# Black Walnut as firewood



## Jimfound (Dec 5, 2006)

I don't need to tell anyone here that there are better uses for walnut than as firewood....

But, long story short, a friend cut up a black walnut tree that fell in his yard before I could save it. I graciously accepted the firewood  The wood has been split and stacked (cross-hatch) since february, and I am now getting around to burning it. Could maybe wait another summer to be fully seasoned, but its pretty well dried-out. My conclusion is that walnut does not burn very hot. It does burn long, and coals fairly well, but not that great in terms of BTU. 

On the other hand ELM...well lets just say I put ELM right up there with Locust for heat....nearly impossible to split but sure does burn hot...and forever. No smoke, no ash and great coals with ELM. I often see ELM on firewood rating charts as somewhere in the middle...as a medium hardwood, along the lines of walnut. I call foul. Anyone else have experience burning ELM? Its great for heat but such a PITA to deal with.

Anyway...great site here...glad I found it. Stay warm.


----------



## Husky137 (Dec 5, 2006)

I think elm sucks as firewood.


----------



## woodchux (Dec 5, 2006)

My favorite wood to burn is redtips


----------



## sawinredneck (Dec 5, 2006)

Jimfound said:


> I don't need to tell anyone here that there are better uses for walnut than as firewood....
> 
> But, long story short, a friend cut up a black walnut tree that fell in his yard before I could save it. I graciously accepted the firewood  The wood has been split and stacked (cross-hatch) since february, and I am now getting around to burning it. Could maybe wait another summer to be fully seasoned, but its pretty well dried-out. My conclusion is that walnut does not burn very hot. It does burn long, and coals fairly well, but not that great in terms of BTU.
> 
> ...




Welcome to AS  

I think Elm sucks for firewood as well!! Walnut is a good hardwood and burns nice, also has a nice arouma to it!! Enjoy it!!
Andy


----------



## Dr. Hackemoff (Dec 5, 2006)

Jimfound said:


> I don't need to tell anyone here that there are better uses for walnut than as firewood....
> 
> But, long story short, a friend cut up a black walnut tree that fell in his yard before I could save it. I graciously accepted the firewood  The wood has been split and stacked (cross-hatch) since february, and I am now getting around to burning it. Could maybe wait another summer to be fully seasoned, but its pretty well dried-out. My conclusion is that walnut does not burn very hot. It does burn long, and coals fairly well, but not that great in terms of BTU.
> 
> ...



I've only burned about five cords of black walnut, seasoned one year outside, one year in, and I agree, it's middle of the road at best. Not desirable for heating in low temps (ten degrees + wind). I love ash, so everything seasons longer than it because ash is drier when cut green.

I'm burning elm now in low temps and high winds. Ash with bark burns poorly initially - little heat! Slow to heat things up. But it does coal with the best and they last, IF you can wait. Elm cut standing dead with falling bark is IDEAL IMO. Dense, and burns hot thruout.

I have elm (green - crap) seasoning in the yard now and I swear I won't burn it until it's dead dry, probably two years.

da hack


----------



## wdchuck (Dec 5, 2006)

I've burned many elm varieties and have found it sometimes burns hot, or not. THe dead standing, no bark, for a couple years does seem to burn nice and hot, but anything that has had the bark on and is kinda heavy in the hand doesn't seem to good. I'll be doing an experiment on this next year, just for personal insight and kicks. Walnut, medium heat in my opinion.


----------



## Pollock777 (Dec 5, 2006)

*Walnut*

About 2 yrs. ago we took down a blk. walnut tree in absecon n.j. it was 58" at the base and had a straight run of 15 ft. and no one wanted it. Called the mills and they said because it came out of a home oweners yard they didn't want it. So it was cut up for firewood. If anybody knows of anyone that would take it in south New Jersey please let me know. Thanks Tony:jester:


----------



## Husky137 (Dec 6, 2006)

Dr. Hackemoff said:


> .
> 
> I have elm (green - crap) seasoning in the yard now and I swear I won't burn it until it's dead dry, probably two years.
> 
> da hack




Good luck on that. My experience is that it will rot before drying.


