# cutting and storing a walnut tree?



## Leatherneck

I'm planning to cut and store this walnut tree this winter. I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I'll be storing it in my 30' x 40' pole garage. This tree is approx. 23 years old. I know it's free of any nails, metal etc. I know cause I've watched it grow for 20 years. I'm hoping the crotch of this tree will make for an interesting pattering. anyway, I'll be making different projects with it, just don't know how to store it while I decide what I'm going to make with it. 

I'd like to wait but is it best to have it milled right away?
Any links and info as to cutting and storing will be greatly appreciated.



Thanks Rod


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## Kirk Allen

Let it stand until your ready to have it milled. Its always easier for the sawyer to cut the wood green right after felling than after the logs have dried. Not that it cant be cut later but as a sawyer I, as others know its easier to cut green. 

If you cut it down to store it, just put the logs up on 4x4's and seal the ends with log sealer. As far as the crotch in the photo it will in fact provide some awesome grain but please, please! do not forget about all those smaller crotches in the upper part of the tree. You cant imagine the awesome guns stock material that comes from those and they are worth a pretty penney!


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## Kirk Allen

These two bookmatched walnut crotches came from an upper branch from a tree on my brothers place. We ended up with a total of 6 of them and we are going to make matching gunstocks and have them passed down as a family heirloom to our kids and grandkids.


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## Kirk Allen

Another thing to think about is to make sure you have a sawyer that knows how to cut for the best pattern. I have seen a few awesome walnut logs chopped up by a guy north of me and although walnut is always pretty sweet, flat sawn walnut cant hold a candle to what one turn of the log would have done to get the crotch pattern in the boards.


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## Leatherneck

Kirk Allen said:


> These two bookmatched walnut crotches came from an upper branch from a tree on my brothers place. We ended up with a total of 6 of them and we are going to make matching gunstocks and have them passed down as a family heirloom to our kids and grandkids.



Awesome looking walnut .. I can only hope I get grain that nice. It's a bit of nostalgia knowing you harvasted the tree from your own property.

You mentioned "log sealer" to seal the ends. Where do I get this?

Since I don't know what I'm making with the wood, I'm not sure how I would want the tree milled as far as thickness etc. Were planning to relocate this spring, and I always said this tree is coming down should I ever move.

I do know I'll be making a few coffee tables from the crotch of this tree. I could have that potion milled.

If I were to have this portion of the tree milled, say 2'' thick, is there anyway of protecting this wood from splitting and cracking while it's drying?
Sorry... I'm clueless ... never harvested a tree for anything but firewood. 
Thanks


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## Daren

Leatherneck said:


> You mentioned "log sealer" to seal the ends. Where do I get this?
> 
> If I were to have this portion of the tree milled, say 2'' thick, is there anyway of protecting this wood from splitting and cracking while it's drying?


Here is one product Anchorseal Green Wood and End Grain Sealer, Gallon
I am not saying buy it there necessarily, just linked it , but Anchorseal is the product. https://www.uccoatings.com/ (on the left of the page there is a menu the "purchase online" tab) 

These end sealers are your best protection from the wood cracking like you are asking about. In a pinch I have used 3 coats of exterior latex house paint. It does work, but have had better luck with Anchorseal overall.

Yea, crotches make nice tables


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## Leatherneck

Daren,

Thats some beautiful wood !! How thick are they and did you mill them green or dry? do you have any finished projects using the crotches?
Do you sell them to woodworkers?


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## Daren

1 1/2" thick (because they were specifically cut for table tops) Like Kirk already said, green...the tree was felled no more than 3 days before I milled them, tornado took it down.I posted a small table I made from a crotch in this thread, last page. I am looking at the table right now, my telephone/answering machine/cell charger sits on it. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/gonna-have-make-another-6982/index2/

I kept the "worst" slice for myself. It busted while drying- probably because it was storm damaged anyway. and had a rotten hole in it from an overgrown dead limb. The other slices yes I did sell to woodworkers ($100 each, so have your crotches milled )


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## dirtclod

20 years old. I couldn't tell how big it is. How big around is it? 

I second getting it milled as soon as possible after dropping it. This will preserve the whiteness of the sapwood so the contrast is best. 

Walnut is generally very forgiving while drying. Two - three coats of sealer on the ends of the log, then seal any end grain in the knots that are exposed on the boards. The lumber will need to be stacked at least 10" off the floor then every layer needs to be separated by stickers. Best to stack it in a place that gets good air flow. Basements and attics are no place to store green lumber. One's too wet and the other can dry too fast leading to checking. A pole barn or airy shed or garage works fine. Feel free to ask more questions on this. It's an important process and many here can help.


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## Kirk Allen

Daren that first pic of your crotch walnut would bring $300 for a gun stock as you see it. When they are done with it they sell for more than double that.


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## Daren

Kirk Allen said:


> Daren that first pic of your crotch walnut would bring $300 for a gun stock as you see it.


Well that is good to know since I have about a 1/2 a dump truck of them laying in the yard right now.


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## maplehillfrm

daren do you mill them in short lenghts like that ?? since I think I heard you get all your wood from blowdowns and such,, do they come in log lenght or short like blocks??

those slabs are awesome, pat


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## Daren

maplehillfrm said:


> daren do you mill them in short lenghts like that ??


