Big black walnut

[ScotO]

My buddy Mark started piecing a big black walnut down over the weekend and called me for a hand. It was about a 70' tree. We got the brunt of the tall tops down today, have to bring in the bucket van on Wednesday to get the hangers on the one side because they are over several power lines. The trunk of this tree is around 32 to 36". We're gonna check the trunk with a metal detector so hopefully it can be milled....

 

[ScotO]

I'm gonna keep a couple of the nicer small logs and mill them when I get them home, put them up in the shed for a couple years to try my hand at making a gunstock once they season good.

 

[Hickorynut]

Boy that is a big nice walnut tree.

 

[Locust Post]

I have never cared much for working those kind of jobs. I've helped on a few, but it's just so much more enjoyable to just notch it and let her fall.

 

[ScotO]

Hickory, yes it is one of the nicer ones I have worked. Locust, I still enjoy working the tops, as long as it is at my pace. My buddy Mark was in the tree today and I worked the rope. I'll be runnin the bucket truck on Wednesday, taking those hang-overs down piece by piece. That is part of the job that I don't particularly enjoy. But you're right, notch-and-drop is fun when you have the space. No space for that giant at the site we're working, though....

 

[Sorghum]

Seems that I've heard some of the wood with great character in a black walnut tree is in the root. I've never dug one up so I can't verify that.

 

[ScotO]

Seems that I've heard some of the wood with great character in a black walnut tree is in the root. I've never dug one up so I can't verify that.

That's interesting....never hear that one before. I won't be dealing with this stump, that's not part of the deal! I hear tell that the crotches and branch butts are a great place for character in gunstocks..... Not sure but I know in oaks and maples that is where you can find a lot of curling.

 

[NH_Wood]

Big ole' tree all right! Good thought on the metal detector! Cheers!

 

[angrybeaver]

That's a nice one! It should make for an awesome gun stock..

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Dang. I wish I could do that again. Nice tree and sad to see those come down.

 

[ScotO]

Dang. I wish I could do that again. Nice tree and sad to see those come down.

Yes Dennis, I too, hate to see a beautiful tree like this come down. But that's what the homeowners wanted, and it's their tree so you gotta do what you gotta do. Which is why we are going to try and utilize the trunk in some way or another for lumber. I hope it's metal-free. We're doing this job across the street from our town's high school and the shop teacher (who happens to be a good friend of ours) expressed interest in the trunk, as well. So in one way or another that big trunk is going to be used for something other than firewood. A couple of logs will be milled in my backyard and put in the barn loft to dry out for gunstocks down the road. The rest will be in my firewood stack waiting for 2015...

 

[Thistle]

Scott that's beautiful. I'd save every crotch in 3ft or so lengths,everything 14" diameter & under would be firewood. Looks like you have 7 ft+ to the first limb.

 

[woodsmaster]

That should make some nice gun stocks.

 

[Ralphie Boy]

When I owned my gunsmith shop, back in the mid 70's, I paid HUGE prices for black walnut stock blanks cut from crotch and stump areas. Blanks, usually shotgun blanks cut from the stump, which included the part of the stump underground, usually brought the biggest price. However, in 1977 I built a guy a 358 Norma Mag. on a Remington 700 action using a black walnut blank, not a simi-cut stock, that cost $475 back then! Beautiful matching flame figure on each side from the butt plate to the bolt handle. Those were the days!

 

[smokinj]

Mill that sucker at 2-3/4 and sell for bar tops!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes Dennis, I too, hate to see a beautiful tree like this come down. But that's what the homeowners wanted, and it's their tree so you gotta do what you gotta do. Which is why we are going to try and utilize the trunk in some way or another for lumber. I hope it's metal-free. We're doing this job across the street from our town's high school and the shop teacher (who happens to be a good friend of ours) expressed interest in the trunk, as well. So in one way or another that big trunk is going to be used for something other than firewood. A couple of logs will be milled in my backyard and put in the barn loft to dry out for gunstocks down the road. The rest will be in my firewood stack waiting for 2015...

That sounds great Scott.

