What to do with wormy chestnut?

[Brian Tymchak]

Was at Woodwerks last week, wandering around their lumber racks. They had maybe 75 bf of 4/4 wormy chestnut, about 6" wide. Probably recut from old barn beams. The stuff is so light and splintery. I know that chestnut is scarce but to me it isn't all that pretty. I was wondering what I would even do with it if I bought it. I think it was $15 bf. Should've taken a few pics of it.

So, I query the collective, what would you all do with it?

Thanks!

[John Goodin]

I purchased a few pieces, maybe 7 or 8 board feet and found that it makes nice smaller projects. We have a napkin holder box that I love. This wormy chestnut had a lot of darker streaking and a grain pattern that was a bit busy. It is enjoyable to work. Besides being easy to machine, etc it was also enjoyable to work with a wood that has not grown in the country for a century.

[Ron Selzer]

Brian , you ever go up to Yoder Lumber , Millersburg and deal with them? I buy from them and am very happy. Also Panel Center over on West side, Have bought Baltic Birch 5x5 plywood for work there and they had some beautiful straight White Oak there, too nice for me as SWMBO insists on knots and other defects showing
Ron

https://yoderlumber.com/wp-content/u...-2020-Fall.pdf
https://www.panelcenter.com/

[Myles Moran]

Yoder is great, but a heck of a drive for something I can get somewhere closer. I went there to get some.5/4 hickory I couldn't find anywhere else. Amazing how big that warehouse is, and they're very friendly people.

Usually my go tos are Almendinger, Kreis, and CR Muterspaw. Almendinger has most domestics, Kreis has a lot of unique stuff and amazing prices, but a much smaller stock, and Muterspaw has all sorts of exotics and figured woods.

[Ron Selzer]

Yoder is great, but a heck of a drive for something I can get somewhere closer. I went there to get some.5/4 hickory I couldn't find anywhere else. Amazing how big that warehouse is, and they're very friendly people.

Usually my go tos are Almendinger, Kreis, and CR Muterspaw. Almendinger has most domestics, Kreis has a lot of unique stuff and amazing prices, but a much smaller stock, and Muterspaw has all sorts of exotics and figured woods.

Thanks for the info, now have three more places to check out once things calm down enough to travel
Yes Yoders is a drive so I always get 500-1000 bdft when I go and have them skip plane it for me
Good food up there and SWMBO always has a few places she wants to go to up there.
Ron

[Brian Tymchak]

Brian , you ever go up to Yoder Lumber , Millersburg and deal with them? I buy from them and am very happy. Also Panel Center over on West side, Have bought Baltic Birch 5x5 plywood for work there and they had some beautiful straight White Oak there, too nice for me as SWMBO insists on knots and other defects showing
Ron

https://yoderlumber.com/wp-content/u...-2020-Fall.pdf
https://www.panelcenter.com/

Hey Ron, no I've not been to Yoder. Probably should though. It's not like I'm too busy to go. Just lazy I guess. For the last few years I've been buying all my domestic lumber from Almendinger's up in Johnstown. They are the closest sawmill to me and price is good. A bit limited on species but a good store of typical domestics.

Thanks for the tip on Panel Center. Had not heard of them. I see the have slatwall which I need, so I should make a point to visit when I head over to the west side. Have been buying all my sheet goods at Woodwerks. They have a good quality veneer core plywood, and all thickness of BB. Woodwerks is only a couple miles from me and I know one of the sales staff well as we worked together many years ago.

[Brian Tymchak]

Usually my go tos are Almendinger, Kreis, and CR Muterspaw. Almendinger has most domestics, Kreis has a lot of unique stuff and amazing prices, but a much smaller stock, and Muterspaw has all sorts of exotics and figured woods.

Had not heard of Kreis. Thanks for that. I heard from someone here on the Creek that Muterspaw was a good source for genuine mahogany.

[Brian Tymchak]

I purchased a few pieces, maybe 7 or 8 board feet and found that it makes nice smaller projects. We have a napkin holder box that I love. This wormy chestnut had a lot of darker streaking and a grain pattern that was a bit busy. It is enjoyable to work. Besides being easy to machine, etc it was also enjoyable to work with a wood that has not grown in the country for a century.

Hi John, I wanted to have the wood for that reason, and if it had been prettier, or if I had a use in mind I might have bought some, even though I have no idea if the price is reasonable or not.

[Jim Tobias]

Wormy Chestnut is one of my favorite woods. Once finished, it has a warmth that is hard to beat. I bought about 1200 bf a number of years (and a bunch of Walnut and Cherry)ago from a former furniture maker that was getting out of the business. Couldn't pass it all up.
As for a working with it, the only other wood that I find works as easy is Mahogany.
Here is a sideboard/hutch that I made for our breakfast area several years back.
Jim
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20151122_173027.jpg
20151122_175124.jpg

[Tony Joyce]

1222181313~2.JPG
Wormy Chestnut commission piece from last year, customers lumber.
Although, I do have about 500 BdFT stash.

[Tony Joyce]

Jim,
What's the top out of on that piece?

[Brian Tymchak]

Wormy Chestnut is one of my favorite woods. Once finished, it has a warmth that is hard to beat. I bought about 1200 bf a number of years (and a bunch of Walnut and Cherry)ago from a former furniture maker that was getting out of the business. Couldn't pass it all up.
As for a working with it, the only other wood that I find works as easy is Mahogany.
Here is a sideboard/hutch that I made for our breakfast area several years back.
Jim

Beautiful work Jim. Thanks for posting those pictures. I was thinking that the grain and worminess might be too much "character" for a sizable piece. But you definitely show it can work.

[Brian Tymchak]

Wormy Chestnut commission piece from last year, customers lumber.
Although, I do have about 500 BdFT stash.

Thanks for the pic Tony. Also a beautiful piece, like Jim's.

The lumber I was looking at would be considered VERY wormy compared to what you and Jim worked with. I'm thinking now it could be too wormy.

[lowell holmes]

Check this out.

https://www.google.com/search?q=worm...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[Jim Tobias]

Jim,
What's the top out of on that piece?

It was a piece of the marble countertop left over from our kitchen redo a few years back. I asked the guy at the time to make it into a rectangle and round over the edges. I basically built the hutch to fit the marble slab.
Jim