Aged Black Walnut Slabs - What Are They Worth?

[John Baum]

One weekend in May 1979 (38 years ago) a colleague and I cut down this black walnut tree in a nearby Palo Alto, CA, yard and plain-sawed it into 3 inch thick slabs using another colleagues Alaskan mill and 4' Stihl chainsaw. It took most of both days, and we had the help of a very handy neighbor who limbed the tree (it branched ~ 6 feet up from the ground) made and chocked the felling cut, inches from the ground. We then wedged and pulled the tree over using his veteran pickup truck. The two of us then set about cutting the slabs. By the time we got to the tree, it had been invaded by insects, which bored holes in it, especially in the sapwood just under the bark. In 1979 I did not know about wax emulsion to prevent wood checking. Perhaps it did not exist. I did my best and melted some paraffin wax and applied it where I anticipated severe checking. The slabs have all been separated with 1/2" stickers since the day they were cut.

For 38 years I have imagined creating a router based planing mill based on leveled 1" Unistrut tracks along the long sides of the slabs supporting in the open face of the Unistrut a ball-wheel (ball caster or through bored lacrosse ball) which, in turn, supported a bed for a 1/2" shank router to make successive passes along the length of the slab until it was 'flat' and the worst of the chain saw mill marks were removed. That is until I could more clearly see the grain and quality of the resulting plank. Each year other tasks took priority. Each year Ive gotten older and less able to move heavy slabs of wood. Now, at 77, I see clearly that this is no longer a task I will complete. I would like to offer this wood for sale on craigslist locally. How do I go about placing a credible price on it? In addition to these larger pieces, I also have smaller 3" slabs from the two large branches. Some dreams remain dreams and never become reality.

Here is a link to 3 images I've posted on Imgur. The slab not in the stack but displayed vertically is only 7" wide at the narrowest point; it came from close to one bark face of the tree. The folding rule in the second image is a vintage 6' Lufkin Red-End folding rule.

http://imgur.com/a/GzkTF

thanks
baumgrenze

[John Broomall]

I know what you mean about getting to the point you have to give up on some dreams. I'm on the east coast so I don't know how much help it will be to you but walnut here goes for about $9.00 bf retail with a premium for slabs like yours. We starting to see quarantines on wood in SE PA due to lantern fly infestations so I expect the price will go higher as the quarantine spreads. Good luck with your slabs and may the rest of your dreams come true.

[John Baum]

Thank you, John, for your reply.

I'm concerned about how much the value is impacted by the waxing, bug holes, and checking/cracking.

How do experts assess the grain patterns in wood with a surface as rough as this?

Did I do the right thing by linking to the images stored elsewhere on the web?

The few small pieces I planed with the 12" portable planer I inherited from the neighbor with the truck look very nice to me.

Thanks
baumgrenze

[Cary Falk]

Walnut out here in the Northwest runs about $9/bdft. That is for FAS. People are on CL because they are looking for a bargain or something unique. It may be just a bad picture but the board in the top picture looked like firewood with all of the cracks. The rest of wood was kind of hard to tell given the rough exterior. Cracked and wormy wood is not going to bring much. I think it would sell better if it was cut up for bowl blanks and other turning stuff. That's just my opinion. I don't buy wood on CL anymore because I don't end up saving any money. It ends up being more work.

[Matt Lau]

I second the other guys.

If you really want to sell the wood, you'll need to surface one side.
Try spritzing with alcohol or a coat of mineral spirits prior to taking the picture.
The current pictures are ugly.

[Charles Lent]

Yes, surface at least one side of each and spray it with mineral spirits just before you take the pictures. We want to see the grain. In the condition that I can see in the pictures, I wouldn't pay anything for them. Put yard sticks next to them for length and width comparisons when you take the pictures. From what I can see in the first pictures they look like firewood to me.. The pictures are going to have to be much better if you really want to sell it. I'm on the wrong coast, so I'm not interested. I'm just trying to help you sell it.

Charley

[John K Jordan]

I agree with those indicating the value based the photos provided is not promising. Perhaps those further down in the stack are less weathered and degraded.

