# Newest Adventure in milling



## Barthaigh (Nov 15, 2011)

Hi Guys, Just got thru a weekend of milling this black walnut tree. It was a magnificent tree unfortunately it fell over in a recent hurricane. It was ~160years old with a 50 inch diameter at 14 feet. I cut it into a 12’,10’, 10’ and an 8footer. The rest into a few 6 footers. Was able to get 12 planks out of the base log at 3 inch thick. The center cuts took about 15 minutes each with the 3120 and took just under a tank of gas each. Cut like a dream, not a defect in it. I then cut up the second log and got 8 planks so far at 3”, still no defects just beautiful grain. The center boards were fun to move at 500 lbs plus but all in a days work. Milling just does not get better than this, thanks guys for getting me into this and teaching me the tricks of the trade thru this website. This is a great hobby with a very useful end product, Bart


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## John D (Nov 15, 2011)

Wow! That's some find....what are you planning to make with the black walnut? 

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk


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## Barthaigh (Nov 15, 2011)

Hi, The majority of it will be used for tables with some going towards some chairs I would like to build. I will cut some blocks out of the rootball for possible gun stocks and turning material. Of course I have to air dry it for a few years then put in in my kiln so I have plenty of time to come up with uses for it. I have a lot of walnut (1500-2000bfd) aleady dry but its so much fun milling I barely have any time to build with it. Thanks for your comments, Bart


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## qbilder (Nov 15, 2011)

Stunning!!! That's beautiful gun material. The striping will stand out nice.


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## srcarr52 (Nov 15, 2011)

Peal that bark off before milling it. The walnut bark holds a lot of dirt in it that will ruin your chain or band pretty quickly.


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## Barthaigh (Nov 15, 2011)

Hi, I agree completely about removing the bark but I gave it an effort and found at least at this time of year that the bark was very difficult to remove. That said I did cut 8 slabs ~4 foot wide by 12 long (384 linear ft) before changing the chain and though it was slowing could still get through the cut in ~15minutes. Any good tricks to removing the bark besides waiting long enough for it to fall off?, thanks ,Bart


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## mdavlee (Nov 15, 2011)

That's some beautiful wood you got there.


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## srcarr52 (Nov 15, 2011)

Barthaigh said:


> Hi, I agree completely about removing the bark but I gave it an effort and found at least at this time of year that the bark was very difficult to remove. That said I did cut 8 slabs ~4 foot wide by 12 long (384 linear ft) before changing the chain and though it was slowing could still get through the cut in ~15minutes. Any good tricks to removing the bark besides waiting long enough for it to fall off?, thanks ,Bart



It doesn't take long for it to want to fall off. It will only take about a month down if it gets rained on a few times and the bark will peal off nice and easy.

I usually make my first cut with the bark on then you can get a hatchet in behind it and peal it off pretty easy.


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## betterbuilt (Nov 15, 2011)

Wow. Really nice.


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## Old Blue (Nov 15, 2011)

W O W ! :msp_w00t: 
What a shame that such a nice old tree came down. It sure is nice that it's not going to waste.
Nice wood ! and looks like a first rate job milling it  I love black walnut.

Old Blue
Perma screwed and abusively over taxed in 
Kali-bone-ya


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## thechknhwk (Nov 15, 2011)

Nice work, that's a big-un. I'm suprised the stump didn't stand back up..


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## mikeb1079 (Nov 15, 2011)

nope....milling does not get any better than that right there. nice work! :msp_smile:


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## SDB777 (Nov 16, 2011)

BTW, don't forget to wash the dirt out of the rootball, and mill that too! There's some reallt wild grain/figure going on in there, and to some the rootball is worth more then the boards. Bowl blanks, game call blanks and whatnot from that material could net you some cha-ching!





Oh, I got a question...
How in the world did you get those logs in the right spot before the tree blewover?




Scott (very cool) B


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## Gavman (Nov 16, 2011)

That is stunning looking wood and very nice milling too..... wow


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## 820wards (Nov 17, 2011)

Barthaigh said:


> Hi Guys, Just got thru a weekend of milling this black walnut tree. It was a magnificent tree unfortunately it fell over in a recent hurricane. It was ~160years old with a 50 inch diameter at 14 feet. I cut it into a 12’,10’, 10’ and an 8footer. The rest into a few 6 footers. Was able to get 12 planks out of the base log at 3 inch thick. The center cuts took about 15 minutes each with the 3120 and took just under a tank of gas each. Cut like a dream, not a defect in it. I then cut up the second log and got 8 planks so far at 3”, still no defects just beautiful grain. The center boards were fun to move at 500 lbs plus but all in a days work. Milling just does not get better than this, thanks guys for getting me into this and teaching me the tricks of the trade thru this website. This is a great hobby with a very useful end product, Bart



Bart,

Shame the tree came down, but it's going to be used for something in the future. Thanks for the pictures.
jerry-


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## BobL (Nov 17, 2011)

That suer is very pretty wood. Thanks for posting the pics.


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## sachsmo (Nov 17, 2011)

Beautiful grain.

But since I am so jealous, I have to ask.

If'n that log is 50" diameter at 14 foot, you must be 100" tall?

Yeah I can see 50" at the root flare,

just sayin'


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## Barthaigh (Nov 17, 2011)

Sorry actually it was 46.5 inchs at 14feet, but thats splitting hairs it was just a huge Walnut for around here. The root flare was 56 inches as I had to cut ~4" off to fit my 60" mill, thanks, bart


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## srcarr52 (Nov 17, 2011)

sachsmo said:


> Beautiful grain.
> 
> But since I am so jealous, I have to ask.
> 
> ...



It's his story... let him tell it how he wants. :msp_thumbup: Never mind that a year from now it's going to be 58" for 20'.


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## Barthaigh (Nov 17, 2011)

It is like fishing, the fish always gets bigger as the years go by!


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## Burlhunter13 (Nov 17, 2011)

Good to see that beauty going to something other then firewood . Im jealous! One of my favorite woods to mill.


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## StevenBiars (Nov 19, 2011)

Oh what I would give to come across a few slabs like that....


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## corsair4360 (Nov 28, 2011)

*Nice Milling*

That is some very nice walnut, and a nice job milling it. I don't see walnuts like that in California. Thanks for sharing the pictures, and making us droll.


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## RedArrow (Nov 29, 2011)

That is some awesome wood! Nice find


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.479152,-94.036148


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## smokinj (Nov 29, 2011)

sachsmo said:


> Beautiful grain.
> 
> But since I am so jealous, I have to ask.
> 
> ...



Every foot over 8 feet at 40 inchs in bw is big money.......Time to retire!


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## redoakneck (Nov 29, 2011)

Nice wood!!! Is that your tree? SWEET


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