How far would you go for a pickup full of walnut

[Mark Norman]

A friend just informed me his dad just cut down a bunch of black walnut around his ranch in Lodi. He said I could come up and help myself to it, some of them up to 18" ~ 20" trunks from his description of em..
Well, Its a two and a half hour drive each way for me and likely a few hours cutting up the wood, so its a whole day adventure. I need to get a gallon of anchorseal and a sharp chain for my husky;) (a pre-gloat:p)
Next Saturday if the weather clears up:D I'll get pics, count on it..

[alex carey]

I would consider finding some tree trimmers or getting in contact with the city because I am sure there are trees being cut down close to you. 2 1/2 hours is a long way though walnut could be worth it. Looking forward to the pics.

[Jeff Nicol]

Mark, With black walnut the not knowing what lurks under the bark is enough for me to go the extra mile for it! It can have some of the most spectacular crotchwood grain and curl in it that any effort is worth it! I just picked up a Hackberry log that is 8' long and 26" at the base! It will have some nice turning wood in it!

Good luck and keep us dreaming!

Jeff

[Bob Hallowell]

2 years ago I drove 2 hours for black walnut, I would drive it!

Bob

[Jim Kountz]

Have we left yet??

[phil harold]

5 to 7 dollars a board foot
well worth the drive for round and flat work

[Steve Schlumpf]

Mark - sounds like it could be quite the gloat! Looking forward to seeing the photos!

[Gary Herrmann]

And you never know what you might see on the way...

[Bob Haverstock]

Mark,

Personally, I wouldn't make the drive. That would be alot of miles, I live in Illinois.(grin) I have my own hord in 2, 3, and 5 in thicknesses.

I'm not sure that walnut is my favorite turning wood. This I know, "Real shotguns have walnut stocks."

I go after it in a heart beat and then worry about storing it when I got the stuff home.

Bob

[Frank Kobilsek]

Mark,

If it is already cut into firewood lengths I would not drive 2.5 hours for it. If it is in log length of 5 feet or more it would be worth the trip. I'd bring it home in as large as pieces as possible.

I've always have a reasonable stock of walnut. It is certainly in my top three favorites to turn.

Frank

[Reed Gray]

Well worth the drive, and you will want to cover it on the way back unless it is raining. 65 mph in summer like conditions will shatter your wood, even if you have the ends anchorsealed. The only problem with walnut bowls is the scent. It drives some people crazy, and others love it. I don't think I would want to eat ice cream out of a walnut bowl, but salads, stirfry, Mexican, bar-b-que, etc would go well with the scent.
robo hippy

[Bernie Weishapl]

You haven't left yet??? I would be gone by now.

[Ron Kinel]

If you have no walnut its worth the trip

[CW McClellan]

:rolleyes: If you have a trailer hitch on that truck get a trailer and bring home all ya can :eek: ---might not happen again for a long time :D

[Brian Brown]

What a coincidence, I'm in northern California right now. I'll be driving right past Lodi that day. I'll be sure to stop by! :D Dog gone it, my route misses by a few miles. :mad:

[Eric Magruder]

Mark,

I drove an hour each way for my truck load and didn't think twice about it. These opportunities don't come along that often, so when opportunity knocks......

Good luck

P.S. The lid helped keep it fresh on the drive.

[Scott Lux]

Funny what's worth the drive depends on where you live.

I personally wouldn't drive more than a mile or two to get walnut or cherry logs. I have an abundance of those trees on my property. For lumber I might drive some, but not logs.

Lux

[Jarrod McGehee]

I would do it in a heartbeat! I just got my license around 5 months ago so I'm still looking for every opportunity to go for a road trip :D Good luck getting a huge haul off that stuff.

[Jim Underwood]

Not very far.

I have a load in the backyard.:D

[Chris Rae]

I'd be gone already!

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I'd drive to the other end of the island. Oh, walnut doesn't grow here very well.... Living on an island does have it's drawbacks.

"Free" wood is free wood, and I'd personally make the drive, if it were not in firewood sizes. Damn ocean in the way though.

Aren't gun stocks made of english and not black walnut? Not saying that black walnut won't make a beautiful stock.... All mine are english. Or Kevlar.

[Bob Haverstock]

Kyle,

English walnut for stocks? I'm sure you are correct, I just don't have any high dollar shotguns. When I stock one of my guns, I study the grain. I have no use for a beautiful,but broken stock. All of my walnut was grown locally.

I'm trying to ween myself off trap shooting, my JWL 1220 is my pacifier. There has been a catch or two along the way.

Bob

[Mark Norman]

Well, since I'm new at this and all I have near me is Oak, cedar and pine, I will head up on Saturday or Sunday and load up the pickup. I guess I will do what I can to seal it up for the trip home and keep it covered.

From my understanding the trees are freshly fallen and not cut up yet so I can pick and choose, collecting the stump, burl and crotches that would be otherwise difficult for his old man to split for firewood anyways.

I have a lot on my plate right now but I think it would be worth the drive.

[Alan Huey]

I would go in a heartbeat. I love turning walnut. There is always hidden beauty under the bark, especially if you are able to get a burl or two.:D

[alex carey]

pine is usually no good. There is some good oak and cedar is good to.

[Jim Koepke]

I drove about 200 miles round trip today, just to get out of the house and go look at a place I knew there would be some old tools.

Well that and order a greenhouse that could have been done on line. Then my wife decided we should buy a sofa.

I would have rather gone and picked up a load of wood as long as I could have gotten the hand plane I found.

jim

[Greg Just]

I say go for it! I going this Saturday (only about an hour) to get a load of walnut. Not sure how good it will be as the tree has been dead a couple of years, but I figure I can make something out of it.

Good luck and let's see some pictures!