You might get someone to plane or surface each slab with a big sander. The big grubs that get into walnut sapwood don't concern me much, but check carefully for powder post beetles. Old wood stored outside is sometimes full of them.

I still have some walnut and oak sawed in 1976-77, stored inside. I wonder if they are dry yet...

A curious thing, why is the first photo two different photos stuck together? Just trying to get it all one shot?

JKJ

[Andrew Hughes]

I'm not far from the Op and I wouldn't take them for free based on what i see.I like Roughsawn lumber but not when it's full of dirt in the cracks.

[John Baum]

Today I remembered I had a 12 x 24 x 3 inch piece that I ran through a portable planer a few years ago. It came from another large piece I cut up to get material to work with. I hope this give some idea of the grain in the wood. If it does not, I'll put it on Imgur.

12x24x3_WalnutSlab_Horiz.jpg

I am awaiting total failure of my twice repaired right shoulder so that I have not alternative but a replacement (at my surgeon's request.) I am in no shape to live and/or move pieces as big as the slabs.

thanks
baumgrenze

[John Piwaron]

I'm not bothered much by the cracking, but considering that walnut is actually fairly common around here, I wouldn't pay very much for boards that I'm going to have to put a lot of work into to get something usable. I'd be filling those cracks with epoxy. Nothing new for me to do that. My current kitchen table is made of boards (mesquite) that, when it arrived at my house, my wife asked what was I going to do with all that junk and why would I buy wood like that? I filled all the cracks and voids with epoxy. I've done that from time to time with other boards too. But the boards in question have to be worth the effort.

[Peter Christensen]

I'd take those without hesitation. The only place in this city sells live edge black walnut slabs (abrasive planed new wood though) starting at over a grand each. The 3' wide 8'- 10' long ones are close to 4 grand. All their wood is shockingly expensive (more than double) compared to what I would buy on the west coast a couple years ago. Your stack of wood, while containing defects still has a lot of useable wood to work with. Even surfacing 3/4" off both faces, which I doubt is necessary, would leave you with 1 1/2" thick stock to build with. One man's firewood is another man's treasure.

[Harold Balzonia]

I'm in Southern California and I would guess, as is, you might ask $50-75 per slab and see if you get any bites. I hope that's not insulting to you. If you could manage to get even one surface of one of the slabs cleaned up, you might ask quite a bit more. $200-250 per slab maybe, depending what's underneath?

its going to take a lot of patience to sell them as is. A specific buyer is out there (someone with the tools to surface the slabs and willing to put hours of prep work into them) but that person might not see your ad for a while.

Look at it from the buyer's perspective and remove your (very reasonable) personal attachment to the slabs and you'll see what they are "worth."

Maybe there is is a woodworking department in a local high school or college you could donate them to if you are feeling very generous and want them gone? They would provide a great learning opportunity for a youngster to learn on...

[John K Jordan]

I'd take those without hesitation. The only place in this city sells live edge black walnut slabs (abrasive planed new wood though) starting at over a grand each. The 3' wide 8'- 10' long ones are close to 4 grand. All their wood is shockingly expensive (more than double) compared to what I would buy on the west coast a couple years ago. Your stack of wood, while containing defects still has a lot of useable wood to work with. Even surfacing 3/4" off both faces, which I doubt is necessary, would leave you with 1 1/2" thick stock to build with. One man's firewood is another man's treasure.

Yikes, walnut around here often rots in the log. I never even dragged the one in my neighbor's woods to my sawmill.

That makes me want to bring a truck. It would have to be nice and warm, though. After one memorable experience I have vowed to be careful about the time of the year to visit Saskatoon. Spring was beautiful but I still can't BELIEVE how cold it was in the winter!!!

One possible value for thick cracked planks is for woodturning squares.

JKJ

[Samuel Green]

I am in San Mateo not far from you. I would be happy to come down and take look. I am a beginner wood worker but maybe I could trade you some manpower to get them cleaned up for slab or 2? Send me a message and maybe we can work something out.

Cheers!

Sam

[John Baum]

Thanks to everyone for your responses, as varied as they are.

I am not desperate to sell, just interested and now motivated.

Time will tell.

Thanks again,
baumgrenze