"Valuable Black Walnut"

[Patrick Cavanagh]

Hi folks. I had the local tree guy drop off a load of rounds last year, of whatever he happened to have. What arrived was mostly black walnut. Many of my woodworking friends and family have been incredulous that I would burn this wood since it's SO VALUABLE. A few have asked me to save them some rounds so they can create *valuable* woodcrafts with them. Well, they are lucky I haven't done so. About one out of every ten rounds has been filled with nails, and the other day I opened one up that seems to have a piece of metal fence post in it. It looked totally pristine from the outside, and it was only when I plowed the Fiskars into it that the metal appeared. So my question is this: are these precious metals what makes walnut so valuable? If so, I'll take my firewood to the Cash4Gold place and see what they offer.

 

[Patrick Cavanagh]

By the way, this is my first post here after lurking for a couple of years. Go easy on me!

 

[razerface]

scrap is over 250 a ton here

 

[Flatbedford]

Your woodworking friends asked you to "save" some of your "valuable" wood. Did they expect you to just give it to them of its so valuable?

 

[ZZ Tom]

Just imagine if you had cut into that with your saw.

Glad nobody has been hurt.

 

[jatoxico]

Some serious hardware in that thing. I hate to say it but your tree guy didn't do you any favors either.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Welcome to the forum Patrick.

This is a prime example of the walnut myth. Seems most think it is like a gold mine when in truth, not that many are.

 

[richg]

There is a big difference between yard walnut and forest walnut. Yard walnut is often full of metal, has limbs growing out in all directions and is full of knots and crotches. Forest walnut does not have metal and has branches only at or near the crown. I remember seeing a Craigslist ad from some jackwagons who were "selling" a live walnut tree in their back yard. It had more branches than I have personalities and had visible eye bolts that were suspending a kid's swing. Given the size, placement and age of the tree, there was probably enough metal in it to make a scrap dealer happy. They said, "Offers will start at $5000.00 and don't try to lowball us because we know what it's worth". I can hear Steven Tyler singing, "Dream on, dream on, dream until your dream come true".

 

[bigbarf48]

There is a big difference between yard walnut and forest walnut. Yard walnut is often full of metal, has limbs growing out in all directions and is full of knots and crotches. Forest walnut does not have metal and has branches only at or near the crown. I remember seeing a Craigslist ad from some jackwagons who were "selling" a live walnut tree in their back yard. It had more branches than I have personalities and had visible eye bolts that were suspending a kid's swing. Given the size, placement and age of the tree, there was probably enough metal in it to make a scrap dealer happy. They said, "Offers will start at $5000.00 and don't try to lowball us because we know what it's worth". I can hear Steven Tyler singing, "Dream on, dream on, dream until your dream come true".

I wonder how theyd take it if someone told them how much its actually worth

I had a few red oak rounds last weekend with lag bolts in them. I kept swinging the axe at one large split, wondering why it wouldn't bust at the bottom. Then I looked in and saw the shiny metal. Whoops!

 

[Tom Wallace]

Welcome to the forum Patrick.

This is a prime example of the walnut myth. Seems most think it is like a gold mine when in truth, not that many are.

Is it because most are laden with large nails and pieces of fence?

 

[bigbarf48]

Is it because most are laden with large nails and pieces of fence?

Iron mine?

 

[Fifelaker]

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[Paulywalnut]

That first pic you have is the heartwood and it is beautiful when sanded and oiled. I have 25 walnut trees and there worth a lot of money..... Until you ask someone to give you a price, then it's well this ones crooked or not enough straight run. People just think its worth a lot that don't know the whole process of getting it to the sawyer. It's a process.

 

[Wood Duck]

Yeah, a nice, straight, large walnut without rot or carpenter ants from a woodland away from fences and tree houses is worth money. However, around here most walnut seem to grow on the edges of the woods, along fences or roads, along creeks where they are often wire fences to keep cows in or out, etc. There are also lots of crooked, branchy walnuts here. Black Walnut is actually a very common tree here, but big valuable ones are hard to find. Walnut is nice firewood.

 

[Clyde S. Dale]

I remember seeing a Craigslist ad from some jackwagons who were "selling" a live walnut tree in their back yard.

Like this?:

(broken link removed to http://lancaster.craigslist.org/grd/4321535660.html)

BLACK WALNUT TREES - $1 (Washington Co.)
Black Walnut Trees for sale. Trees will be sold by sealed written bid.

