Louisiana Black Walnut

**Randolph** · Oct-06-2004, 5:47pm

Walking the woods on my sister's property today and she pointed out a fifty year old Black Walnut tree that she has marked for felling. It runs straight for the first twenty feet or so and is 18"-20" in diameter at the base with very little taper until it branches out. If I cut it, I get the wood. I am excited about the possibility of having mandos made from wood from the old home place. So... I need advice. Is it worth the hassle to cut it and haul sections back to New Mexico? And, since I will be hauling in the back of my truck is there a minimum length for cutting the sections (6' is about the maximum)? And, how crazy am I to even consider this? My favorite builder lives in New Mexico and I'm thinking about gifting the wood to him or any other builder that might be interested. Thanks for your help. Randolph

**s1m0n** · Oct-06-2004, 6:46pm

Louisiana to new mexico in the back of a truck sounds like as abrupt a change in humidity as you could manage without actually setting it on fire.

**Bandersnatch Reverb** · Oct-06-2004, 8:09pm

Cut it low as possible to the ground... best figure at the base.

I'd say... fly out, and rent a truck one way back (like a movin' truck).

You dont say what shape the tree is in... but I'd imagine the wood is going to have to be rough sawn, dried for a fairly long while, and then resawn into usable pieces. Using what you can, keeping some for later, there still may be enough to sell to offset your trucking costs a bit.

You may want to contact some of the wood suppliers to see what its worth... of course figure is everything.

**jessboo** · Oct-06-2004, 8:19pm

walnut makes a great mandolin!!!!!!!!!

**Randolph** · Oct-06-2004, 9:51pm

Thanks for the replies, I even got a chuckle out of s1m0n's and the fantasy it evoked of spontaneous combustion in the bed of my truck as I entered New Mexico. Looking at the tree today it ran straight and true for twenty feet before branching out. I am a complete novice at felling trees for anything other than firewood. I imagine if I cut it into six foot sections and haul it back to NM, once there I can find someone to rough saw it into planks for drying with finish milling later. If nothing else, I'll have some firewood for this winter. And, if it turns out to be beautiful wood...well a one piece back would look awfully pretty. Thanks again. Randolph

**Randolph** · Oct-06-2004, 10:01pm

Bandersnatch, Since I'm already here all I have to do is cut it and haul it home. I have no interest in making money on this venture, I just think its' a cool thought to know that a good luthier made a mandolin out of wood from the old homestead; a little bit of soul being passed on every time said mando gets played. Randolph

**berkeleymando** · Oct-06-2004, 10:56pm

I have a walnut mandolin, made by Chris Baird who frequents this board, and it is really nice. Go for it and certainly make sure that tree ends up as instruments!

**Rave On** · Oct-07-2004, 8:14am

Seal the ends of the log with parafin wax or diluted titebond glue before you make the trip to New Mexico.
Black walnut will start checking (cracking) on the ends in a day (even in Louisiana) if it is not sealed, so nip it in the bud. The air dried walnut I see in this area (barn rafters) has a pretty red color once you get past the patina. The Kiln dried wood is dull brown.

**Chris Baird** · Oct-07-2004, 10:35am

Walnut is great wood for all kinds of woodworking. If you are interested in using it for musical instruments you may want to do some searches over at MIMF.com on how to processes it. First thing though, is to seal the end grain with either wood glue or wax then get the bark off before you transport it.

**Randolph** · Oct-07-2004, 11:49am

Chris, Thanks for thr info, I will check the link you mentioned. I'm not sure why I'm so intrigued by this project, perhaps I'm developing T-WAS (Tree-Wood Acquisition Syndrome). Weather and the forest gnomes permitting, I'll be the owner of some beautiful wood. Thanks again to all of you. Randolph

**Harrmob** · Oct-07-2004, 3:45pm

I have heard of mandolins being made of walnut, but is there any data on whether it is worth while making the back and sides of a mandolin out of pecan wood? I had one fall during Ivan, I chainsawed and sealed the ends of several pieces. It is an incredibly hard wood, especially the red, inner core of it. I have made some turkey calls out of it and it makes a great turkey call. Some of it has some cool figure to it, nothing like maple, but is it going to make mandolin that sounds like a "turkey"?