehumid kiln. steam goes on strict temp/drying schedule. Dehumid is actually just doing same as mother nature, just in a more controlled environment. I will not use steam dried walnut. when I build it is about the wood. steam KD is blah wood. air/dehumid retains the unique variable colors that walnut has to offer and does not change sapwood one little bit.

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## Bigg081

Y’all are blowing my mind over here! 
I love walnut no matter what. Beautiful grays and purples with the brown or just the deliciousness of the chocolate brown alone. To me it’s all perfect.

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## Otterhound

My kiln unit is a Nyle L53 dehumidification kiln . I must admit that I have not used it for any walnut nor had I heard or read where this type of kiln does not affect the coloration in walnut . Now , I feel as though I need to test kiln some walnut to see for myself . Live to learn another day . 
Bigg081 , I am with you on Black walnut with one exception . English walnut is wonderful wood as well .

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## Bigg081

Otterhound said:


> My kiln unit is a Nyle L53 dehumidification kiln . I must admit that I have not used it for any walnut nor had I heard or read where this type of kiln does not affect the coloration in walnut . Now , I feel as though I need to test kiln some walnut to see for myself . Live to learn another day .
> Bigg081 , I am with you on Black walnut with one exception . English walnut is wonderful wood as well .


I don’t discriminate, ALL Walnut is amazing.

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## rob3232

I'm pretty sure the color or lack of in Walnut is actually caused by a process referred to as steaming. Most all big Walnut producers steam their Walnut. Where I work we run two steamers (20,000 bf per steamer) All of our lumber gets steamed before it is dried. I'll do my best to describe the process.

After the lumber is sawn it is loaded into a steamer solid stacked. (No sticks) Once full the doors are sealed. Inside the steamer there is a large vat of water with stainless tubing running through it. The water is heated and steam in pumped in creating an environment with 100% rh. The packs are then heated until internal temperature of 200 deg. The temp. is held for 14 - 24 hours. Chemical reactions occur..... above my pay grade. When the lumber comes out there is no visible sapwood on the edges of the packs.

Then the lumber is stickered and loaded into a kiln to dry. Our kilns also use some steam but it is only used to prevent the lumber from drying to quickly.

I'm not saying that kiln drying doesn't change the color in some way just that if it does it is minimal and that color change is mostly due to the steaming process.

I apologize for my bad grammar. Hope this helps explain the process?

I can post pictures of the steps in a couple of weeks when I get back to work if anyone is interested?

Rob

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## FranklinWorkshops

I agree with Rob. I know several kiln operators in Eastern PA and they all have dry kilns with no steam used beforehand. They air dry lumber outside or under sheds using stickers for about a year to get the mc down to about 20%. Then they load it in the kiln for one or two cycles, depending on the thickness of the boards. The color may change a little bit as it always does when drying but that does not force color from the heartwood into the lighter sapwood like a steam system does. However, I have air-dried black walnut for many years without a kiln and it comes out great with mc around 8-9% which is fine for furniture.

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## Otterhound

I consistently achieve 6% when air drying . I have a perfect area for doing this though . Almost like a natural kiln .

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## FranklinWorkshops

Those who live in a dry climate can do that. How do you do it in PA? I'm only two hours from you and I can't get below 8%. In fact, if you put a moisture meter on the furniture in your house, it will show 8-9% most of the time.

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## Otterhound

The upper floor of my shop building is unheated and , of course , covered . When temps become warmer , it gets like an oven up there . In the evening , it cools . At night , it remains cool and reheats as the sun rises . Since it is isolated from precipitation , it remains dry . Because of this cycling , the wood is not so quick to reabsorb moisture as humidity may rise . It drops to about 6% and stays there . In the winter , humidity levels are naturally lower . Back before kilns and all , CF Martin used to store their wood in the attic area for a year before using it for building . This was in the old building . It works and I am not going to argue over real world results . At the moment that you remove wood from a kiln , it will absorb ambient moisture in order to achieve equilibrium . An interesting thing to note is that up at Martin , wood is acclimated before actual usage . They keep their shop at around 35% RH , so the wood will move towards that as it acclimates . Something to consider is that the 6% target typically referees to is only a threshold value used to establish that the wood was dried to a point of being stabilized . Bending sides typically involves some water or moisture and a guitar stored in a 6% RH environment will likely crack from being too dry . Sides are typically around .090" in thickness . This is best served by having a stable environment well above 6% moisture . The thinner the wood , the more vulnerable it is to adverse conditions . I hope this is making sense .

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## FranklinWorkshops

Thanks for explaining that. Indeed you do have a "natural" kiln that I wish I had. And you're right about wood always trying to reach equilibrium. I have furniture that is over 150 years old that pops and cracks all the time during humidity changes. Thankfully, the maker allowed for wood movement which is a little unusual for the 1800s. Most of my early 1800s furniture has cracks on the sides and tops from wood movement. The advent of central heating and air conditioning just devastated the old furniture that was designed to go in drafty old house with fireplaces.