I am trying to get rid of tops of trees and large limbs. I thought furniture maker, woodworker or artist would want limbs. Remainder can always be used as firewood. Would want you to remove ALL tree tops.

Approximately 25 tall large straight mature solid trees.

SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY!

 

[ironpony]

black walnut 20 inch diameter, forest grown, 8 foot straight clean growth, veneer quality 10 grand. I have a few and hope they do not get hit by lightning in the next few years, so they can get to 20 inch dia about 16 now.

 

[nrford]

black walnut 20 inch diameter, forest grown, 8 foot straight clean growth, veneer quality 10 grand. I have a few and hope they do not get hit by lightning in the next few years, so they can get to 20 inch dia about 16 now.

You're dreaming big.

 

[paul bunion]

black walnut 20 inch diameter, forest grown, 8 foot straight clean growth, veneer quality 10 grand. I have a few and hope they do not get hit by lightning in the next few years, so they can get to 20 inch dia about 16 now.

Your 10 grand (if that is correct) is per MBF. 1 MBF roughly equals 2 cords. It takes a lot of perfect logs to get a thousand board feet of veneer quality wood.

 

[ironpony]

Your 10 grand (if that is correct) is per MBF. 1 MBF roughly equals 2 cords. It takes a lot of perfect logs to get a thousand board feet of veneer quality wood.

you have not seen how many I have or the size of them. 20 inch diameter 60-80 feet tall, clean. must be worth something the guy stops by measures, checks on them, he must want them pretty bad.

when one split a couple years ago he was sad, right up the middle of the trunk, took all the good wood. I burn that one now in the firepit.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

I've seen walnut for sale as firewood. Usually looks like bad trees, or twisted limbs.

 

[Ashful]

I burned 4.5 cords of Walnut this year. All of it came from trees 16" - 22" diameter, with at least 20 feet of straight-grained branch-free. When it came down last year, I called a few sawyers to see if any of the mills wanted it, and none of them were interested. People like to assume things...

 

[Firewood Bandit]

I've cut up a bunch of black walnut for firewood, splits great, has a lot of ash.

Anyway, enjoy.

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[NextEndeavor]

I took a 20 inch black walnut for a guy that couldn't find anyone who wanted it for furniture. It was near perfect, straighter than most of that species. He just wanted it gone so helped cut it up too. It filled my pickup almost two loads worth, two years ago. Burning some of it now. More BTUs than pine but it doesn't compare to my other good hardwoods. Biggest issue I find with it is really thick bark which I knock off as much as possible before it goes in the stove. Ashes aren't too bad without the bark. I liked the smell when I split it green. Minimal smell now because it's so dry. Beautiful wood. When guests come over I like to contrast several different colors in the small 24 hour stack near the stove, just for looks. Walnut is great to look at but not any more valuable than anything else for fuel cord wood.

 

[Ashful]

Interesting to hear the burning characteristics of Black Walnut. Aside from a cord of Maple, Black Walnut the only hardwood I've burned in the last three years, all of my other hardwoods being set aside to season until next year. It's great, compared to Poplar and Sycamore... but I have not had the opportunity myself to compare it to Ash or Oak.

 

[btuser]

It's a popular urban myth that I am guilty myself of believing at one time. My first house had 5 huge oaks on a 1/4 acre city lot, overgrown and rubbing the roof during wind/rain. I was worried I wouldn't be able to find someone to do selective pruning, because my trees were SO VALUABLE the tree company would try to con me into cutting them down.

I was told in no uncertain terms they would not cut down my trees, and that in all likelihood I would be discouraged in doing so by any self-respecting licensed arborist concerned with the long-term viability of their business. "We won't cut down a healthy tree. Period." Still I was paranoid so I took the day off to watch. I had a nightmare about wheeled pirates rolling down the street with eypatches and chainsaws, Jolly Roger duct-taped on the bucket boom. I just knew some sneering swashbuckler with a curled mustashio, gold tooth and a pruning saw in his mouth would drop limbs on my lawn, ravish my wife and proceed to carry off my precious, precious oaks. No doubt he'd bury them on a beach somewhere for safe keeping. I was disappointed. Instead of a ghastly looking crew of degenerates intent on clear-cutting my urban forest I was subjected to a professional tree cutting service with real names painted on real trucks. I still locked up the wife. Safety first.

Having lived with those beautiful trees for 5 years taught me a lesson: Trees belong in a forest. Cleaning up all those leaves was a full-time job.