# obtaining walnut planks from sawmill



## harmon

I have several hundreds walnut trees and am about to call some sawmills about selling them or most of them. Before I have them come out Im wondering is it practical to ask them to cut me some wide planking for my floors

When wood leaves the sawmill is it ready for construction or does it go somewhere else for treatment or what?


----------



## Declan

Don't know how that part works, but you might want to ask around to see if you can find someone with a portable saw mill who will harvest what you need in exchange for what they need for their furniture building, etc.


----------



## Bellyman

When you talk to them at the sawmill(s), you can ask them anything you want. If you want a few planks from the logs you're selling them, that's not a hard thing to do.

But fresh sawn lumber is not ready for use like you're thinking without being dried, either in open air or by kiln. Once dried, it can be planed and milled into what you would be expecting. The sawmill may or may not be drying said lumber but you can ask. Some sawmills also have the equipment to plane lumber once it's dried if that's something you need to have someone else do for you. It kinda depends on just what you need / want.


----------



## mreynolds

Here's what I would do in that situation. Most large scale hardwood sawmills don't cut accurate. It might be 2" on one end and 1 1/2" on the other. Lots of planning for you to do. They use the wood for crossties or pallets so it doesn't have to be that accurate. Pick out a few trees that you think you can use for your floor and call a portable _band sawmill_. Many will cut it on the halves for free to you. You get half and they get half. If they can cut it quarter sawn for your half so much the better. that floor will never rot and will be more impervious to water getting on it. There will be lots less planning to do with a band saw miller who has a good mill and some snap. 

Then just call any logger and sell the rest to them.


----------



## mreynolds

BTW, if you have any left over and it is quarter sawn let me know if you would like to sell it. 

You will have to air dry walnut for almost a year depending on weather conditions.


----------



## harmon

mreynolds said:


> If they can cut it quarter sawn for your half so much the better. that floor will never rot and will be more impervious to water getting on it.
> 
> Then just call any logger and sell the rest to them.


Thanks. I had to look up quarter sawn so I learned two for one here


----------



## harmon

mreynolds said:


> BTW, if you have any left over and it is quarter sawn let me know if you would like to sell it.
> 
> You will have to air dry walnut for almost a year depending on weather conditions.


Its already over 90% humidity here so it sounds like a year of drying


----------



## mreynolds

harmon said:


> Thanks. I had to look up quarter sawn so I learned two for one here


Yes those whiskey barrels you see are quarter sawn white oak and they will not let any water through. Walnut may let a bit through but not much and it would have to stand there for days I think to do so. 

Quarter sawn will also dry better on the air drying system. Not much cupping if any. Now getting it 12" you would need more than 2' wide trees but for your floor you may want to rip it up a bit smaller for more ease of care down the road. 

It will look awesome and I hope you post some pics later on when you get it done.


----------



## Bearfootfarm

harmon said:


> I have several hundreds walnut trees and am about to call some sawmills about selling them or most of them. Before I have them come out Im wondering is it practical to ask them to cut me some wide planking for my floors
> 
> When wood leaves the sawmill is it ready for construction or does it go somewhere else for treatment or what?


A GOOD *lumber *company will produce finished lumber, ready to use.
A "sawmill" may only do rough-cuts

Find a LUMBER company to sell your trees to, and work out your deal to include any custom cut lumber as part of your payment


----------



## TnAndy

mreynolds said:


> Yes those whiskey barrels you see are quarter sawn white oak and they will not let any water through.


Not really, the method of sawing isn't the trick. The reason they used white oak (sawn any method) is because white oak has a closed cell structure (called tyloses) that makes it quite resistance to rot.

Quarter sawing does result in less movement and warp, which is why it's preferred for furniture making. In addition to that, it shows a much different, GREAT looking, grain figure in many oaks (not so much in walnut), sometimes referred to as "tiger oak" the way the rays in the grain show.


----------



## beenaround

big money is in veneer, if your trees meet the criteria, your in for a big surprise. The machines that cut it are very costly so the criteria is strict.

Sell the trees to a logger, anything else is going to cost you.


----------



## mreynolds

TnAndy said:


> Not really, the method of sawing isn't the trick. The reason they used white oak (sawn any method) is because white oak has a closed cell structure (called tyloses) that makes it quite resistance to rot.
> 
> Quarter sawing does result in less movement and warp, which is why it's preferred for furniture making. In addition to that, it shows a much different, GREAT looking, grain figure in many oaks (not so much in walnut), sometimes referred to as "tiger oak" the way the rays in the grain show.


You could be right. The only info I had on that was an old timer who spent 40 years making barrels for Jack Daniels. But we all know how old timers tend to stretch their stories a bit. 

I did get some Qsawn white oak from him to build my kitchen with but didn't have enough before he passed away. Looking for some now if you have a vendor or know someone.


----------



## haypoint

Very few trees are veneer quality. It takes a pretty big walnut tree to make good lumber. A wide plank is likely to warp badly. I've seen good even lumber come off both a band mill and a circular mill. Also seen bad lumber off both types.
I know of a guy that had 30 walnut trees down the side of his driveway, maybe 100 years old. No sawmill would take them because trees close to a house tend to get nails left in them, old fences, clothes lines, signs, etc. He had a nice looking pile of walnut firewood, though.
Quarter sawing takes a good sized log, too.
What size are these 200 trees? Chest high, how thick through? First branch is how high?


----------



## Nimrod

Get your forester to appraise them!!!!

Like another poster wrote, a veneer grade tree can bring big bucks. Your trees could be worth much more than you think, even if there are only a few veneer grade. A logger may try to scam you.

http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2013/02/selling-walnut-timber


----------



## carasel

Nimrod is correct. Get your local forestry agent to look at your trees.
Some loggers just use the : 16" dia. at chest height. To decide if a tree should be cut. Some trees. Yes this works. Others they mature smaller and should be cut. Minimum 8' straight section for lumber value.
Get paid up front. Write a contract. Have a time limit. 
Here in Tn. the forester will give you sample contracts. Also give you a rough tally of your lumber bdf.


----------

