# Sawing a walnut stump, wish me luck.



## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I snuck a couple pictures in a thread JP had started of a walnut stump I was working on sawing. I thought even though this is not a samilling discussion forum I would just start a thread about it anyway. I got this stump because I want to cut some thick stock with figure. I have never sawed a stump before...it has been a learning experience :huh:, if after all the work I have put in it if the stock is not spectacular I may never do it agian.

It is 24" at the butt cut where the logger felled the tree. (I have access to 100 more from the same site...we will see after this one)

I finally got it cleaned up from 4000 lbs (?) to less than 2000. Mud, rocks, little roots. I bet I sharpened 20 chains and spent 3 hours with the pressure washer. The last picture is trimmed up and ready for it's last "bath". The first time my Case 1840 could lift it, I had been flipping it all over the muddy yard working on it.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I finally got it washed and carefully place on the mill. I had to dig a hole for it to set it, my millhead only raises 34" .. I wanted to cut it like a log anyway to show any figure that may be there and wanted it level with the blade the first few cuts. 
If I take off the adjustable blade guide roller on one side I can cut 26"...I am maxed out.
This little piggy wore me out, alot of wrestling and sawing and I have not pulled one slab yet (but got some turning stock from the trim)
Wish me luck. If this thing eats bandmill blades like it did chainsaw chains I am in for another long day .


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Cool Daren. I am on pins and needles waiting to see the inside, I hope it yields something worth the effort. 

Within the next couple weeks I am going to be using my 6 foot slabber for the first time, free hand, on an upright spalted red oak crotch that will require every bit of the bar. Maybe we can get a sawmill thread going here and the guys who don't want to frequent sawmilling sites can see why we are addicted to it.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

TexasTimbers said:


> Maybe we can get a sawmill thread going here and the guys who don't want to frequent sawmilling sites can see why we are addicted to it.


I am all for that. I have a passion for cool wood and have worked myself 1/2 to death at times to get it (can't wait to do it in the morning, I live for it :laughing. Some woodworkers go into a shop and blow a gasket at $15 bft...maybe a sawmilling section would show the knowledge, work, overhead that goes into that lumber. I am not getting on a soapbox here, lumber may grow on trees, but a skilled sawyer finds/makes "the good stuff". I don't care if 99% of woodworkers go to the big box and buy wood, I am here for the 1% who really know wood.


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## JP Sinclair (Nov 13, 2006)

You're killing me Daren, I want to see a pic of the boards!. I bet they were worth the trouble. Here's a side shot of the spalted maple cabinet my buddy bucky made. It really had some nice ghost marks. He's getting ready for the final sanding soon. He's got a couple more sweet clocks done too.


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## Burlkraft (Oct 15, 2006)

SWEET......:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Well I cut on it some today, we had a couple real downpours and as soon as I would get started...here came the rain  . I was only to knock off a few 26" wide 36" long slabs 2 1/2" thick (I see some gun stock material) I have to flip it 1/4 turn and saw some more. I have plans all weekend so it may be a few days on an update. There is heavy curl in the sapwood, not so much on this face in the heartwood, but I am barely into it. There is still alot of wood there.


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## Hubert (Dec 23, 2006)

WOW that's gorgeous! So the next question is how do you dry it?? I will be "all" endgrain.


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## SawDustJack (Nov 6, 2006)

Schweet , if you see some gunstock material , then we gots to talk :thumbsup:


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## mike p (Nov 11, 2006)

say we got a sawmill group at saw & timber


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

mike p said:


> say we got a sawmill group at saw & timber


 
If you insist. We got a sawmill group at saw & timber. I said it. :icon_smile: 

Mike we are just trying to give woodowrkers a peek into the other world of woodworking before it gets to them. Most woodworkers are not going to frequent a sawmill site. Many will look or browse on occasion and some may join, but must will not get a glimpse unless we have a thread like this and post on occasion. 

We aren't trying to upstage a sister site and couldn't if we wanted to. Just trying to share a passion with many who otherwise would never take a looksee.


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Daren that stuff is AWESOME! So what do you think now. Worth the time? :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :yes: :thumbsup:


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

mike p said:


> say we got a sawmill group at saw & timber


What TexasT said about showing this kinda work to new people who may not have seen it...I can really easy get "outbragged" over at Saw&Timber :laughing:, and I was wanting to show off. Just about anyone with a sawmill who knows what to look for and is willing to work at it can trump those pictures (JP, Burlkraft and TT even do it here )


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

TexasTimbers said:


> So what do you think now. Worth the time?