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## Otterhound

FranklinWorkshops said:


> Thanks for explaining that. Indeed you do have a "natural" kiln that I wish I had. And you're right about wood always trying to reach equilibrium. I have furniture that is over 150 years old that pops and cracks all the time during humidity changes. Thankfully, the maker allowed for wood movement which is a little unusual for the 1800s. Most of my early 1800s furniture has cracks on the sides and tops from wood movement. The advent of central heating and air conditioning just devastated the old furniture that was designed to go in drafty old house with fireplaces.


I am indeed fortunate to have this " natural " kiln . Even better is that it is 100' long by 25' wide and the lowest point is at around 4' in height , which is where the roof meets the side walls . The peak is 8' to 10' above the floor because the floor steps up at a certain point . Regardless of how you figure it , I have plenty of space over my shop . I also have a similar space above the old carriage barn at the rear of my property . Both roofs are asbestos shingles and dark in color which gathers and retains heat very well . Doors allow for air flow and I augment that with fans .


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## Otterhound

I brought the crotch section into my shop for storage until it can be processed , could be up to 3 months . I have it stood on end for a number of reasons , but it stands over 5' tall . My 1 ton hoist used all it could do in getting this beast off of my truck . When I take it to be sawn , I will load it onto my trailer because it's not as high to lift . I'll have some pics this weekend . There is a presence of ants in it and I will investigate that further . Still , I am not worried .

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## Mr. Peet

Ants in a wood shop...not worried....?...

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## Otterhound

FranklinWorkshops said:


> I agree with Rob. I know several kiln operators in Eastern PA and they all have dry kilns with no steam used beforehand. They air dry lumber outside or under sheds using stickers for about a year to get the mc down to about 20%. Then they load it in the kiln for one or two cycles, depending on the thickness of the boards. The color may change a little bit as it always does when drying but that does not force color from the heartwood into the lighter sapwood like a steam system does. However, I have air-dried black walnut for many years without a kiln and it comes out great with mc around 8-9% which is fine for furniture.


Around the 22% threshold , mold doesn't form , 20% is just fine . The goal is to get to that critical level as quickly as is reasonable . This is why I place fresh wood under fans ASAP until this threshold is reached . You gotta keep an eye on things when your ambient RH is high or you will end up tearing down a stack more than once to wipe the wood down with naphtha just too keep mold from taking hold . Naptha does not affect the wood and it kills mold on contact . Mold loves 3 things . Moisture , darkness and still air . These are the things that are best to avoid whenever possible . If you can't eliminate all 3 , do your level best to eliminate 2 of them and keep your eyes open until the moisture content in the wood falls to acceptable levels . Debarking also serves well as mold spores are most prevalent in the bark .


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## Bigg081

This has turned into a wood drying education. All this experience to learn from.

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Otterhound

Bigg081 said:


> This has turned into a wood drying education. All this experience to learn from.


Well , it would be a shame to take it with you , if you know what I mean ?

Reactions: Agree 3


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## Otterhound

I have begun the process of cutting billets from wedges . I will post some pics later if my camera chooses to cooperate . Billets will take up so much less space and space is at a premium right now .


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## Otterhound

Later today , if my camera is willing , I will be posting pictures of how I process the wedges .
I am using the tools that I have . 
Yes , I do realize that there are easier and more efficient ways of doing this , but I am using the tools that I have .


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## Otterhound

Let's lift it up to the bandsaw .


 

I only need to square 2 sides .
Next stop , jointer to square this 2 sides before returning to the bandsaw to cut the final billets .


 Pics to follow .

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## Otterhound

I should have these squared wedges ready for resawing into billets tomorrow . These 3' wedges sure are heavy . Even the 2' wedges were heavy . Once these billets are resawn , I will begin cutting turning blocks . With 1' sections , I should have a few 1' x 1' x 8"-12" blocks as well as a bunch of smaller stuff . Funny how my computer tries to keep me from spelling resaw in it different forms . Guess these brain boxes don't really know everything .


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## Otterhound

Billets finally . These will be for sides . I will cut for backs tomorrow or maybe even later today and tomorrow . Many of these billets will yield 2 sets of sides since they are wide enough . Unless it is a beginning cut , the billets are cut to 10/4 . 
This is how it began .


 


 
This is how it ended .


 

 

 

 

 
Some day , I'll take good photos . The wood in this tree is considerably different in appearance from the Leola tree . Black stripes are in this one . Enjoy , I know I am .

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 2


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## Otterhound

Billets are all laid out and under a fan . Tomorrow it will be back billets . After that it will be turning blocks of various types and sizes . Fortunately , I left one blade virtually untouched as it sure has come in quite handy at this time .


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## Otterhound

Just finished cutting back billets . Tomorrow , they will be placed under a fan . I'll post some pics then .
All told , I have roughly 20 side billets and 30 back billets . Since many of the side billets are wide enough for 2 sets of sides , I will have plenty of complete sets . I even have a few sized accordingly for mandolin and violin as well as 2 that will work for archtops .