----------



## Freakingstang (Dec 6, 2006)

Dr. Hackemoff said:


> I'm burning elm now in low temps and high winds. Ash with bark burns poorly initially - little heat! Slow to heat things up. But it does coal with the best and they last, IF you can wait. Elm cut standing dead with falling bark is IDEAL IMO. Dense, and burns hot thruout.
> 
> I have elm (green - crap) seasoning in the yard now and I swear I won't burn it until it's dead dry, probably two years.
> 
> da hack




Dead standing Elm without bark is great wood, although a bear to split. my 372 normally splits the elm..lol.

now, green Elm with the bark....I have about 2 cord left from last year. it was the base of a dead stading tree i took down. it is still green, wet, heavy and rotting... Been split and stacked since it was cut down....

I like Ash. Little dry time and great heating properties. if I don't have ash, i use the normal red and white oak. Gotta throw some wild cherry in their too. Burns good, gets the fire going good for the longer burning oak.


----------



## habanero (Dec 6, 2006)

wdchuck said:


> I've burned many elm varieties and have found it sometimes burns hot, or not.



I agree with that. I've also burnt several different varieties and found a great difference in splitting ease and burning quality. I don't think I've ever seen as much difference in different varieties of other types of trees as I've seen in elm. Weird stuff...


----------



## wdchuck (Dec 6, 2006)

There's three or four elm varieties growing on my property, I need an expert to help identify everything, specifically, that is here, over 15 species in all, then there's the bush size stuff. oyvae.


----------



## tribalwind (Dec 6, 2006)

i picked up some english walnut log sections that someone was giving away for possible firewood. 
now it's destiny will be as some woodturnings and native american flutes. 

i have a whole pile of pecan also,more than i'll ever use for craftwork.
have offered it at swaps and give to other woodworkers,not too much interest thus far..i'll probably burn some in my worshop woodstove this winter. the colds finally set in here in LI,NY.


----------



## PA. Woodsman (Dec 6, 2006)

*Walnut is about average in my opinion.*

I would rate Walnut as about a 7 to 7.5 on a scale of 0-10; it has a nice, unique aroma, but you're right, it doesn't overwhelm you with heat. It burns okay, but sometimes it kind of "chars" rather than burn completely; yet, I too, keep taking it for use! It must be the aroma that attracts me?


----------



## buckwheat (Dec 6, 2006)

I find walnut leaves a lot of ashes to clean out.


----------



## MS-310 (Dec 6, 2006)

Freakingstang said:


> Dead standing Elm without bark is great wood, although a bear to split. my 372 normally splits the elm..lol.
> 
> now, green Elm with the bark....I have about 2 cord left from last year. it was the base of a dead stading tree i took down. it is still green, wet, heavy and rotting... Been split and stacked since it was cut down....
> 
> I like Ash. Little dry time and great heating properties. if I don't have ash, i use the normal red and white oak. Gotta throw some wild cherry in their too. Burns good, gets the fire going good for the longer burning oak.




Well I know some one here likes ElM...here in MI we have so much of it here that its a really good choice its allways dead and no bark. I have never cut an live tree down to heat with...used the wood to but not just for heating.


----------



## laynes69 (Dec 6, 2006)

I would burn elm over walnut anyday. I take down the elm trees that are missing their bark, and in it goes. Walnut is a okay wood to burn, but my favorite is either osage orange, or locust.


----------



## EastwoodGang4 (Dec 8, 2006)

*Dead Elms*

Those dead elms without bark are good in my book too. there's quite a few here in Ohio as well. And if it's free wood no matter what kind isn't it all worth burning?????


----------



## morningwood (Dec 9, 2006)

laynes69 said:


> I would burn elm over walnut anyday. I take down the elm trees that are missing their bark, and in it goes. Walnut is a okay wood to burn, but my favorite is either osage orange, or locust.



I agree that locust is great wood to burn. The problem that I found with osage orange is that it dulls up your chain so fast that it is not worth cutting in my eyes. 

