# Cutting a Walnut log



## lmbeachy (May 8, 2009)

Have had this log for some time, decided to cut it. Took the visible hardware out of it, hope that I got it all.Got the log on the mill and lined up to make the first cut.











Made the first cut and took the top slab out, also took the bottom half out to reposition on the mill. I use the tractor and lift to turn the log and reposition. To old to do it the hard way.
















The slab will be 7ft4in long, 23 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches thick. It has some right nice grain in it.


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## JONSEREDFAN6069 (May 8, 2009)

WOW, I'll say nice grain, wacha gonna make outa that?


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## BobL (May 8, 2009)

JONSEREDFAN6069 said:


> WOW, I'll say nice grain, wacha gonna make outa that?



I agree!


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## lmbeachy (May 8, 2009)

Well, my hope of getting all the hardware out didn't hold true. Turned the log 180 and started to make the cut, about half way through guess what. There was a 1/4 inch eye bolt buried. Sharpened the chain and dug the bolt out and finished the cut. Turned the log 180 again to cut the 2 1/2 inch slab. About 2/3 of the way through I hit more metal. Decided to go ahead and cut through the metal and then sharpen the chain to finish the cut, but that didn't work. To much metal. So I sharpened the chain and started a back cut from the other end a little lower than the original cut. Finished this out OK. Broke the slab apart and took it off. There were a couple of big staples several inches in the log, no way to see them from the outside. Dug them out and quit for the evening. Will have to take a thin cut off part of the slab tomorrow to even it up to 2 1/2 inches. Oh well, live and learn. Lester


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## Matildasmate (May 9, 2009)

Very nice lester


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## Brmorgan (May 9, 2009)

Nice wood, too bad about the metal though. The only metal I've hit was all due to my own stupidity, which is even more maddening.


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## Thechap (May 9, 2009)

Why not run a metal detector over the log first?


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## lmbeachy (May 9, 2009)

> Why not run a metal detector over the log first?






The big reason is that I don't have one and I don't cut enough to justify buying one that is good enough to pick up the metal that is in deep.


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## wavefreak (May 11, 2009)

lmbeachy said:


> The big reason is that I don't have one and I don't cut enough to justify buying one that is good enough to pick up the metal that is in deep.



Wouldn't one that doesn't sense very deep work OK if you scanned between cuts? You would only have to sense a few inches into the log.


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## Texas Traveler (May 11, 2009)

The measurements are just what I need for our fireplace mantile.
Now the trick is to see what it would take for you to ship it to Texas.


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## Can8ianTimber (May 11, 2009)

You have got to love urban trees I think I hit metal more often than not. I have thought of getting a metal detector but all it would tell me is that I am going to hit metal. I am still going to rip through the log, it is just then I would know I was in trouble before I started. That is too depressing for me, I perfer to be optomistic.


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## lmbeachy (May 11, 2009)

Well, if you pay to have it shipped to Texas, I think I can arrange for that, and just think how much you stimulate the economy. lol. Lester


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## Texas Traveler (May 12, 2009)

lmbeachy said:


> Well, if you pay to have it shipped to Texas, I think I can arrange for that, and just think how much you stimulate the economy. lol. Lester


 That is what I am afraid of.


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## BlueRider (May 12, 2009)

Can8ianTimber said:


> You have got to love urban trees I think I hit metal more often than not. I have thought of getting a metal detector but all it would tell me is that I am going to hit metal. I am still going to rip through the log, it is just then I would know I was in trouble before I started. That is too depressing for me, I perfer to be optomistic.



Thats pretty much why I don't own one either.


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## Texas Traveler (May 12, 2009)

lmbeachy said:


> Well, if you pay to have it shipped to Texas, I think I can arrange for that, and just think how much you stimulate the economy. lol. Lester


 I am serious about getting some thing like you have but alot closer
What is some thing like you have worth? 

My fire place is 2 inchs longer then your slab.

I have a 090 with a mill but I think it would be better for me to just find a slab already dry.


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## excess650 (May 12, 2009)

His slab appears to have been cut from a log that was already dry. If that is true, it would be a good choice. His pictures also show the slab dry, not wet, so you're not even getting a sniff of how spectacular it might be. If it were wet with water, it would be very indicative of what it would look like with just tung oil applied.

