Walnut dividers for a plane till?

[Jay Maiers]

Can I use walnut strips as dividers in a plane till? I've got a bunch of scrap walnut that's just the right size, but I could swear I've read that it's not good for tools (or maybe for tool cabinets?). Did I really read this, or am I losing my already slim grip on reality?

Thanks
Jay

[Andrew Gibson]

I have never heard that walnut was bad for tools... I know it was used for sill plates in old barns because of its rot resistance.

... I know one of the tool chests featured in the toolbox book was made of walnut.

[Don McManus]

Maybe you're thinking of oak (tannic acid)?....or that walnut oils can cause food allergies when used in cutting boards?

[Jerome Hanby]

I think it's fine. Only knocks I've heard on Walnut is that the shavings aren't good for mulch (kills other plants) and folks with nut allergies may have issues.

[Jay Maiers]

Thanks guys.


I found the source this morning; it was originally posted by Kent Bathurst in a thread highlighting his tool storage solutions:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?164964-Tool-Storage-Photos-Part-2&highlight=walnut

At least I know I'm not nuts.
Uhh...

At least I know I was remembering things correctly. ;)


Don McManus
Maybe you're thinking of oak (tannic acid)? ....or that walnut oils can cause food allergies when used in cutting boards?

I think you're right. I lumped the two together after reading that storage thread.
Fortunately, it's not something I really need to worry about with my current crop of planes. :rolleyes: They work work well, but they have a good case of the uglies already. I don't think they can get much worse if this turns out to be true.


Jay

PS: Thanks to Kent for the original post; lots of good ideas and great execution!

[Jay Maiers]

I think it's fine. Only knocks I've heard on Walnut is that the shavings aren't good for mulch (kills other plants) and folks with nut allergies may have issues.
Thanks Jerome. I know that it's not good for some animals (using the shavings in horse bedding, etc), but I had no idea it wasn't good for mulch.

[Andrew Gibson]

I think there is also something about walnut that is bad for hoarses. Places that sell planer shavings for bedding have to be careful not to get walnut mixed in... I forget what it is about the walnut that is bad for the hoarses but I do know that it is a concern.

[Bill Houghton]

I think there is also something about walnut that is bad for hoarses. Places that sell planer shavings for bedding have to be careful not to get walnut mixed in... I forget what it is about the walnut that is bad for the hoarses but I do know that it is a concern.

Beat me to it. I was just going to comment that you shouldn't board your horses in your tool tills if you're using walnut dividers. Otherwise, I'm not aware of any issues with walnut; I think the tannins in walnut are fairly low and mild.

[Tom Vanzant]

Shavings from Ipe should NEVER be used around horses. Highly toxic to them.

[Dave Ring]

Walnut has been the preferred wood for gunstocks for hundreds of years and has no ill effects on the steel parts. I can't see why it would be any more harmful to steel tools.

[Tony Shea]

Walnut has been the preferred wood for gunstocks for hundreds of years and has no ill effects on the steel parts. I can't see why it would be any more harmful to steel tools.




Exactly what I was going to say. Is actually one of the biggest (aside from the veneer market) reason that we struggle a bit with getting the most beautiful and precious peices of walnut. The gun stock market uses a ton of walnut and has for years upon years. Is a non issue when used next to metal.

As has been stated, be sure to never let walnut shavings, chips, or dust into your compost/mulch piles. Is terrible for plants and healthy micro-orginisms in soil. Keep your walnut shavings seperate and burn them when possible.

[harry strasil]

supposedly, walnut shavings give horses, hoof founder

[Kent A Bathurst]

Thanks guys.


I found the source this morning; it was originally posted by Kent Bathurst in a thread highlighting his tool storage solutions:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?164964-Tool-Storage-Photos-Part-2&highlight=walnut

At least I know I'm not nuts.
Uhh...

At least I know I was remembering things correctly. ;)



I think you're right. I lumped the two together after reading that storage thread.
Fortunately, it's not something I really need to worry about with my current crop of planes. :rolleyes: They work work well, but they have a good case of the uglies already. I don't think they can get much worse if this turns out to be true.


Jay

PS: Thanks to Kent for the original post; lots of good ideas and great execution!

Jay - you are implying that I am not nuts. For the record, I have a 35 year wife and some 38 year frat brother friends that are on the opposite side of that equation. Also - the dividers are walnut, but I built the thing so that none of the soles of the planes are on walnut. If you look closely at the photos, you will see that the shoulder plane is on hard maple, and the saw brackets are lined with HM [or maybe sycamore - I forget]. The very end of the plane toes rest on the QSWO - but there is plenty enough shellac there so the metal ain't on the WO.

Somewhere, sometime, I read something that said that "white" wood should be used for contact surfaces. I cannot vouch for this, but I went that direction. I "had to" use the walnut - long story, but it is basically a family heirloom, and I like to make things like that out of the walnut so I can send the photos to my Dad - he gets a kick out of them.

BTW - I live about 1-1/2 miles from the Lindbergh MARTA station, just a block or so off P'tree behind P'tree-Battle shopping center.. You are welcome to cruise on over any time you like, to rummage around and look, if you want to. 25-case wine storage unit, and 1-1/2 case beer fridge are also in the basement, along with the workshop..........entertainment value, if nothing else.

Oh - and - thanks for the kind comments.

[Jay Maiers]

After hemming and hawing for a while this weekend I decided to prototype the till tray out of plywood and MDF. It's a good thing since I found at least two mistakes in my build, and I'm sure I've got a few more to go. Oh well; live and learn.

The funny part of it all is that I enjoyed my build time even though I made those planning mistakes (in addition to a few fitting oopsies). That's a bit of a step for me since I tend to get frustrated easily, almost to the point of being angery with myself when I make (stupid) errors.

Thanks to all,
Jay M