80-100 year old walnut

[thomas prusak]

I have found a stack of walnut that was cut into 2.5"-3"thickness x9"w x 7'-8' long pcs. 30 years ago. It was originally intended to be used for gun stocks. It has been in a barn stacked in a pile with spacers in between each row. Is this walnut something rare and special due to it's age or is it just a pile of walnut? Thanks in advance for any input.

[Chris Mahmood]

I have found a stack of walnut that was cut into 2.5"-3"thickness x9"w x 7'-8' long pcs. 30 years ago. It was originally intended to be used for gun stocks. It has been in a barn stacked in a pile with spacers in between each row. Is this walnut something rare and special due to it's age or is it just a pile of walnut? Thanks in advance for any input.

It's absolutely worthless. You seem like a nice person, I'll do you a favor and send you my address so you can ship it to me and I'll dispose of it for you. Seriously, as long as bugs haven't gotten to it and depending on how large the stack is, what kind of walnut it is, and where you live it might be very valuable. You'll need to estimate the number of board feet (e.g. http://www.csgnetwork.com/boardftcalc.html) in order to get an idea.

[Dave MacArthur]

Also, if it was intended for gunstocks, then it usually has good figure. Take a piece and plane the surface a bit, wet it and get a pic posted

I have this image in my mind of these long boards of highly figured gun stock blanks... so nice...

[Tom Rick]

The nicest walnut I ever milled with came out of a pig sty.
My sis had purchased a 200 year old farm which had a coral for the pigs from way back when. The sty got knocked down and all the boards were rough sawn walnut driven to the posts with old hand forged nails.

I milled out the stock and got a some of the nicest walnut I have ever seen. The grain had iridescence which would shine through the finish as if it were made of stone. A beautiful, rich bunch of boards.

But... as Chris says- that stuff you have is most likely worthless... . You know it sits around that long, gets all dusty. Dust will wreck havoc with planner knives.. Just save yourself a lot of trouble and ship it out to ME!

There are a bunch who still hand carve rifle stocks- maybe find them and resell??

[Peter Quinn]

Given the direction walnut trees are headed (gone) 10/4-12/9 at 9" widths in a clear grade sap free is pretty rare from what I see these days. Have you seen what they look like cleaned up at all? You own it or are considering buying it? I"m not tuned into that market enough to offer advice on value or price, but it could be some awfully nice material for the right user. Gunstocks, bed posts, chair legs, book matched panels, exterior doors, carving, etc. Lots of uses for thick walnut of any quality.

[Nathan Allen]

All Walnut in that size is something special, at least in terms of common domestic wood it will fetch some of the best prices if re-sold.

[Frank Drew]

There's walnut, and then there's walnut, but if the quality of these boards is good (attractive grain and/or figure; mostly heartwood; defect free) you might have a real nice stash there. As Peter says, it's difficult to find wide-ish thick stock in walnut these days, especially material that's been so long dried.

[Neil Brooks]

I'm going to try to outbid some of the competition, here, and ask that you simply select, and send, ONE choice board to me, for evaluation.

I'm perfectly willing to leave the ALL the rest to you, to do with as you please, but ... I would love one ... y'know ... 10/4 board ... IF you wouldn't mind.

[Matt Armstrong]

I've got a bunch of similar pieces up on the shelf, but more like 20 years old. All Claro walnut that I can't bring myself to chop up.

[thomas prusak]

I looked at the walnut yesterday after a family member of mine asked if I had a use for it. I did not even wipe any of the dust off of it, mostly just looked at the pile to see what size boards he had. I will have the wood by the weekend. I'll post some pics. Thanks again.

[thomas prusak]

Would this be standard type walnut being that the trees grew in Ohio ?

[Gary Curtis]

I know a defunct lumber mill in the far north of California with thousands of board feet of Black Walnut. They took out a few large walnut groves, and milled it all into blanks perfect for rifles.

http://www.timberck.com/

Timber Creek Mill, of Hayfork, California. The mill is a defunct facility owned by Sierra Pacific. Not in operation for more than 10 years. 2 employees managing the whole works. I was able to bargain on the price. Few people living in the county have ever been to this remote site. Things move real.l.l.y s.l.o.w. in Hayfork.

Gary Curtis

[Frank Drew]

Would this be standard type walnut being that the trees grew in Ohio ?

Yes, your wood is most likely Black Walnut, aka Eastern Black Walnut, (Juglans nigra); Ohio is well within its natural range.

[glenn bradley]

I've got a bunch of similar pieces up on the shelf, but more like 20 years old. All Claro walnut that I can't bring myself to chop up.

Matt, I'm a giving kind of guy. I'll swing by and take that stuff off your hands. It will save you the anguish of wondering what to do with it ;-))