I see that you are in OH, as I am too. If you are interested in some osage orange trees let me know as I have a few that need cleaned up.  

Scott


----------



## laynes69 (Dec 9, 2006)

Where are you located? Have you ever cut locust trees that have been dead for 10+ years? The chain will bounce off them as you cut. Its worth it, I save those woods for very cold nights.


----------



## morningwood (Dec 9, 2006)

I live about 30 minutes north of Columbus in Southern Morrow County. 

Most of the locust trees that I have cut are either green or they have fell down over the past few years. All of the locust that I am cutting is black locust with the nasty thorns in them. I cut down a couple in the spring and pulled them into my field and let them dry out pretty well and then was able to know the thorns off with my boot. Most of the black locust trees that I do have are pretty small but I do have a few big ones that I hope to get down next year sometime. The forestry guys says they are a weed tree and will take over your forest if you do not keep them in check.

The osage orange tree that I tried to cut up has probably been laying down for about 3 - 5 years. I cut on it for about 10 minutes and my saw was dull as a butter knife when I got done.  

Scott


----------



## laynes69 (Dec 9, 2006)

I'm in Ashland county about 2 counties over from you. How big is this tree?


----------



## morningwood (Dec 9, 2006)

Here is a picture of the osage orange tree:







It is pretty small, maybe 6 - 8" at the base.

Here is a couple pictures of the locusts that I hope to take down within the next few years:






This locust actually had a red oak tree fall on and it split the back half out:






This is a picture of a top that I have been cutting on for the past few months. Out of what you can imagine is gone I probably have gotten close to a full cord of white oak. There is probably another three to four cords left. The butt of the top is about three feet in diameter.






Here is the stump of the tree that was cut down, where the top came from. I would say it is probably four to four and half feet wide if I were to guess.






The sad thing is thing is that the elderly lady who had the woods logged before we bought the place probably got cents on the dollar because she did not know what she had. I would say there are probably ten stumps easily over two - three feet in diameter. They are mostly cherry, oak, hickory, and maple.

Scott


----------



## laynes69 (Dec 9, 2006)

That tree is pretty little. The 3rd picture looks like part of the locust is missing all of its bark, cut it up and throw it in the woodburner. Thats primo wood. 75% of our trees in our yard are locusts. I like the old rugged look to them because we have an old victorian and it gives the lawn character. Right behind the house we have a locust tree close to 4 foot in diameter.


----------



## Butch(OH) (Dec 9, 2006)

morningwood said:


> I live about 30 minutes north of Columbus in Southern Morrow County.
> 
> Most of the locust trees that I have cut are either green or they have fell down over the past few years. All of the locust that I am cutting is black locust with the nasty thorns in them. I cut down a couple in the spring and pulled them into my field and let them dry out pretty well and then was able to know the thorns off with my boot. Most of the black locust trees that I do have are pretty small but I do have a few big ones that I hope to get down next year sometime. The forestry guys says they are a weed tree and will take over your forest if you do not keep them in check.
> 
> ...



Ya can't be too far from me, SW of Mt Vernon here.


----------



## morningwood (Dec 10, 2006)

laynes69 said:


> That tree is pretty little. The 3rd picture looks like part of the locust is missing all of its bark, cut it up and throw it in the woodburner. Thats primo wood. 75% of our trees in our yard are locusts. I like the old rugged look to them because we have an old victorian and it gives the lawn character. Right behind the house we have a locust tree close to 4 foot in diameter.



Yeah I figured after you saw a picture of the tree that you would not be interested in driving one and half hours roundtrip for the wood.  

The locust in the third picture was actually three stems coming from the same stump and when the oak fell on it, one stem fell down, there is the dead stem as you noted and there is a live stem on the left of the picture. I would say that is probably two feet in diameter at the butt of that stem. The problem that I have with the black locusts is that they attract vines which are really bad for pulling trees down during wind storms etc.

Butch,

I live outside of the booming metropolis of Marengo.  My house / property is actually on the Delaware, Morrow county line.

