Making Walnut finish

[Jack Frederick]

It occurs to see as I am raking up about a million black walnuts (we have a couple 4'ers and a number of smaller, as well as a couple 2' english walnuts around the house) that it would be interesting to try to turn these into a wood finish. I have no idea if this is feasible or another fools errand. I know that the walnut husks have a great deal of color in them. The first year we owned the property I made the mistake of peeling the husks off a lot of the nuts bare handed. It took some weeks for that color to wear out of my skin. I have thought of getting some tung oil and soaking the husks in it. Thoughts?

[Phil Mueller]

Very doable. There are a number of YouTube videos on it, but basically de-husk, soak the husks in water for several days to weeks, then strain. Dilute 50/50 with alcohol and store for decades.

[John K Jordan]

Same here, I could pick up bushels. If you are removing the hulls to get to the nuts what I do is dump them in tracks of a gravel driveway and drive over them with a car. The tires knock off the hulls but don't hurt the nuts. We pick them up after they dry, at least what the squirrels don't get.

I don't know how to extract the dye from walnut hulls but the people who dye animal fibers do. Maybe you have to boil them. (They like osage orange, too.). If you want some ready to mix with a finish and you live close enough, stop by and I'll give you a bottle of extract. I got it from a guy who got it from his grandfather - he used it in finishes for knife handles. I'll probably never use it. (I live near Knoxville, TN.)

JKJ

It occurs to see as I am raking up about a million black walnuts (we have a couple 4'ers and a number of smaller, as well as a couple 2' english walnuts around the house) that it would be interesting to try to turn these into a wood finish. I have no idea if this is feasible or another fools errand. I know that the walnut husks have a great deal of color in them. The first year we owned the property I made the mistake of peeling the husks off a lot of the nuts bare handed. It took some weeks for that color to wear out of my skin. I have thought of getting some tung oil and soaking the husks in it. Thoughts?

[David Utterback]

I tried this (without much success) but did not follow Phil's recommendation to soak in water for a few days. I may try it again, now. Thanks

[Jack Frederick]

I think I have missed this season, but will get ready for next years nuts. Thank you Phil. John, it is kind of you to offer, but I'm not traveling east to much.

[al heitz]

ANOTHER USE FOR THOSE WALNUT SHELLS.........

Jack, if you're a fisherman, there is another handy use for those walnuts. Several years ago when I was following the fishing forums, I saw YouTube videos of soaking walnuts in a bucket of water and then pouring it out on your ground. Within minutes earthworms started coming to the surface. Apparently there is something in the husks that irritates the crawlers. They were collected as they came to the surface and used for bait. I'm sorry I don't recall the video links because it has been a couple years ago by now. Google may be your friend.

Sorry. I didn't mean to hijack your thread, but I thought it might be of secondary interest if you are looking for uses for the walnuts. As those trees grow, you will be overrun with them.

[Stan Calow]

I've done this a few times. I soaked the husks in household ammonia. I tried plain water and it starts to decompose and get fungus-y
too quickly. Here's a piece of white oak mirror frame with that walnut husk dye, and a few coats of satin poly. i was going for the mission-oak finish look. Some of the coloring is no doubt from the ammonia. Photo looks a little redder than real life.oakii.jpg

[Jack Frederick]

That looks really nice, Stan. I will try both your and Phil's method next year. Al, thanks for the fishing tip, but I am not a patient person. I pretty much gave up fishing after 9/11. It became really difficult to get 1/4 sticks of dynamite.