Walnut slabs

[John Strong]

Hi,

I'm looking to purchase some walnut slabs this weekend. When I'm flipping through the pile, what should I be looking other than figure? Any tips?

They're all kiln dried.

447247

Best,
John

[Patrick Kane]

Bugs. While they are uncommon in walnut, in my experience, that second slab down definitely looks like bug damage. Do you have a moisture meter? Does the seller have a moisture meter? lastly, i would take a straight edge--could be a jointed piece of lumber--and check for how flat they dried. Slabs can be very unruly at times, and if you get a piece with a lot of cup/twist you will end up milling it to heck and back to get it flat. Other than the basics, pick the slabs that you like. If you like bark inclusions and figure, pick those slabs. If you want leg stock, then pick the slabs with the most rift/quartersawn grain. Just because they have a live edge on them doesnt mean they have to be turned into coffee tables and the like. If they are cheap enough, ive routinely purchased 4-6' slabs for furniture parts. My last one was about 2 months ago, 8/4 and 10/4 walnut for $1bdft. Too bad the guy only had 250bdft. None of that material will remain live edge.

[John TenEyck]

Twist, cupping, etc. will reduce the final thickness of the flattened slabs, so that's one thing to look for. Bring a straightedge. Punky or rotten areas aren't particularly desirable to most people either. Cracks, holes, etc. are a personal preference.

What's the asking price for them?

John

[Prashun Patel]

Knots, inclusions, staining. These things will have to be worked around or incorporated into your design.

The best advice I can give to a weekend warrior (read me) woodworker is: have a project in mind before you buy slabs. A good buy on a slab that isn't versatile is a bad buy. The slabs in that pile look to be appropriate for small tables and possibly chair seats. Is that what you're shopping for?

Also (and this is personal opinion) but beware of figure. High figure sometimes means weak points in the slab. These complicate flattening and finishing. Even straight grained, no-figure walnut slabs will be striking because of the color changes at the edges, the prominent grain, and their size and continuity. A figureless slab without knots will be a joy to work with and can still make an impression. YMMV, but figure seems to matter to wood people. Live edges seem to matter more to the casual user.

[Jamie Buxton]

Ask about whether the lumber has been sterilized, to kill bugs and their eggs. One method is to raise the temperature of the wood to 133 degrees for 30 minutes. Pro kiln operators do that, but maybe small-batch operators don't.

[John Strong]

What's the asking price for them?

John

The guy is asking $10 a board foot. I'm located in NorCal near SF. Any thoughts on that price?

[John Strong]

Very helpful, thank you Patrick. Your slabs seem to be extremely well priced. This guy is asking $10 a board foot.

[John Strong]

Knots, inclusions, staining. These things will have to be worked around or incorporated into your design.

The slabs in that pile look to be appropriate for small tables and possibly chair seats. Is that what you're shopping for?



Yea I'm making an "apartment sized" coffee table. The dimensions on that slab look pretty solid for what I'm looking for.


YMMV, but figure seems to matter to wood people. Live edges seem to matter more to the casual user.

I'm pretty into figure esthetically, more so than the live edge. I do however really appreciate the transition from the heart wood to the sap wood.

[John Strong]

Ask about whether the lumber has been sterilized, to kill bugs and their eggs. One method is to raise the temperature of the wood to 133 degrees for 30 minutes. Pro kiln operators do that, but maybe small-batch operators don't.

Just asked. We'll see what he says.

[Jamie Buxton]

I’m in the Bay Area too. $10 per bdft for live edge dry walnut is pretty good for here.

[John Strong]

Hi Jamie,

Thats what I thought. I see it going for $17+ pretty regularly