Scott


----------



## olyman (Dec 10, 2006)

im with buckwheat--of all the seasoned wood i burn--and its a mixture---that black walnut easily produces three times the ashes of other trees--soooo--i dont burn but very little of it--get tired of hauling ashes----


----------



## mga (Dec 11, 2006)

i took down a black walnut tree a couple of years ago. the trunk was 2' diameter by 11 feet long and straight. some guy bought it from me for $400. he made a grandfather clock out of it and also carved some dolphins and other stuff like that.

burned the rest of it. i have a simple philosophy when it comes to burning wood: if it burns, i burn it.


----------



## JAM (Dec 12, 2006)

*Elm*

I had some dead standing Elm at a cutting I was doing, after many hours of splitting by hand I put it in my outdoor forced air with some Jack Pine to get things going and Wow what a fire! Had a large mass of White hot coals in there. I had the pleasant aroma of burning hair wafting about when I opened the door and stuck my face a little too close to the opening for comfort.
We burn alot of Birch, Maple and Black Ash here, Perfer the Ash myself.


----------



## Indiana John (Dec 13, 2006)

We search out standing dead Elm (what we call "peelers"). The more bark that's off the better! My splitter has a cylinder with a 3.5" bore, so we don't have too much trouble splitting it unless it's really gnarly. The drier it is, the better it splits. If it's really dry it will pop almost like cherry, the more moisture there is in it, the stringy-er it is. We love the way it burns, but it does leave "clinkers" in the stove from the high mineral content in the wood, which means it's a bit harder on chains than most other woods. 
I really don't care for burning black walnut. It doesn't burn real hot, and it seems that no matter how dry it is I get a lot of creosote from it.


----------



## smokechase II (Dec 13, 2006)

*burning pine*

In Central Oregon were a po' folk.
Usually burn just pine to warm up the area.
Less then a minute from first to last photo.

Hope the ending photo warms you up and brings good cheer.


----------



## derbyguy_78 (Jan 21, 2007)

*elm response*



Jimfound said:


> I don't need to tell anyone here that there are better uses for walnut than as firewood....
> 
> But, long story short, a friend cut up a black walnut tree that fell in his yard before I could save it. I graciously accepted the firewood  The wood has been split and stacked (cross-hatch) since february, and I am now getting around to burning it. Could maybe wait another summer to be fully seasoned, but its pretty well dried-out. My conclusion is that walnut does not burn very hot. It does burn long, and coals fairly well, but not that great in terms of BTU.
> 
> ...



i just delivered 3 truck loads of elm firewood today,the customer that bought the wood loves it.I mostly sell locust,oak,walnut,and possibly soon to besage orange


----------



## greensngravy (Jan 22, 2007)

woodchux said:


> My favorite wood to burn is redtips



I'm hooked on Black Locust here in southern Wisconsin. Burns hot and long, with little ash or creosote...and a plentiful supply from the state forest lands...$10 for a firewood permit will get you a cord of this stuff!

Scott


----------



## Jimfound (Jan 22, 2007)

greensngravy said:


> I'm hooked on Black Locust here in southern Wisconsin. Burns hot and long, with little ash or creosote...and a plentiful supply from the state forest lands...$10 for a firewood permit will get you a cord of this stuff!
> 
> Scott



Given a choice, I don't think there is a wood I would take over black locust. Never burned hedge though, which I have heard is the premier wood in some parts.


----------



## OilHead (Jan 15, 2008)

Have been burin some black walnut for the first time this year & would rate it around 80 -85 on the scale. If I could get some more of it for free would get it again but nothing smaller than 6" dia. Bark doesnt seem to dull the chains to much & seems to go pretty fast gettin a load up. Almond is a good one but pretty scarce except if you know some farmers in the central valley & then to far to justify the time & cost of the fuel getting it.