I think so, the hard part is behind me I think and I have 12-15 (?) 10/4 slabs to pull off that should be that good or better. I still am going to try a smaller one next time (I guess since I said next time it was worth it :laughing


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## SawDustJack (Nov 6, 2006)

now we gots to gee haw over some of the gun wood :thumbsup:


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## Kirk Allen (Nov 7, 2006)

OK Daren, time to be outbragged:thumbsup: 

Got this little Jem from Frank Pender during my last trip. 

Can anyone spell GUNSTOCKS! 

Curly, Spalted, Big Leaf Maple BURL!


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Kirk Allen said:


> OK Daren, time to be outbragged:thumbsup:


See what I mean ?, I don't stand a chance at strutting my feathers for too long:no:. I am using my x-ray vision (AKA sawyer vision) and that thing is 5X as pretty on the inside as it is ugly on the outside. I figure there are a couple guys here (who should chime in) that will have to wipe the drool off their keyboard to post a reply.
Might as well make this a funky wood/finding it/how to mill it thread, my forte. The first ugly little thing is soon to be no longer verticle...but horizontal on the mill, a redbud tree that is more burl that tree. The second picture is mine, but there are some delays (we have to remove powerlines temp. to fell it) It is a 50' tall 36" dbh catalpa that using my x-ray vision again:laughing: looks to have some unusual grain to say the least.


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## Harddog Wood (Feb 9, 2007)

gorgeous! beautiful marks.


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## Burlkraft (Oct 15, 2006)

Come on Daren.....You know you got some gack lookin' wood....  

We all have our moments.....

Hey Kirk.....Haven't heard from you or Frank for a while. Nice lookin' piece there. How'd Frank survive the loggin..???? I know it rained buckets while he was at it. Probably made a lot more down wood than he was planning' on....:glare: :glare: 

I'll have to dig up a freaky piece to post...:icon_smile: :icon_smile: :icon_smile: 

I missed out on a big sugar maple that was gnarly...gnarly. The county took it down on Friday in the span of a couple of hours while I was gone. I do believe they set a record. Ain't never seen them work that fast before...:thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown: Musta been cuz it was Friday...:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:


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## Kirk Allen (Nov 7, 2006)

Steve,
He survived the logging but the winds shortly after took out more trees than he planned. I think he said they removed over 1,000,000 BF of Timber. 

Kind of glad I was short on time during my visit, otherwise I would have had to rent a U-haul to bring all the stuff home I wanted


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## Burlkraft (Oct 15, 2006)

Kirk Allen said:


> Kind of glad I was short on time during my visit, otherwise I would have had to rent a U-haul to bring all the stuff home I wanted


I know the feeling......


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I was curious so I sanded on a piece today. There is something wrong with it :huh:, the grain is all messed up and not straight. Who is ever going to want this ugly stuff :laughing:, I guess I am stuck with it. Oh well, live and learn.:thumbsup:


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## Burlkraft (Oct 15, 2006)

Good score Daren...:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## JP Sinclair (Nov 13, 2006)

Wow bro, the waves in that is fantastic. Especially combined with the contrast in the heart/sapwood. Time for me to find some stumps..


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Shucks Daren, I thought you had some good looking stuff there for a while. Oh well, maybe next time. :laughing: 

That's the prettiest walnut I have ever seen.


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## Lee (Dec 22, 2006)

Hey Darren;

That's a good looking chunk of wood.

Kinda makes me want a new hobby, but fortunately(?) I can't afford a new hobby.

I'm up to my elbows in alligators as it is. When I go see my buddy at Hearne hardwoods, I see stuff over six feet in diameter, and it kind of looks petrified. Maybe it saw the mill!

Did you ever notice how trees in many cases are like women? The uglier they are on the outside, the more beautiful they are on the inside. And vice versa. 

Please note, I didn't say every case, I said some! 

Lee


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I kinda let this thread die. I got a little further into it...here is another picture.


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## Burlkraft (Oct 15, 2006)

Hey Daren,

That's nice...It's kinda got a Claro walnut look to it...:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## mike p (Nov 11, 2006)

way to go looking good


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## solidwoods (Apr 26, 2007)

This should be a good place to talk sawmill since most boards have seen one.

Stumps yield very curved grain woods.
So the parts would need to be able to handle that type of grain arraignment (single piece items, not glued pannels).
I mill my thick lumber from large limby logs or tree tops (yields straight grain yes, but short clear cuts)
An pressure wash,, pressure wash,, pressure wash. (you can pressure wash as you cut,, wash the blade path only saves pw labor)

also seal/coat the pieces since drying stress is allot with stump wood.
jim


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