I built my own stationary sawdeck (just bought the saw head) When I was building it I took things like resaw and short logs into account since I figured I would be doing some of that. My deck sits right on the ground, well really on wood ties backfilled with rock. I usually have to dig a hole to set small/odd pieces in. The angle iron that a log would lay on are 2 1/2 feet on center, so a 3' piece rests on 2 of them for clamping real easy.

There are some picture here of the whole hole deal and sawing weird stuff. http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/more-than-one-way-mill-cedar-5633/


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## Leatherneck

dirtclod said:


> 20 years old. I couldn't tell how big it is. How big around is it?
> 
> I second getting it milled as soon as possible after dropping it. This will preserve the whiteness of the sapwood so the contrast is best.
> 
> Walnut is generally very forgiving while drying. Two - three coats of sealer on the ends of the log, then seal any end grain in the knots that are exposed on the boards. The lumber will need to be stacked at least 10" off the floor then every layer needs to be separated by stickers. Best to stack it in a place that gets good air flow. Basements and attics are no place to store green lumber. One's too wet and the other can dry too fast leading to checking. A pole barn or airy shed or garage works fine. Feel free to ask more questions on this. It's an important process and many here can help.



It's 54'' around .. 17'' diameter .. not very big but I'll get enough pieces to do some wood projects. Wifes been wanting a curio cabinet for years.

I visited you site and understand your a fine sawyer .. as I'm sure many here are. Any tips finding a good one? Should I cut the tree in the longest lenghts I can get that are straight? Also whats the smallest diameter a sawyer can mill? 4'' .. 6''?

Thanks for all the help ..


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## dirtclod

Everyone's going to have a different opinion on this. I try to let the log/tree tell me how it wants to be cut. Once the pieces are sawn then they tell you what to make from them. When I look at that tree I'm trying to consider its size, shape (including crotches) and its senimental value to you. I'm trying here to put myself in your position but with more knowledge about sawing. With that in mind I would dig the root ball out to remove the whole tree. I would make the first cut just above the first crotch. Then wash all the dirt off the root ball and cut all the roots off. This log would be cut into 1-1/2 to 2" thick flitches from the root ball to the crotch. This method of sawing leaves the bark on the edges. You would end up retaining the figure from the root ball and crotch. 

I would cut the second log off just above the crotch you show in the second picture above. But it might be better to cut it 4-1/2' below that. (I can't take measurements from a picture to tell if this would work.) If, so then the second log could be flat-sawn while the third log that contains the crotch in the second picture would be cut in to flitches.

I charge more for small logs. They're just too much trouble for the yield. Short logs can also present a problem. Typically, 8' long and 12" diameter is the limit. I might cut smaller logs for myself if they rare or unique. Pieces shorter than 4' and smaller than 6" diameter are better handled in a shop with a verticle bandsaw equipped with a sled. 

Have the person who'll do the milling stop by and take a look at it. Tell them what your plan is. They can take some more measurements and tell you what will work, what their policies are, etc. Beware that most of the time there's rocks in the root ball so expect to pay for a couple of blades.


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## Leatherneck

Thanks for all the info !! This is indeed a GR-8 site.

Having the root ball is something I never would have thought of but now I'm considering using it.

If anyone has pics of root balls, Id like to see :yes:
I know It'll be considerably more work. Do you all feel the addional work is worth the effort?


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## Daren

Leatherneck said:


> If anyone has pics of root balls, Id like to see :yes:
> I know It'll be considerably more work. Do you all feel the addional work is worth the effort?


Depends. I have milled some from clay soil full of rocks and wished I had never tackled them. Others from black dirt I was able to wash off and were not too bad. The next one (s) I mill I am letting soak in a pond for a few weeks first. Here is one I milled (clay covered, rock infested PIA)  step by step.
Nelsonwoodworks.biz - Walnut Stump Sawing

Sold the chunks for pretty good money though :thumbsup:


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## Leatherneck

All I can say is .. WOW .. that wood looks like the northern lights. I have a commercial landscaper that lives down the road and has the equipment to dig up my tree:yes: and yes , I am going to have it done.

Thanks for making up my mind !! :yes::yes:


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## Nate1778

Question, why are you taking the tree out? Looks like a healthy Walnut. Once your said and done, cut it down, hired a sawyer, and then sit on it a year to dry minimal, you could go buy dried Walnut for a bit more. Another thing you might consider is getting in touch with an arborist or two and put a twinkle in their ear to be on the lookout for walnut. Give them some money for the trunks and then have it milled. You will more than likely end up with logs much larger than those. Just an idea, I just hate to see a perfectly good tree taken out, as I am sure most here would agree.........


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## Leatherneck

Leatherneck said:


> Awesome looking walnut .. I can only hope I get grain that nice. It's a bit of nostalgia knowing you harvasted the tree from your own property.
> 
> You mentioned "log sealer" to seal the ends. Where do I get this?
> 
> Since I don't know what I'm making with the wood, I'm not sure how I would want the tree milled as far as thickness etc. Were planning to relocate this spring, and I always said this tree is coming down should I ever move.
> 
> I do know I'll be making a few coffee tables from the crotch of this tree. I could have that potion milled.
> 
> If I were to have this portion of the tree milled, say 2'' thick, is there anyway of protecting this wood from splitting and cracking while it's drying?
> Sorry... I'm clueless ... never harvested a tree for anything but firewood.
> Thanks


I've sat in the shade of this tree for 15 years. I'm taking the history with me.


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