Walnut: worth scrounging?

[richg]

Gang, I will issue a disclaimer first and say that the coffee has not kicked in. This may consitute one of the dumbest posts ever on this site.

OK, here goes. There is a totally vacant office building that has a freshly downed walnut no more than five feet from the parking lot. I've never burned walnut but in terms of bucking and getting on to the trailer, it won't get much easier than this. is walnut a decent-burning hardwood? Yes, make fun of me, the coffee still hasn't kicked in.

 

[blujacket]

Just got some Walnut recently, and it has to be the easiest splitting wood I have ever split. I hear it burns like Cherry, with same heat output.

 

[mywaynow]

Very nice smelling burn too! I take it every time I can.

 

[fox9988]

You'll feel like Paul Bunyan splitting it, and it burns good.

 

[RAY_PA]

I love cutting, splitting and burning it. Cuts and splits with ease, dries quick and burns decent. Plus it smells great!!

 

[ScotO]

I just cut a huge walnut down either his spring and ended up with around two cord of firewood just from the tops. Its a very good firewood and as others have mentioned, it smells great (both while seasoning on the pile AND when burning). Its not too bad on the BTU chart, either.

 

[Jags]

Middle of the road on BTU, spits nice, dries nice, smells nice - it will produce more ash than other species, but grab it. It will treat you well.

 

[etiger2007]

I sold five walnut trees and kept a ton of it for fire wood, dry it out and it will burn fine.

 

[weatherguy]

Post doesnt sound stupid at all, if its that easy Id grab it, any wood thats as easy as that Id take regardless of where it falls on the btu chart, you always need shoulder wood. In this case walnut is about equal to ash on the btu chart.

 

[Ashful]

is walnut a decent-burning hardwood?

No. It's awful. Tell me where it is, and I'll get it out of your way. ;-)

 

[bogydave]

Good question!

No wood getting is easy, but there are some scrounges that are allot easier than others.
Jump on the "easier" ones, pine thru locust. It's all BTUs.

 

[lukem]

Never turn down easy firewood, unless it is halfway to becoming compost.

 

[mecreature]

I will have to let you know next year.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Gang, I will issue a disclaimer first and say that the coffee has not kicked in. This may consitute one of the dumbest posts ever on this site.

OK, here goes. There is a totally vacant office building that has a freshly downed walnut no more than five feet from the parking lot. I've never burned walnut but in terms of bucking and getting on to the trailer, it won't get much easier than this. is walnut a decent-burning hardwood? Yes, make fun of me, the coffee still hasn't kicked in.

So Rich, time to put the coffee down and get to cutting. That is a fine find.

 

[timusp40]

Richg,
Sure hope all the replys to your post are accurate. Here is my walnut scrounge from last fall. Most here say walnut is OK for burning, just not the highest in heat output.
Take care,
Tim

 

[chuckie5fingers]

Richg,
Sure hope all the replys to your post are accurate. Here is my walnut scrounge from last fall. Most here say walnut is OK for burning, just not the highest in heat output.
Take care,
Tim
View attachment 67472

tim, thats some fine looking walnut...too bad it couldnt be milled into some shelves or something.

 

[timusp40]

tim, thats some fine looking walnut...too bad it couldnt be milled into some shelves or something.

I agree. When I got to the job site, the tree service guys had already cut everything into 4' lengths. Soon to be CSS firewood.
Take care,
Tim

 

[onetracker]

i love walnut. i'll save some choice pieces for knife handles, pipe stems, bowstaves (backed) etc and burn the rest. even if it is medium grade in the btu department....just mix it in with the rest of the hardwoods and forget it.

 

[chvymn99]

I like my walnut and my stove likes it too. Just make sure you get it seasoned.

 

[Wood Duck]

I'd scrounge any wood that is as easy to get as you describe the walnut. I burn lots of walnut, and it is good firewood. It isn't super dense like oak but it is a good hardwood nonetheless.

 

[clr8ter]

Ohhhh. There was another post recently about someone cutting up a big cherry for firewood. This is similar. I love Walnut as lumber. The coloring can be a pain in the ass if you want it to all be that nice chocolate brown color. It also costa a lot of money as lumber. $7 a BF & up.

 

[Mr A]

I have a black walnut scheduled to be scrounged tomorrow. Another site dealing with woodworking,http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/forestry.pl?read=512463, a thread on black walnut. According to them, it is very valuable, up $500 for a stump. Farmers are selling stands straight walnut trunk for $tens of thousands. Those 4' logs are probably worth a lot more than firewood.

 

[blades]

Do not count on Walnut being worth a lot, most commercial mills won't touch a yard tree or similar. Plus the mills are not doing real well right now with the slow housing market. The Veneer mills are even pickier than the lumber mills.

 

[clr8ter]

Blades is right about the big mills not touching a tree like that. BUT, if I had a mill, I'd go over it with my metal detector, and if clean, would cut it into some primo lumber. I bet woodworkers would buy it all day long.....

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

I agree with clr, if you or someone you knew had a small mill it would be worth keeping some of the prime lengths of walnut to bulk up your wallet and burn the rest.