# Walnut Tree Cutting & Milling 101



## Bruce Navin (May 25, 2013)

Experts, please take it from here, lol.

I am helping someone remove some walnut trees-2 dead ones and 2 or 3 live ones. The biggest at the base is probably 18-24" across-not real big.

I would like to use them eventually for a bar & a table in the basement. 

I'd appreciate some tips as far as recommendations regarding length of the logs, minimum width to keep as logs, and proper instructions to discuss with the sawyer, ie: type of cut and rough thickness.. I figured some will be 5/4 and some 8/4. 

Thank you.


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## ETWW (Mar 27, 2011)

I would cut the logs about 8'-6" long. If you seal the ends of the logs before sawing, that should give you 8' boards after any end-checks are cut off.

The thickness of the lumber needed depends on the design of your table and bar. I think I would cut the majority of it at 5/4 like you mentioned but also cut some at 10/4 for table legs. Just be aware that the thicker the stock, the longer it will take to dry it. The good news is that Walnut is very forgiving to dry so it's hard to mess it up.

I would saw anything 12" diameter and larger. Any smaller than that and the sap wood is too large a percentage of the board, IMHO.


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## stevem2 (Jun 13, 2010)

Agree with the thickness but the 8/4 you might consider cutting at 10/4 to allow some error room if you get any warp. Not that much difference in drying time.

Also you might check around for wood carvers/chainsaw carvers to sell/give the shorter pieces especially the crotch wood. Maybe some free labor to help cleanup? :smile: Just a thought!


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## Bruce Navin (May 25, 2013)

*Thank you, Gentlemen*

I appreciate the input.


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## alexanderbuzzsaw (Jul 8, 2011)

*Walnut Trees*

I was given 11 walnut trees that are at least 30 years old and there about 4 hours away from me, I have not seen them and what I would like to know would it be worth the travel to go get them and how big would a 30 year old walnut tree be. I have never seen a walnut tree in person so this will be a first for me.


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## Tom the Sawyer (Sep 4, 2012)

alexanderbuzzsaw,

I just attended the Kansas Walnut Council Field Day last week and we visited a walnut plantation in central Kansas. The trees were planted in the early 1970s (39 years ago). The average diameters were 14-16" dbh. The foresters present had done growth studies of those trees and estimated that it would be 44 more years before the trees were 'marketable' size - 24-26".


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## stevem2 (Jun 13, 2010)

Does that mean the 48" one I just cut was "over ripe?":smile:


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## Tom the Sawyer (Sep 4, 2012)

I think they feel that 24" is the minimum size for their market. Certainly nothing wrong with larger walnuts if they're healthy. I do think they can get 'over-ripe' and start to decline.

These plantation trees have no limbs for at least 18', most are veneer quality trunks. There will be selective thinning over the coming years. Raising walnut is a long-range proposition, something you do for your grandkids. 

A 48" walnut may have been there since the Civil War.


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## Tennessee Tim (Dec 15, 2010)

Growth in dia is greatly effected by type of soil and it's nutrients, amount of water and the amount of sunlight. ON an average here AFTER the tree is past it's "young" stage of growth the average tree will gain up to 1/2"per yr (that's 1/8 -1/4" each ring doubled). Look at your pithe and centers, 99% of the time it's tight/close growth rings until approx. 15-20 yrs and then BAM they start gaining inches ( kinda like the human body LOL). I've got into the habit of gazing at the ring pattern and seeing the good yrs and the droughts. The soil map for my farm has SO many different soils. In the forestry survey they listed the soils and what trees were ideal for it, there's some other variables with that also like what direction the slope faced the sun etc., etc.
All this to say...a tree species grown on my land and the same on Tom's land will be different in dia in 30 yrs. 
Oooops I forgot about the sunlight.... trees grown more open to sun (as one in a yard or open field, will gain tremendous growth in dia but not in hieght due to it's crown (see this post http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/large-red-oak-little-age-45073/ it's ONLY 75 yrs. old)....BUT a tree grown as in Tom's post in a plantation or forest where they're tightly grouped, their crowns are smaller and they fight for more sun (reducing water/sap flow) and keep gaining in hieght faster than dia. BUT makes finer, straighter quality of wood but it's longer to maturity.


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