# Help with Black Walnut Live Edge!



## kennyz11 (Mar 10, 2017)

Hello all, 
I am in the process of constructing a live edge black walnut console table, and I am stumped. After flattening and planing my slab, I have now started the sanding process. For some reason, the top of my slab has dark/black spots throughout the piece. I noticed it after planing, but figured that sanding would take care of the discoloration. It has not. I started with 80 grit random orbital sanding, as planing it did a good job smoothing out the top. I am now up to 220 grit. I cannot get any of these spots to let loose. Is there something I am missing?? Is my slab contaminated? Or am I missing a step? I am afraid to run the belt sander across it.... 

I have been building custom furniture for 4+ years now, so I am no stranger to finishing wood....however this is my first live edge project. I attached a picture of my issue....hopefully I uploaded it correctly!

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Kenny Z


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The picture isn't real clear but I think the black spots are knots. I know it's part of the character of the wood and sanding won't make it go away.


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## kennyz11 (Mar 10, 2017)

Is this a better picture? I sure hope they aren't all knots. I have never seen a walnut slab with such random discoloration. Can it be anything else that you can think of?
Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

In the first picture, they looked like stains from metal to me. They seem to line up with what looks like holes that may have nails in them when the tree was growing. 

In the second picture it looks like curl.


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Man, you should be grateful for that. It is natural wood figure and when you sand it fine, then apply a finish, it will look really pretty. Moisten a rag with mineral spirits and give it a swipe and you will see what it looks like. If there is a lot of that in a piece, you will pay considerably extra for it.


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## kennyz11 (Mar 10, 2017)

I see what you are saying. It has a pattern similar to something foreign to the wood growth, but seeing it close-up doesn't support it. There are no holes/bumps/splits at all. It feels like it should, just doesn't look like it. 
I am stumped. If it truly were curl marks, I feel like it would blend it more with the grain. I'd hate to continue with the project if my end result carries this pattern....


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## kennyz11 (Mar 10, 2017)

mmwood_1 said:


> Man, you should be grateful for that. It is natural wood figure and when you sand it fine, then apply a finish, it will look really pretty. Moisten a rag with mineral spirits and give it a swipe and you will see what it looks like. If there is a lot of that in a piece, you will pay considerably extra for it.


That makes me feel more confident. As I said, I don't have experience with live edge pieces yet...and I've never seen a finished product with this characteristic. I'll wipe some mineral spirits on it and get a preview. I put some tung oil on the underside to see if these marks would blend in, but it only enhanced the spots.
Thanks for the info.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The dark band between the heartwood and sapwood looks like a mineral streak. What looks like waves in the grain is known as figure. It's caused by the grain of the wood instead of going straight through the tree actually grows in a wavy motion. When the wood is machined it just cuts the tops off the waves which shows these marks. I'm still seeing a few small solid knots though.


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Steve Neul said:


> I'm still seeing a few small solid knots though.


I am assuming he's referring to the dark bands going cross-wise. If he's been working with wood for some years now, I assume he knows what a knot looks like, but then, you never do know for sure.


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## kennyz11 (Mar 10, 2017)

Thanks for the info. It sounds like what I have is natural, and that is what is most important. I think I'll continue finishing the piece the way I had planned. I hope the finished product turns out nice!
Any other info would be appreciated. 
Thanks!


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

mmwood_1 said:


> Man, you should be grateful for that. It is natural wood figure and when you sand it fine, then apply a finish, it will look really pretty. Moisten a rag with mineral spirits and give it a swipe and you will see what it looks like. If there is a lot of that in a piece, you will pay considerably extra for it.


Kenny, Take this man's advice (check out his beautiful craftsmanship)....and mine (I'm just a parttime sawyer), I get good money for oddities in grain like that....Those are what us hillbillies call pin knots (sorry I don't know the technical term) I've always been told it was a limb that didn't form/mature....I tend to see them more when a tree is at the edge of the woods, it gets more light BUT not enough to "feed" the limb growth. There is some curl (or as you say discolor) at each "pin" knot. This is not common as a whole with live edge so please don't think it's a live edge thing/consistancy in their wood grain BUT most people want this. IF finished correctly the grain will pop-out and have chautoyancy (beauty deep grain). There are MANY here that love the look...and I'm one of them. I saw rustic live edge and am told I have the "eye" for finding/producing the odd grain consistantly (I just saw more and raises my percentages of more to chose from or show-off LOL).


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## kennyz11 (Mar 10, 2017)

Thanks Tim. I will make sure that I finish this piece correctly. I'll try and post some pics when I am finished, although it could be a while.
KZ


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I'll agree with Steve Neul. Wavy grain. See how the darker streaks match waves in the growth rings?
Because the wood fiber cells are changing direction, that changes the amount of light that each patch can reflect.
It's an oddly 3D appearance that I quite like.


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## Izzy434 (Mar 10, 2017)

The first photo looks like maybe when the board was stacked to dry that the "stickers" or spacers that are placed between the boards, like maybe there was some from one side and some from the other side and they overlapped above your board….maybe.


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## kennyz11 (Mar 10, 2017)

I sent these pics to my supplier, and he told me that he had a few more walnut slabs that carried the same characteristics as mine. He agrees with most of these posts, and that this feature is both rare and desired. 
Thanks everyone for all your info!


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Izzy434 said:


> The first photo looks like maybe when the board was stacked to dry that the "stickers" or spacers that are placed between the boards, like maybe there was some from one side and some from the other side and they overlapped above your board….maybe.


Sticker stain, as it is called, is usually pretty easy to distinguish from natural color variations. On this particular piece, there are a couple of clues to consider. First and foremost, the color darkened streaks appear only at intersection with knots. Big clue right there. 

With stickers, I have never seen a sawyer place his stickers at such odd angles and spacings. Not impossible, but highly improbable. They are nearly always placed perpendicular to the boards, and spaced somewhat evenly down the length. 

And then there is shape. I have encountered a good deal of sticker stained hardwood over the years and by and large, you can discern the shape and size of the slat of wood that had been there.


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## kennyz11 (Mar 10, 2017)

I considered that too, and I am glad to hear that is not the cause.
Thanks, Mark!


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## mmwood_1 (Oct 24, 2007)

Actually, I just looked more closely at your pictures and realized that they do not occur exclusively at knots. My apologies. Many are, but some are not. That's just my poor vision on the computer screen, but the figure in the grain was readily apparent and I did not study it closely. Oh well.


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