Cutting logs for rifle stock blanks today

Evanguy

Evanguy

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others around here don't seem to be as excited as me about this big tree coming down(they all say they will miss the tree). Myself, I'm pretty excited to wake up to this blow over. I just wanted to post a few pic of what I cut today, it will be a year or two before I can see what they will be like on the inside.

the tree is a 130 year old walnut tree. there was 2 of them planted here in the 1890's. I'm not sure if they are English or Black but either way they should make me a pile of rifle blanks.

here are the pics. they look small in the photos but this are big chunks of wood.

I got 2 straight sections that are 44" long and 2 large narrow angle crotch sections that are 48" long. The rest of the wood is going to the community for milling projects. (I'm a live onsite property manager of a small off grid community)

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Black walnut
Looks like lots of wind checking.Not likely to get much good gunstock wood with all that cracking.
Seal the ends with shelac wait 3 years and see what you got.
Can you get the stump as a whole ?
 
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Looking at the coloring in there it's no wonder they are so desirable for stocks. At least the wood from a blown down tree is going to good use.
 
thanks for letting me know its black walnut and yeah the checking does suck. there are a few more nice sections from the other half that look like less checking its all pretty straight though. and ill take your advice and seal the ends and wait the time.

and I don't think ill be ale to do much with the stump, I'm going to explore what's there though. there may be some nice figured stuff for a 2 piece stock or even knives handles or something.

i added some more pics that show the but of the tree from the other side (you can also see the other planted black walnut in the back ground) the other pic is my buddy Wes helping me (im in the back hoe) haul the other stuff up that has less wind checking.

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Recently getting into stock making, I had to look into WHY blank’s cost the price they do. Pretty incredible the tree’s they come from.
 
Ooo that's fun! There could be some fun chunks of wood in there! If you end up with any waste chunks bigger than 2" X3" let me know and we might be able to make a deal on em. (I'm making predator calls)
 
I tried to find it but couldn’t but I remember seeing some cracked wood used for gun stocks and they filled them with epoxy, similar to what they’re doing with live edge wood for tables and counters. They looked very nice.
 
They would dry much more quickly and would experience less splitting if you at least halve the logs through the pith. Apply sealant on the end grain, and then store them stickered off the ground in the shade.

Lets you know immediately if they're usable too as the centre is exposed to see if there's rot and/or bark inclusions in the crotch.
 
trevj said:
Looking at the rot that took that tree down in the first place, I kinda have my doubts that the root ball is going to cough up anything worth digging for.
Click to expand...

Not the ball, but the roots themselves can yield some incredibly figured pieces, if they're large enough.

The Black Walnut on the west coast doesn't seem to be able to get as large/dense as those in Ontario/Quebec. Maybe the soil mineralization??? Less rainfall, keeping the growth rings smaller???
 
yeah the root ball/butt/stump is a "U" shape the rot was exposed on one side and up the center of the tree, that's why it fell like 2 tress falling apart. it was the center of the stump that split.

the biggest roots I can see that are exposed on the hill side are around 10" in diameter. they are about 8 feet from the tree so I bet they get bigger.

there is defiantly some good looking wood in the mass that was pulled from the ground when it fell over on the left tree (I guess water side as " the left side" depends on how you look at it)


I have the 4 chunks listed in the OP. others have large 24" diameter sections that are 8' long for making tables or counter tops at their cabins

I don't want to be greedy as there has been lots on interest some of the wood for other projects, (the tree has always been there as the community is only 40 years old (the history of the land tell us when they were planted)) but once other start getting their wood and its not so panicky to get it while its there ill the go back and dig up the roots and keep the first 3 feet where it comes out of the ground

this is kind of one of the 'right place at the right time' and 'first come first serve' kind of things but its also my job to clean up fallen trees. so I had first dibs on any of it. i took the 4 pieces listed. but I know that no one will want the roots and the first 3 free above the ground. so ill grab that when the dust settles so to speak
 
Andy said:
They would dry much more quickly and would experience less splitting if you at least halve the logs through the pith. Apply sealant on the end grain, and then store them stickered off the ground in the shade.

Lets you know immediately if they're usable too as the centre is exposed to see if there's rot and/or bark inclusions in the crotch.
Click to expand...

thanks ill have to look into this. I'm not sure what to do honestly. right now I have the ends sealed with oil based sealer and they are sitting on 2x2 sticks on the ground but grass under them

i can move them to be on gravel, under roof on concrete, dirt or grass depending on the what's best for them. id be fine with opening them on the center line if that is a known ideal way to dry them

I'm open for opinions and ideas and I have the time to dry them right
 
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