doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need A Wood E xpert

Quarter sawn lumber is superior only in in its stability. It will not give you the the most striking patterns so characteristic of flat-sawn lumber. It is, without question, more dimensionally stable, but you sacrifice figure for this stability. Quarter-sawing also will reduce lumber yield substantially, increase labor time, and give a high percentage of narrow stock, which is why most mills "sawing for grade" choose to forgo this type of sawing. It is used in large measure for flooring and also for sawing clapboards. There are some striking examples of ray fleck in several species, notably oak and sycamore, but I don't believe most stockmakers would offer quarter-sawn material as examples of superb figure. I can only offer my experience of 20 yrs. as the owner/operator of a sawmill business and cutting many thousand feet of black walnut (Juglans Nigra) and other domestic hardwoods -- the bulk of it plain sawn, but enough quarter-sawn and rift-sawn -- to feel confident my observations are fairly accurate.
Best, Will

Will S is 100% correct in stating that quarter sawn wood will reduce lumber yield and labor time. But my wood is almost always quarter sawn, for one because I use a lot of it for furniture and I don't want it cupping and becasue it's my wood. If I was in the business of selling wood and getting the most for my money, than yes I would flat saw it, more yield, but I'm in the business of making furniture, and I don't want to be ripping boards narrower to stop them from cupping.
Some woods the only way to cut them is quarter sawn, white oak is one, to get the best look of the wood.
So really it all depends on what you are doing with the wood, selling it for a living or as a consumer in making a living as to what is best for you.

JDW
I cut a fairly good sized tree hoping to get atleast one stock. It dosn't even look like I'll be to get that.So! I heard the root stock may be of the darker variety. I dig it up and tear into it. Nope . It is all sapwood amd light colored also. I have some nice firewood. Thank god for ebay. lol Send it to my door step. :]

The climate the tree is grown in has a something to do with it's final appearance and strength/stability too. A walnut tree grown in a very moderate climate doesn't seem to develop as well as those grown where the climate is harsher with cold winters.

AWOLF -
Jerry has raised a very valid point, indicated by the size of the tree (or log) you described. Any walnut tree that has achieved 20 inch diameter in forty years has grown exceedingly fast. It's probably safe to say that most Northeastern (Black)walnut of that girth would be approaching the century mark, unless grown on very rich bottomland in nearly ideal conditions. Slow growing trees will produce denser grain and generally darker color, though soil minerals and water will also affect coloration. One of the current ways of dealing with black walnut for sale by retailers is to have the wood steamed so that the dark heartwood extractives will bleed into the sapwood and help color it. Walnut treated this way tends to a washed out color when compared to uncompromised wood. A lot of the rich reds and purples are lost. Sapwood, on both walnut and cherry, has limited commercial value. Another instance where economics affects final product -- not necessarily to the good.
This last suggestion may be viewed as heresy, but have you considered staining your light colored walnut to a darker hue? A good dye stain (not oil stain) may help you realize good project wood. If I remember correctly, sometime this past fall/winter, there was an incredibly long thread dealing with red stains and favorite finish recipes. Walnut is walnut, though your wood may be softer or pulpy from fast growth. If it works well and holds checkering, stain it. What's the old hair dye commercial saying? "Only her hair dresser will know for sure." Or, more recently, though in another context: "Don't ask, don't tell."