Ok,I thought that might be the case but there is an awful lot of folk lore and urban legend concerning walnut and it cutting and curing,so I understand any doubts. I have people tell me "it should be near dry as it has been sitting in the log for 'x" amount of time".I cut a couple dozen logs that someone bought at a sawmill auction and they had been sitting so long the bark had fallen off and several were deeply checked.I started sawing and the wood inside was actually green in color and dripping wet. The only dry part was a couple inches in on either end and that was deeply checked.Wood does not dry in the log it must be cut and stickered for that to happen.
There is a lot of stress in some logs and when you start cutting sometimes the damn thing will move,sometimes quite violently and enough to bind the blade in the cut.I had one big log practically jump in the air when I made the initial cut and released tension. I sure would like to see them saw the big,4 foot or greater in diameter,logs they cut in asia and eastern europe.They get a lot of scrap but it must be fun watching the figure come out as you cut.I love wood and really admire those, like SDH,who can turn it into something that transcends fads and time and remains something of beauty and utility forever.