Reactions: Like 2


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## ripjack13

Otterhound said:


> Sorry about the fuzzy pics . I am not a pro when it comes to photography .



What are you using for a camera? 
To get clearer pics you can get a stick that's at a comfortable height to your camera eyesight to rest the camera on. This way its less of a wobble so it can focus. Also, it looks as though your lens is cloudy. Some camera lens wipes may clear that up.


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## Otterhound

My trusty old Olympus fe . I'm willing to try anything .

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13

rob3232 said:


> I can post pictures of the steps in a couple of weeks when I get back to work if anyone is interested?



Oh yes! Yes please!!

Reactions: Agree 2


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## Otterhound

All billets are placed and under fans . Typically , the wood will remain under the sand for about 2 weeks . At that point , or whenever it happens , the moisture content will be around 22%-25% . At that time , they will be moved upstairs and the waiting and watching begins . The billets will remain there until dry unless I need to move them for some reason like needing to wipe them down with naphtha because mold has set in . As the weather turns here , I am fairly confident that I will be able to avoid mold .


 

 
Some are lying down and some are standing based on how they will be stable . 
Check out the cart and you will see how wasteful this type of cutting is , but it is worth it in the end because of the high quality of finished product .

Reactions: +Karma 1


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## Clay3063

woodtickgreg said:


> Man, I'd be busting out my granberg mill on a couple of those for some thick table slabs.


You should see the table slabs I have on my trailer at this moment. I'll make a post later with pics.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Otterhound

Why go to all this trouble when you can just put it on the saw , cut it and steam it if you wish and stack it in a kiln ? Because this wood is not intended for furniture , flooring or whatnot . This walnut is being processed for luthery primarily . Wood and/or trees that serve other industries well often won't make the grade in luthery . Wood used for acoustic guitars may not contain the flaws that are allowable for other purposes . I am a small 1 man operation . Air drying has the advantage of time . Time when humidity and temps fluctuate and allow internal stresses in the wood to relax . Time that allows for the vibrant natural hues , colors and tones to show themselves in all their glory . Guess I'll dig up some sets that were cut from the tree in my avatar and post some pics . There were some pieces from that tree that tapped like glass . They even felt different when I resawed them . After you do enough of this , a feeling for density is acquired just by handling the pieces . It took me by surprise . I will kiln when I must hurry . Fans are running but the humidity here has been high and the initial drying is taking time . Patience .

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## Otterhound

Been checking my billets under fans and some of the pieces are in that low 20% range . A bit of strategically moving billets around to place the higher reading ones in the best airflow and a little more waiting . It typically takes around 2 weeks to get them at that 22-25% desired range . It will be warming up soon and my upstairs kiln will be going . Until then , patience . Had a bit of a holdup on things around here as I performed some car work . I do not care for how certain aspects of automobiles have changed with the current prevalence of front wheel drive . My personal suggestion if you have a Ford Focus is to bite the bullet and pay someone else to remove old and install new power steering lines . Hopefully , I will begin cutting turning blanks from these walnut sections by tomorrow and then offering some here . I guess that I will be dipping the endgrains in paraffin even though they have had anchor seal on from day 1 .


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## Otterhound

Just completed cutting turning blocks from the tree across the street . 4"x4" , 3 1/2"x3 1/2" , 3"x3" , 2 1/2"x2 1/2" , 2"x2" , 1 1/2"x1 1/2" , 1" x1" and 1"x1/3/4" all quartersawn end to end . I'll be taking some pictures and posting in a wood for sale thread in the next day or so . Billets are 18" - 26" in length . This wood has been resting here for over a year and should be ready . I'll check with my meter later . The next step is to cut some blocks from the tree seen above .

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## Otterhound

Earlier today , I laid the crotch section on it's side after I debarked it . Some mold had started on the bottom cut end and I gave it a good washing with naphtha . I'll be keeping an eye on this until it meets the saw . The date with the saw may take a bit longer than anticipated here in Pa. because of the lockdown . Anyway , I will be taking some pics tomorrow . I am chomping at the bit in anticipation of what this piece will yield . I have been doing this long enough to be able to read the log and I can tell you all that there is some real magic waiting inside of this piece . Figure , crotch of over 4' in length and sizable girth all ad up to something special . At this point , I believe that I am aiming at 10/4 slabs , maybe 12/4 , but I doubt it . The colors of the other sections already cut into billets indicate grays , golds/tans , striping and a sharp delineation between sapwood and heartwood . This is not easy , but I just can't bring myself to call it work .


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## Otterhound

Here's a photo of that crotch section sans bark .
OK , maybe more than 1 .

Reactions: Like 2


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## Otterhound

Just completed cutting pieces that will eventually be offered for sale . This wood is from the bell at the base of the tree . I still need to sort and price . Hopefully , this will be in compliance ....


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## Otterhound

More of the same .

Reactions: Like 1


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