----------



## Lignum (Jan 15, 2008)

In my stove it burns the same as Silver Maple. It was Siberian Elm, and it didn't leave much ash, but it did burn well. Very little flame, but it did burn. I would have to choose the Elm over the Walnut also. I know the Elm will burn, but the Walnut is a little bit finicky in my stove, or maybe in my head, I don't know which.  The only real thing I dislike about Elm, it that when I cutting, and hauling, it is so heavy,I call it 'Haulin Water'. After a year in a Holzhausen, it is dried out real good. If a piece of wood weighs 10 pounds wet, it will only weigh 3 pounds seasoned, or so it feels.


----------



## SWI Don (Jan 15, 2008)

I've burnt black walnut from time to time. The first year I burnt wood almost all of it was black walnut. I have a friend that burns it exclusively in his fireplace for aesthetic fires.

It isn't as good a oak, locust, or hedge for btus but it does seem to burn pretty well. They are logging a quite a bit around here so the logging remains are available all over usually just for the asking.

Don


----------



## kallaste (Jan 16, 2008)

Butch(OH) said:


> Ya can't be too far from me, SW of Mt Vernon here.



you guys are all fairly close to me. I live in pataskala.. about 16 miles east of columbus. Licking county


----------



## sredlin (Jan 16, 2008)

My vote is that elm is superior to black walnut---I am burning standing dead elm today the stuff works great for me---slightly tough to split---once it starts getting punky it is garbage


----------



## magiriano (Jan 16, 2008)

laynes69 said:


> Where are you located? Have you ever cut locust trees that have been dead for 10+ years? The chain will bounce off them as you cut. Its worth it, I save those woods for very cold nights.



Bounce?
I saw sparks flying off dried black locust not only when cut with a chainsaw but even when cut(sharpened) with an axe ( I use black locust for fence posts)


----------



## Mkarlson (Jan 16, 2008)

I will know next year if black walnut is worth a crap in the stove. A farmer who lets me cut in his woods and on the fence rows wants me to cut an opening into an ajoining field. The fence row is probably 50% black walnut,30% hackberry,and the remaining 20% is cherry. Of course those numbers are guesses but just seems to be a shame I'm going to cut these black walnut and even couple nice cherries into firewood. Maybe this would be good time to get a csm. A bunch of smaller 6-8" walnut but several nice 15-20" trees..right in the area he wants the 60' opening.


----------



## Mkarlson (Jan 17, 2008)

There is a small mill or two around as well as a guy who has a sweet portable bandmill. Guess I should make some calls.


----------



## bluequill56 (Jan 17, 2008)

Isn't there a decent sized mill right across the river from you right before you turn to go to West Lebanon? Thought I saw one there last time I was over that way. Been wanting to go ther to see if I could get some oak planks for a project. Been thinking CSM, too. Sounds funner to make them than buy them!


----------



## Mkarlson (Jan 18, 2008)

yep thats cooksies mill. They were once a large set up from what I can tell they have slowed down some. I havent talked to the owners in a long while when I was in my teens I worked in a restraunt and talked to them almost daily, nice people. I did notice they are selling kiln dried firewood and OWB now. The guy with the bandmill lives just south of west lebanon a mile or so believe his outfit is called white oak custom milling or similiar.


----------



## mayor (Jan 19, 2008)

Hey...I'm one of them crazy hillbillies down here in WV.....wife bout melted a stove down for me with black locust that was dry......we burn almost exclusively black oak and sassafrass.......very little ashes too clean out and burns nice and hot.....long burn also!. Sassafrass is quick burn and really hot....gets the green black oak burning good though. These are my favorite woods too burn.
We have a bandmill.....and a nice woodshop also, my favorite wood is walnut to build furniture out of. Dont know why, its messy, fairly hard on tooling....but once done, and ya hit it with the urethane.......priceless!.
We cut down the black oaks and they all go into firewood......black oak on a sawmill is almost impossible!.....warps, cups, twists, curls, pinches, splits, and binds!....I hate trying too mill it......but I love cuttin it for firewood and its splits really easy!.


----------



## AshleyShea (Aug 11, 2013)

I have a black walnut tree in my backyard. It's a bit too close to the house. I need to have some branches trimmed away to keep them from falling on my roof this winter. Plus, the walnuts landing on the roof in the middle of the night is not a sound I enjoy waking up to.

