Some walnut is ready

[Mark Rios]

I've been cutting up some walnut root material for the past several months now. The first part of the root material that I started with was a section of root that was a sort of a branch that connected two root balls. This section is/was 9" to 10" in diameter and right at 36" long. I cut it into 1" thick slabs for drying. This wood is now getting close to being ready to use. However, it has dried in a very unusual manner. It has shrunk up in patches or pockets in the middle of the board (as opposed to at the edges) and developed waves. I cut a 4" wide length of this material off today and milled it. I ended up with a piece that is 4" wide by 35" long and 7/16" thick. Again, the piece started out being a full 1" thick.

My question is (finally), is anyone familiar with working with root material of this nature and can anyone tell me if this material is going to be stable? The grain is pretty straight, for the most part, and not a lot (hardly any) figure in this branch piece. there doesn't seem to be any reaction areas in the length of it, which would make sense as it was underground connecting the two root balls and not subject to any stresses.

Thanks to any and all for whatever help and insight you can give.

[Jim Becker]

Mark, root material is not unlike burl in that the "grain" can be quite irregular. That will help drying as you describe happen as the "end grain" can sometimes appear in the middle of a "board". Those areas will release moisture faster than the surrounding material.

[Bob Smalser]

"However, it has dried in a very unusual manner. It has shrunk up in patches or pockets in the middle of the board (as opposed to at the edges) and developed waves."

How long did you dry it and under what conditions?

Sounds like it dried too fast and you'll have some reaction wood.

I like to pond highly-figured wood for the first year or so.