A neighbor of mine had some big windfall Oaks come down, and said I could come cut one up. I picked out one about 20 inches in diameter at the base, with 20-24 feet of straight, clear trunk. After I had cut 3 or 4 rounds, I realized I was cutting Walnut. Neighbor didn't mind that it was Walnut, even tho he could have sold it for lumber. I got a full pickup load and drove home and split it. I'm going back tomorrow for more. I won't be burning it this winter, but I have heard Walnut "burns hot". Will I need to take some precautions when I burn it?
No special precautions. Not much sapwood on those logs. It would be nice to turn some bowls out of a few of those.
Nice rounds. I'd take walnut over oak too! Just for the drying time. Walnut splits so easily too. It is average btu firewood. No precautions necessary. Dry it well and burn when it comes time. Rare score for me. Would like to get a couple decent logs to mill. The heartwood is very rot resistant.
Nope, I wouldn’t say that about walnut at all. It’s mediocre firewood. Leaves lots of fine ash behind too. Now if you got shagbark hickory I would give you that advice.
Brad, I'm about 45 miles away from Pleasant Hope. I'm going back to cut some more of that tree tomorrow. I'll pick out a good round and save it for you if you want me to.
That was a nice log. Centered heart and great uniformity. Walnut bark smells of parfume to me when burned.
I would no get excited about walnut. In fact the last walnut I got I gave away. If that were the only wood available then I would take it but that would about the only situation. Thankfully I have better firewood. As for precautions because of burning hot, no. Just remember a fire is hot. Walnut will not burn hotter than other wood.
That would have been a sweet log for the mill by the looks of things. They say that dust from walnut can be bad for you , I haven't cut enough to be concerned about it up to this point, but other members here have mentioned to me to be careful if I am milling it. Great looking rounds.
x2. Other than a few saw logs, I give walnut away or it hits the burn pile. The few people that buy firewood from me request NO walnut. I don't have it in my mix, so no problem there. They tell me it's corrosive to the catalytic converter. I have yet to see proof, but willing to learn. I don't like it in my piles for all the aforementioned reasons. I do enjoy milling it. We did these slabs a few weeks ago. This log was cut green and been drying for 2.5 years prior to milling. Not intentionally, but just had other stuff to mill first.
Ive been looking but seldom see any. I only came across a couple logs that the guy wanted top dollar for. I guess they were the HVBW variety!
Supposedly there is a bunch at my Guilford spot but trying to get schedules to jive for me to go and get some has been difficult. It is there has been offered to me so it is just a matter of getting it done. It is from a coworker, and he needs to load me with the tractor in log length. Hopefully soon.
Wow… I must be the odd duckling…. I personally love walnut and don’t turn it down. It seasons pretty rapidly, split nicely, smells fantastic when splitting. …… I find that when the bark comes off before it comes in the house, that it really doesn’t produce much more ash than most of the other woods that I burn. As far burning hot, it’s a good solid shoulder season or on the weekend winter burn type of wood. But that’s my $.02
We have so little walnut that I’d never use for firewood and have a bandmill so wouldn’t ever want to waste it for heat.
