Another "Gloat" of the walnut kind

[Jeff Nicol]

Good afternoon exhalted members of the "Vortex"!

We just got home with the second load of Black walnut that I found on Craigslist the other day. It was in HIxton Wi, about 45 miles from my house. They had been trying to get someone to give them a little money for the trees and no one wanted to do the right thing and offer them more than nothing for them. Since I have the "Wooodmizer" sawmill I figured I could get the $250 we paid for the 7 logs. My wayward woodturning buddy and SMC member Mike Svoma, aka: Big Burl Mike went partners one it with me. Of course he is off at work today so my old army buddy Bill had to help with the loading and general moral support! I hope mike pays me for his half or the LOML will string me up for buying more #$#%^#^ wood!!! So here are the pics, the stuff in the truck are slabs the guy had cut off the end to make an end table for his wife, I worked a deal with him when he cuts the other 3 trees down I get a bunch more wood and he gets 2 tables for his bride!

Jeff

[Joseph M Lary]

I got some walnut when my sister cut down her tree. they are sitting in the corner of the garage , waiting to be turned . Now I got the new lathe they will be some of my first to turn .
I sure like that trailer ,look like it will cut down on a lot of back braking work .

[Cody Colston]

That's a great score on those Walnut logs. I paid $350 for five 2' x 8" x 10' planks just recently. I think you got a heck of a deal.

I really like that mono-rail setup on the trailer, too. I may have to copy that idea. ;)

[alex carey]

Nice gloat, love the trailer to, nice invention.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Wow congrats on the haul.

[Marc Himes]

Is this wood gloat or trailer gloat. Both look really nice.

Marc Himes

[Mark Norman]

What size wood-mizer sawmill do you have? I would think ya need something with decent power to cut through walnut of that size.

Even more important, on the round slabs, I have thought of doing the same thing when I take down a big oak tree. But I have a few questions, How thick would be ideal rough cut vs finished product? would you just anchorseal em and let sit for a while first? How long if so? I guess more to the point would be what would be the process from chain saw to table top?

I know, I have a lot of questions but I would realy like to make some and I wont cut down the tree till I am sure of my abilities to follow through.

Oh, cool trailor rig ya got there:D

[Eugene Wigley]

Jeff, great score on the walnut. You also have a great trailer. I need one of those. I'm getting too old to roll logs up poles with a cant hook to get them on the trailer.

[Jeff Nicol]

What size wood-mizer sawmill do you have? I would think ya need something with decent power to cut through walnut of that size.

Even more important, on the round slabs, I have thought of doing the same thing when I take down a big oak tree. But I have a few questions, How thick would be ideal rough cut vs finished product? would you just anchorseal em and let sit for a while first? How long if so? I guess more to the point would be what would be the process from chain saw to table top?

I know, I have a lot of questions but I would realy like to make some and I wont cut down the tree till I am sure of my abilities to follow through.

Oh, cool trailor rig ya got there:D
Mark, My woodmizer is a 1985 model LT30 that has cut over 600,000 bd ft of lumber so far! Maybe a little more as now I don't keep track of what I saw as it is for myself and friends, I am to busted up to do the custom sawing any more. We used to saw every weekend all spring, summer and fall when my Dad owned the mill. It does not owe me a thing so I just work it gentle these days! It has a 16hp Kohler engine and cuts 28" wide and up to 16' long and that is plenty for me. I have cut a 36" red oak on it but had to cut trenches in the log to make the first few cuts. I have a tractor with a loader so that helps a lot to get the logs moved and loaded. On the slabs of end grain there are a couple of ways to get them not to crack, sealing them is probably the easiest and the wait is long depending on the thickness of the cutoff, 2-4" is about good unless you want a real thick table top. Soaking them in PEG will work everytime but that takes a big soak tank and lots of time to dry! I have drilled a hole in the center of the cutoff to relieve the tension in the wood and give the wood a place to shrink to. Then seal it and let it dry, this way most always stays together, with out the hole it can still crack. When I am ready to finish it I will redrill or cut a design in the center to plug the hole with contrasting wood or the same wood. If you keep an eye on it you can see what it is doing and maybe stop the crack, but when it wants to go it goes! Slow drying is best!

Have fun!

Jeff

[Mark Norman]

I would love to have a sawmill. I'd be cuttin wood all day long,,,or as long as my old frame held out:p Sound like yours has done you well.

If I was to harvest the oak I have my eye on I would need a four foot chain saw:D. I'll have to go out and get some pics of the tree in question to share with you all.

I'm thinking two or three inches is good for a table top. A hole in the center eh? Like an inch size hole or so?

When the time comes to drop the next big oak tree I will post up a gloat and hope you will give me some of your expert guidance.

Thanks again! Keep us posted on the wood ya got today and the progress of the end table, I would like to see what comes of it.

[Jim Kountz]

Nice score Jeff. The log hauler looks good too now that I can get a better look at it. Nice setup!!

[Jarrod McGehee]

Nice stuff Jeff. I'm jealous. you can probably get some nice lumber out of that.