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View Full Version : I have four 16/4 Walnut beams flitch cut from the center - how to use them?



Hudson Hamrick
04-06-2016, 3:03 PM
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I bought this lot of walnut, about 400BF in total. The guy who sold them to me was a log cutter and pulpwooder. He cut this tree down, had a local sawyer process it, and he air dried for about 15 years. About 230 BF are these slabs in the photos. They are in such good shape, I mean they would finish square over their 12 feet and still be close to 4 inches thick. I was pleasantly surprised to see what I had when I cut the ends off of them yesterday. No wonder they have hardly moved! These were flitch cut from the core to 16/4 thickness, so the whole beam is quartersawn grain. I dont have to capacity to resaw, not my bandsaw nor my back. I have a sawyer friend who will cut them with me on his woodmizer. I just dont want to cut all of them at once to only find that I actually need more 8/4 than 6/4, and I didnt make enough legs, etc. I have some ideas of what I am going to do to economize this wood. But I would like to hear what the sawyers and fellow woodworkers would do for their projects?

Prashun Patel
04-06-2016, 3:46 PM
That's quite a score.

If it were me (and I do my fair share of work in walnut slabs) I'd be a little wary of the pith region. I think if you resawed it, you risk a little cupping about that region. I would prefer to use those big honking pieces for what they are: amazing rift/sawn leg stock. If you rip off the pith, with that grain running @ 45 to the faces, you'll get nice straight looking grain for table/desk/chair legs.

Of course, I'd leave it in tact until the project comes up.

Hudson Hamrick
04-06-2016, 6:20 PM
Of course, I'd leave it in tact until the project comes up.

Indeed, thats what Im leaning toward. My gut instinct is to resaw on the woodmizer a 30-35mm thick slab containing the pith from each slab. Rip those slabs of their pith and have parallel grained stock that is thick enough for casework and joinery. The 65-70 mil slab that remains can be anything. As projects come up, I generally like to make a cut list to length from my rough stock then prepare the boards. And cut rift portions into leg stock as I need. To me I see the potential for tons of straight grained beautiful boards for casework, and book matching.

Scott T Smith
04-06-2016, 10:00 PM
Indeed, thats what Im leaning toward. My gut instinct is to resaw on the woodmizer a 30-35mm thick slab containing the pith from each slab. Rip those slabs of their pith and have parallel grained stock that is thick enough for casework and joinery. The 65-70 mil slab that remains can be anything. As projects come up, I generally like to make a cut list to length from my rough stock then prepare the boards. And cut rift portions into leg stock as I need. To me I see the potential for tons of straight grained beautiful boards for casework, and book matching.

I think that you're on the right track. The beams are a good score, but as Prashun indicated it is much better to "box the heart" when milling large beams instead of cutting throgh it on one face. Since these are 15 years old though you should not have to worry about movement.

David Spurr
04-12-2016, 5:18 PM
Well all I can say is that I'm jealous!

Danny Hamsley
04-13-2016, 8:46 PM
Fantastic slabs.