# English Walnut



## stevem2 (Jun 13, 2010)

Looking for some help/guidance/ideas.

Been invited to share in the removal of a walnut orchard.

The deal is remove the trees and stumps and the wood is free.

The orchard has 140 trees, boles are about 20" in diameter and 6' before the first branches not counting the any part of the root wad. All trees are grafted to black walnut roots (probably claro walnut as I'm on the left coast, Oregon). rough estimate based on 6' x 20" x 140 trees gives me 14,000 bdf.

Some, number unknown, larger black walnuts on the edge of the orchard with tall clean trunks go with the deal. Those I can sell if they are large enough.

I'll be able to view the orchard next week as it's about 40 miles north of me.

Equipment needs to be rented for the removal but the "partner" grew up on a track hoe which is what I'm told is better than a cat for removal. Chain saws, axes and a Lucas sawmill I own. 

Lots of fire wood from the tops.

So where do I go with this? Is there enough opportunity to make it worth while? I've seen some pictures of the graft wood used for guitar tops and I'm just awe struck with the beauty.  Where/what is the market?


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## WillemJM (Aug 18, 2011)

I drove past a taken down orchard once and asked the owner for some trees, which he gave me free.

These were my learnings:

1.) Freshly cut the wood was almost white, but 6 months later it changed to a very attractive English Walnut color.

2.) The grafts where Black and English separate were nice, but a very small area, not yielding much.

3.) Unlike Black Walnut, bugs love this stuff. Either have it kiln dried, or protect it from the minute it has been cut, otherwise you will have infestation.

4.) To really make it worth your while, the trees need to be at least 14" in diameter, more is better.

He is striking a mean deal though, I do not know of anyone who would actually do that for free. Normally the costs to remove includes the sale of the wood and the grower still pays quite a sum. Suggest you look at your costs, then calculate the Walnut cords at firewood prices and give him a bid.


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## DRB (May 10, 2009)

Well that is a big job I doubt you could clean up more the a couple trees a day 4 or 5 tops if just 2 of you are working. Being small there will be a lot of sap wood and being short there will not be a whole lot of real great lumber. Save the stumps they may be interesting. If I had no other full time work and access to equipment I would take it on but expect months of work. The rental of equipment means a lot of expense that may scare me away. To dig 140 stumps alone could take a week even with good equipment. A lot would depend on the other free trees along the orchard they may be worth it. You better fidn out how much firewood can be sold for as well since you will have a lot 50 to 100 cords I would think.


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## stevem2 (Jun 13, 2010)

WillemJM said:


> He is striking a mean deal though, I do not know of anyone who would actually do that for free. Normally the costs to remove includes the sale of the wood and the grower still pays quite a sum. Suggest you look at your costs, then calculate the Walnut cords at firewood prices and give him a bid.


Good thought. Hadn't thought of it from that point. :thumbsup:

Any ideas as to where one could market the logs?


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## Allen Tomaszek (Dec 11, 2010)

I would calculate the cost of the job including my labor and compare it to the cost of just buying 14,000bf of English Walnut logs. That will at least tell you how much room you have to make a profit.

In my view this deal is heavily tilted in the land owners favor. Have you ever pulled a stump? Even with equipment it's a lot of work. Do you want to cut and move 50-100 cords of firewood? Do you have the equipment and space to move and store 140 logs?

Does the land owner have expectations on the condition of the site once the trees are removed? Does he expect you to remove all of the logs, firewood, stumps, brush from the property even if you don't have a need or market for them? Disposal costs can be very expensive. 

Those are just a few things I would be thinking about before saying yes. If it were offered to me I'd turn it down and offer to buy some of the logs when they were already cut down.


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## Mizer (Mar 11, 2010)

Are you planing on cutting the logs 6'? No mills that I know of around here will buy a 6' log. 
I am with Allen, I think that the land owner would come out way on the good.


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## stevem2 (Jun 13, 2010)

I'll be viewing the trees next Wed. What I have right now is a view through the eyes of a commercial wood worker (doors and windows).

I can probably get a 7'+ log out of the trtees counting low stumps and part of the first crotch, Our local hardwood mill can cut down to 6'6" if he has to but I wouldn't push it unless I had to.

A track hoe is available for a reasonable cost so at least that expense is minimal. 
I'm contacting a "custom" firewood cutter to see if he would be interested in coming an taking the firewood out on a $ per cord basis.

I do appreciate the inputs I'm getting. Making me think past a "neat" idea of saving the trees from the burn pile or fire wood cutters.


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## stevem2 (Jun 13, 2010)

Well I got to view the orchard and it wasn't what I thought. Trees were at most 18" dbh and only about 4 feet of tree before the first crotches above the graft. Most all had burl on them but not enough wood to justify the time and effort to get them out. Basicly the owner wanted a land clearing operation and by the way you can have any wood you recover. No economic sense. 

thanks again for the inputs people,


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## Mizer (Mar 11, 2010)

I have learned to never or hardly ever say no right off. It is usually always worth taking a look. The next one, or the one after might be the deal that makes all the no deals worth the trouble.:thumbsup:


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