I have a couple of questions about the wood I wonder if any of you can answer.

1. How large would the branches have to be in order for them to be of interest to a woodworker?

2. How long do I need to season the wood before I can burn it? And, can I just leave it stacked in the backyard to season, or do I need to get wood rack to get it up off the ground?

Thanks for your help!


----------



## Cheesecutter (Aug 11, 2013)

I can't help with your 1st question, but as far as seasoning it goes I figure 1 year from the time you split and stack it. If it isn't split the bark will hold the moisture in. I like to stack mine 4 to 8 inches off the ground.


----------



## haveawoody (Aug 12, 2013)

Black walnut is middle of the road wood IMO.
Better second season dried than first season.

Elm all depends on the variety and if it was cut dead or alive.
The wild differences people experience with elm all come down to when it was cut and cured.

American elm cut green and cured, middle of the road.
American elm cut dead better than white ash.

Red elm cut green and cured better than white ash.
Red elm cut dead similar to white oak.

Rock elm cut green and cured similar to white oak.
Rock elm cut dead good competition for Osage orange.


----------



## haveawoody (Aug 12, 2013)

AshleyShea,

If it's in your backyard the answer is it wont matter how big.
Very few mills would ever take a city tree so unless you could find someone willing to foot the bill for removal and hauling to a private mill(usually more expensive than value of the tree) then it's best value is as firewood after you fell the tree..


----------



## Dirtboy (Aug 12, 2013)

Haveawoodys right, mill wont want to bother. 
From prior experience with a black walnut in my yard that had to go for the same reasons-cut it to length, split it, stack about 6"s off the ground. It did not burn well for me until it had been seasoned for a year and a half. Seems to need a bit to dry out.


----------



## zogger (Aug 12, 2013)

If you want to give the branches away, you could try asking your question on "what size" over in this forum

http://www.arboristsite.com/wood-carving-turning/

Not sure, say, what a gunstock maker might need. 

It is mostly an urban legend that black walnut trees from the yard will make you rich. Sort of a joke around here.

funny video someone linked here before to put it into perspective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTgQHWQoatg

Now wild, straight, from in the forest black walnut, can be a different story as to value, but yard trees almost always have long ago embedded trash/metal/concrete patch/nails whatever which would destroy a sawmill blade and maybe seriously injure a worker, so mills won't take them. 

And no one is going to pay you for treework around houses, just doesn't happen. It is a dangerous and skilled technical job, and the guys who do it charge accordingly.


----------



## Ontario Firewood Resource (Mar 12, 2021)

Walnut is rated at 22 million BTU per bush cord, just under 24 million, which is considered good hardwood like sugar maple and red oak. Mediocre woods like birch and silver maple are about 20 million BTU per cord.


----------



## PA. Woodsman (Mar 12, 2021)

Ontario Firewood Resource said:


> Walnut is rated at 22 million BTU per bush cord, just under 24 million, which is considered good hardwood like sugar maple and red oak. Mediocre woods like birch and silver maple are about 20 million BTU per cord.


I would rank it closer to Silver Maple and Birch than Sugar Maple and Red Oak from my experience with it, it's okay but not great to my mind. But it's wood and it burns.


----------



## Ontario Firewood Resource (Mar 13, 2021)

PA. Woodsman said:


> I would rank it closer to Silver Maple and Birch than Sugar Maple and Red Oak from my experience with it, it's okay but not great to my mind. But it's wood and it burns.


It has a softer quality inside and out. the heart/sapwood both have that shine to it like silver maple, box elder and basswood. It does not seem like dense hardwood overall. I usually get cherry but black cherry is pretty much identical but the heartwood/ sapwood of black cherry looks more dense and hard, like how honey locust has that solid look to it.


----------



## bbxlr8 (Mar 13, 2021)

FWIW: I can't stand burning walnut; and as others have noted, the ash fills up fast _(not worth it IMO unless you don't have other options)_. Not a fan of elm either...
LOVE cherry!


----------