You're concerned about shipping charges? I had (2) 3" thick 36" wide and 6' long slabs of redwood shipped from California to Pennsylvania. Shipping on each was north of $200 UPS. Portions of both were used as vanity tops in our new house. In the grand scheme of things, the shipping was small potatoes. The resultant affect was well worth the cost.

I haven't seen your fireplace, but with what I'm imagining, a mantle several inches shorter on each end would look better than "flush".



Texas Traveler said:


> I am serious about getting some thing like you have but alot closer
> What is some thing like you have worth?
> 
> My fire place is 2 inchs longer then your slab.
> ...


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## Texas Traveler (May 12, 2009)

excess650 said:


> His slab appears to have been cut from a log that was already dry. If that is true, it would be a good choice. His pictures also show the slab dry, not wet, so you're not even getting a sniff of how spectacular it might be. If it were wet with water, it would be very indicative of what it would look like with just tung oil applied.
> 
> You're concerned about shipping charges? I had (2) 3" thick 36" wide and 6' long slabs of redwood shipped from California to Pennsylvania. Shipping on each was north of $200 UPS. Portions of both were used as vanity tops in our new house. In the grand scheme of things, the shipping was small potatoes. The resultant affect was well worth the cost.
> 
> I haven't seen your fireplace, but with what I'm imagining, a mantle several inches shorter on each end would look better than "flush".


 That is exactly what I am thinking 
I just had a 50 lb. 114 inch package from LA Calif come in to Dallas with a 200.00 dollar freight bill from Fed-ex freight.


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## lmbeachy (May 13, 2009)

Here is a picture of the slab.


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## Texas Traveler (May 13, 2009)

lmbeachy said:


> Here is a picture of the slab.


 Do you have any idea of what it would weigh?

And how much you would take for it.


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## lmbeachy (May 13, 2009)

*Weight*

My son in law and I picked it up off the forks on the tractor to see what we thought it might weigh. He thought and I agree with him that it would probably weigh in the neighborhood of 125 lbs. But that is a guess.


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## Texas Traveler (May 13, 2009)

lmbeachy said:


> My son in law and I picked it up off the forks on the tractor to see what we thought it might weigh. He thought and I agree with him that it would probably weigh in the neighborhood of 125 lbs. But that is a guess.


 I would take it if you still have it.


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## English Oak (May 13, 2009)

Thats some nice wood, good work
T


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## Burlhunter13 (May 14, 2009)

gotta love beautiful crotches!


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## Texas Traveler (May 18, 2009)

lmbeachy said:


> My son in law and I picked it up off the forks on the tractor to see what we thought it might weigh. He thought and I agree with him that it would probably weigh in the neighborhood of 125 lbs. But that is a guess.


 I hope you got my last PM.
This is looking good.
Thanks Dean


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## lmbeachy (May 18, 2009)

*Walnut log*

Got your last message and will try to post pics of the log I will cut your piece from.I,m not at the office computer and I don,t have all the tools on my home comp. to work with so I hope you can open the pics and rotate them to get a pic.The pic of the trailer should not be in there, but oh well. I believe you said you wanted this to be edged, not live edge. And how thick do you want it to be, 4 inches or as near to that as I can get it?


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## Texas Traveler (May 19, 2009)

lmbeachy said:


> Got your last message and will try to post pics of the log I will cut your piece from.I,m not at the office computer and I don,t have all the tools on my home comp. to work with so I hope you can open the pics and rotate them to get a pic.The pic of the trailer should not be in there, but oh well. I believe you said you wanted this to be edged, not live edge. And how thick do you want it to be, 4 inches or as near to that as I can get it?


This slab will be fine, but square it as much as possible in length & the ends.

The thickness, just as near 4 inchs as you can get

Now instead of shipping, I will pickup it myself on the way up to visit my inlaws in Pa in about 10 days.
If you don't mind us coming by, my wife & I will just have a mini vacation.
The savings on shipping will more then pay for the flying side trip. :greenchainsaw:
I would like to save as much of the heart wood as possible & still get it in a shortbed Ford PU standing up angled across the bed. It gives me around 90 inchs to work with.
.


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