Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 11, 2002 07:26pm | #1

   Who me?  No, sorry I don't.  Somewhere in the last week or so, though, I saw something about making that adjustment with cherry.  If I can resurrect the memory, I'll pass it along, FWIW.

   Walnut seems to be that way (ratio of heart- to sapwood).  Many moons ago (last year sometime) I was following up a lead on some fallen walnut, and posted a query here about how to evaluate it if I went to see it.  Consensus was it had to be pretty thick to yield much usable wood.  Since it was over in Eastern WA, I didn't want to invest the time.

   Good Luck!

   forestgirl -- Remembering the heroes and the victims

1. 
   DennisS | Sep 11, 2002 08:32pm | #2

   > ....I saw something about making that adjustment with cherry. 

   My (limited) experience with cherry is such that you don't really need to do much at all to get the color to bleed from heartwood into sap wood. A friend gave me some big prunings off his cherry tree from which I turned some smallish vessels. It only took a few weeks for the grain to subdue and the whole piece take on a marvelous deep brown color.

   I've asked around the jobsite about colorization of walnut and the consensus (once they stopped laughing) was "don't count on it" (grin).  So for the purposes of turning pieces from this material, I think I'll try to capitalize on the contrast between heart & sap wood.

   Turn adversity into advantage as they say.

   Now's the time a big, I mean BIG bandsaw would come in handy!

   Incidentally, if you get any more leads to fallen walnut, or other types of interesting wood material, and you don't want it, gimme a shout! (grin)

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]

1. 
   kenewald | Sep 13, 2002 01:10am | #3

   I suppose you could use walnut stain to bring it even with the rest of the board.  I like the contrasting color and have put the sapwood in prominent places on my work.

   Walnut's sapwood is significantly softer.  It's not as strong (structurally) and will ding a bit easier.  If you're going to use it, I'd recommend a hard covering product.

   -Ken

1. 
   DennisS | Sep 13, 2002 01:17am | #4

   Thanks for the info, Ken -

   I'll use most if not all the log for turning. I agree - the contrast between the sap & hardwood can be used to advantage in this case.

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]

2. 
   stancalow | Sep 13, 2002 04:25am | #5

   I have a friend who uses walnut husk (or whatever you call it) stain to do this.  It just seemed natural.  That is, soaking  green walnut  nut husks in ammonia for several  days, then using the resulting liquid to stain the sapwood.  Maybe someone has a more specific formula.  I have seen a couple of pieces of work done leaving the contrast between heart- and sapwood and its too strong for me. 

3. 
   Splintie | Sep 13, 2002 07:29am | #6

   Dennis, i make sculptre bases for which i buy the widest boards i can find to minimize seams. Usually, this means some sapwood. I've begun using a stain made by McCloskey called Tungseal in Antique Walnut, a very dark color, to blend the colors without muddying the wood.

   I like this stain so much that i have it mailed to me from Washington, since i can't get it locally. It is very transparent, doesn't leave lap marks, easy to rub off...it looks better'n plain walnut when i finish. The wood i use is kilned, though, so i've not got any of the pretty air-dried pinks and blues to preserve.

1. 
   DennisS | Sep 13, 2002 08:38am | #7

   Hi Splintie -

   I can understand where in your situation the contrast would be rather overbearing.

   Where in WA do you order the McCloskey material. I'm familiar with that name brand but have never tried it.

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]

1. 
   Splintie | Sep 13, 2002 10:03am | #8

   I get a woodworker friend in Eatonville who turned me on to it to pick it up and send it. He buys it from some paint store in Puyallup. Cost is somewhere around $8 for a quart. (Shipping is more than that!)

1. 
   DennisS | Sep 13, 2002 11:09am | #9

   I'll look around. If I find it for less than $8/quart I'll letcha know. I know I've seen it but don't know what it runs price wise.

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]

4. 
   Ricky_Yu | Sep 13, 2002 11:10am | #10

   There was a Q&A addressing this in Fine Woodworking No. 154 (February 2002). Jon Arno is better qualified to explain this since he wrote the answer, but basically, placing the green wood in a steam chamber for a few days and then kiln-drying it will cause the sapwood to darken and resemble more closely the heartwood in color. This process, however, would mute the varied highlights of the color in the walnut heartwood. Of course, this would be more involved than the other suggestions like staining or leaving it the way it is, but if you think it is feasible, then this course might be worth pursuing.