 

[ScotO]

FINALLY got the big beast on the ground. After a slight mishap (one of the tops canted on us when we cut it, we had it rigged and it teetered and LAID ACROSS THE HI-TENSION WIRES), everything turned out OK but still this was a nerve-wracking beast. Very tight clearances but we got the job done. Almost 35" diameter, one nice 10' 6" log and another 12 footer with various crotches, a buddy of ours is supposed to come with a bandmill and do it on-site. Hopefully the weather holds out. NOT A SINGLE BLUE STREAK IN THIS TREE! No bugs, not rot, it's a beauty! We'll post pics if we get to mill it this weekend. I'm excited, this is the biggest black walnut I've ever dropped....

 

[cptoneleg]

Very pretty wood, and great safe job bringing it down.

 

[Wood Duck]

That could make a stock for one heck of a big gun! Beautiful log. Too bad it had to come down, but at least it found a good home. I have been burning a lot of Black Walnut this 'winter' and it seems better than the BTU charts indicate.

 

[ScotO]

Very pretty wood, and great safe job bringing it down.

Thanks, cptoneleg. It was really REALLY hairy last night, we actually had to have FirstEnergy down to remove the top that went 'haywire' on us from the hi-tension lines. No damage was done, we did everything by the book, but it just swung in a goofy angle and teetered over onto the hi-lines. I wasn't taking a chance and getting fried!! He was actually in the area and bailed us out, only took him 10 minutes but he has an insulated bucket on his truck!! Anyway, I pride myself in taking my time and piecing trees down like this one, there were power lines and structures all around and we didn't have the lean in our favor either. It all went as planned and it will make some nice boards and some nice smelling fires!!

 

[ScotO]

That could make a stock for one heck of a big gun! Beautiful log. Too bad it had to come down, but at least it found a good home. I have been burning a lot of Black Walnut this 'winter' and it seems better than the BTU charts indicate.

WD, the guy who has the bandmill lives right up the street. When we called him and told him what we had laying in the yard, he was there in a matter of minutes. He's gonna work out a trade, some of the wood for the millwork. I have no problem with that at all. I'll end up with some wood, the high school shop teacher (who is also a fantastic scout leader in our area) is getting some, and the guy with the mill will get some. I'm excited to mill this log. I'm going to mill some thick for gunstocks, and I also want to make a pair of newel posts for our staircase (it's all antique walnut, except for the newels, they are oak). I'll post pics when we get it milled....

 

[skyline]

Scotty,

That's an impressive tree and great job getting it down. Look forward to the milling pictures. I have been wanting to get into some climbing for a while but haven't made the leap. Thought you might like this picture I took last Spring a few miles from home. The picture doesn't do it justice with nothing to give it scale, but supposedly the biggest Black Walnut in the country and the largest unsupported branch in the NW at 92'. Talk about crotches making grown men cry More info here: (broken link removed to http://ascendingthegiants.com/news/6/52/Black-Walnut.html)

 

[ScotO]

Scotty,

That's an impressive tree and great job getting it down. Look forward to the milling pictures. I have been wanting to get into some climbing for a while but haven't made the leap. Thought you might like this picture I took last Spring a few miles from home. The picture doesn't do it justice with nothing to give it scale, but supposedly the biggest Black Walnut in the country and the largest unsupported branch in the NW at 92'. Talk about crotches making grown men cry More info here: (broken link removed to http://ascendingthegiants.com/news/6/52/Black-Walnut.html)

View attachment 63838

thanks for the compliments! And that there is a REAL monster! I like.cutting the technical trees but the way the wires were on two sides of this tree combined with the wrong lean, and around 6 big hangover limbs, it had my nerves frayed a little. We got it down and I smiled when I drove past those two logs on my way to work this morning. Hopefully the weather holds out for milling tomorrow....

 

[tfdchief]

Are you worried about metal in the tree when you mill it. Around here, they won't mill one from in town. Anyway, a beautiful tree and looks like some gorgeous wood. I have a little walnut and when I come to a piece I usually split it into kindling it splits so easily.

 

[smokinj]

Coffee table end tables and bar tops! I have 7 slabs that size in my rack. There a year old now.