Rough cut black walnut value

So I'm helping an older lady I know clear out some of her late husband's stuff...

She has half a barn full of rough sawn black walnut lumber that's been stacked and drying for about 5 years in various widths and thicknesses. Mostly 8' lengths. A few slabs for benches / coffee tables etc.

I am going to acquire some for myself, but there is a lot here...

If I help her sell, how much should I charge? I'd like to price it so that fellow woodworkers can get a decent price but also do right by the seller who is a close friend.

Thanks!

I am sure the price is dependent on your location across the country, but around here black walnut goes for 6 or 7 bucks a BF for 4/4 stuff.

Barn wood varies greatly in IL. Price is dependent on quality for sure.

What would be a price (around you) that would be cheap enough to not complain about perfect quality.... I think this stuff is pretty good though based on the furniture he make with it. There are some warped pieces etc.

I have bought plenty of rough cut walnut at farm auctions for a dollar or less per board foot. Some of it is pretty good, some not so good. If you are allowed to sort it, it is worth more. I am in northern Iowa, it is prairie land here not a lot of walnut trees to cut either. by the time you plane it, sort it, throw away what is not too good, get rid of the shorts and limb wood you will have considerably more than a dollar in the real good quality stuff. Jared

Usually, around here in Pa, black walnut, air dired, from a sawmill runs around a buck a foot. kiln dried from a sawmill around $1.50 a foor. From a retail outlet, around $5-6 a foot. Guess where I shop?
Bob

A pretty good number would be about $2.75 - $3.00/BF in my area for moving it in volume.

I am near Bob, apparently. Good stuff from a guy who delivers local (8/4) was $4 a board foot KD last time I got it. If you are south or west of me by much, you might be able to get that for air dried 8/4 and a little less for 4/4. If the lady has time on her hands, and it's FAS, I'd go with something like 2/3rds of whatever retail is near you and half of that if you won't let people pick their boards.

There's a lot of 'home harvested' black walnut and cherry around my area. It tends to sell at a steep discount relative to branded wood from a dealer. My experience is that this is because home harvest is not graded, and hence is hit or miss. Your market is limited because people will have to come and inspect it themselves. Also, if you want to move the whole lot, you'll have to reduce the per bf price.

You'll do best to take a lot of pics and post on CL. Since that's free, you might as well start high and then reduce if it fails to move.

Another reason air dried wood tends to sell for short money is that lacking proper kiln drying the boards can contain bugs. Bugs which when brought into a shop can contaminate your other wood....bad situation when you find little holes bored into some of your choice wood:eek:

Anyway can't help you price as I don't buy air dried myself, but the $1 a bd. ft. sounds reasonable as it's also about what kiln dried goes for at auctions around here. Of course you can always price it higher and drop as necessary....you never know what somebody will be willing to spend;)

good luck,
JeffD

Thanks for all the comments guys. I really appreciate it.

In my area - not less than $3 bf.

Ya I paid $1/bf for some green cherry.... but it is pretty far between to find dried (even air dried) black walnut at $1/bf - assuming its even halfway decent.

Sure some people can find decent cherry/walnut at $1/bf - but not that many. The thicker stuff is worth more. $6 to $7 for KD retail, so at 3 you are half off that - my bet is you get some takers at that price.

You got some good replies. Price will depend on quality and that depends on grading. If it is all sold as mill run then the price Danny quoted would be very good, indeed. I wouldn't pay that much but I have access to all the Walnut I can saw...free. (stealth gloat)

Air dried lumber is still air dried, regardless of how many years it has sat. Being in a barn will help it get to a lower MC than being exposed to the outside air but it will still need further drying for indoor projects. The bug issue is also a concern but it won't take much investigation to determine if it is infested. If here are piles of frass around the lumber, it will need to be heated in a kiln to kill the infestation. Topical treatments like Tim-Bor aren't effective on larvae that is already inside the lumber.

For the widow's sake, I hope you can sell it for a decent price but just don't get her hopes too high.

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Originally Posted by Cody Colston

... piles of frass ...

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Cool! Learned a new word.

A good start to the new year.

Thanks again.

I think I'll start at $3 and let anyone interested pick through for what they want. Then sell the lesser quality in higher quantity cheaper.

I have to decide what and how much I want to get for myself too. I'm keeping the stuff in the 4x4" and 6x6" sizes for spindle turning for sure.

I should take my moisture meter to it but I'm pretty sure it's dry to work with. It's been years stacked inside with spacers and a halfway decemt amount of airflow. I believe he's already built tables etc with this wood.

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Originally Posted by Dan Masshardt

Thanks again.

I should take my moisture meter to it but I'm pretty sure it's dry to work with. It's been years stacked inside with spacers and a halfway decemt amount of airflow. I believe he's already built tables etc with this wood.

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Nothing wrong with that. Just let the potential buyers know that it is strictly air dried. That way, you are covered and they will be advised.

Good luck with your sales.

Thanks Cody. I like the Jim Elliot quote in your signature line too. :-)

Where might you be located at Dan? Perhaps some Creekers are interested...

$3 is fair. $1 is way too cheap for black walnut that is air dried. $1 is about what you pay for low grade 4/4 pine at the Box Stores. Some people here occasionally get great deals, but that is not the "market". Do her right. Stand on $3, and you are giving local woodworkers a good deal.

Go on the Internet and check out black walnut prices. You won't find much if any for $3 from the sawmills that offer it for sale.

I am in lewisberry pa (17339). It is close to Harrisburg and about 90 mins north of Baltimore.

I will post here in an appropriate place first. Meanwhile if anybody reading this has immediate interest, let me know.

Would not this wood be worth considerably more if you planed it? Novice woodworkers have trouble seeing what is under the rough surface. Of course you should do a pass or 2 through the jointer before surfacing, and I would only surface to where it cleans up. 7/8" would be great.

Jim - the difference in appearance of this walnut rough vs planed is night and day.

I could joint / plane a dozen boards and offer them at a higher price I guess. At the least it would give an idea what the wood is like. Probably would open the market up. There are people with a table saw wanting to build stuff that don't have equip to plane.

Ultimately the wood is worth what one pays for it. I have been to many auctions around here attended by lots of woodworkers where they were selling air dried hardwoods for far less than $1 a foot. Much of it depends on your fortune of finding interested buyers. You won't be doing anyone a favor if you price it to where it doesn't sale. The market will let you know if you set the price too high or too low.

You are right Rich! I always adjust prices to the market.

I listed some of this stuff at $2 / ft before and had a good amount of interest in substantial quantities so I think I could sell for that anyway after giving $3 a try.

I love auctions. Unfortunately I can't always seem to find what I want available at an auction when I want it!

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Originally Posted by Dan Masshardt

You are right Rich! I always adjust prices to the market.

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And the SMC 'market', is often different than the general 'market' for your area. (at least in my experience) Sometimes good, sometimes bad, always a function of whether you are buying or selling.

Let us know what your experience is! (a little too far to drive for me)

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Originally Posted by Jeff Duncan

the $1 a bd. ft. sounds reasonable as it's also about what kiln dried goes for at auctions around here.

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Hi Jeff,

Since we are in the same area, I would be interested to learn of the auctions where I can pick up KD walnut at $1/bf.