Hello,
I am an independent sawmill and woodlot owner. I recently pulled a nice big walnut stump out off my property. This stump is massive (about 8′ across with several thick roots jutting out). I’ve heard that there is a market out there for walnut stumps for gun stock manufacturers. Does anyone have any ideas as to the best way to offer such stumpage for sale? I have a few more walnut stumps where that one came from.
Thanks,
Roger <
Replies
Have you tried posting at WWA
http://www.woodworking.org/cgi-bin/ubboard/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro&BypassCookie=true
I know there are gunstock makers at the forums (here and there). Someone should have tips for you. From what I've read, though, there's a downside to cutting up those stumps -- broken chains, blades, etc., from the junk that accumulates.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
there's a downside to cutting up those stumps -- broken chains, blades
Forest,, You forgot backs!
Roger,
I seem to recall reading that the stuff used for gunstocks came from the bottom portion of commercial walnut trees that were a graft of one variety of walnut onto the rootstock of a different variety. This was done for some commercial reason, maybe for disease resistance or to boost nut production. The grafted area would have some wild grain that was beautiful in a gunstock.
John W.
Roger,
Where is your mill located and what kind of wood do you normally mill?
Hello,
My mill is a Peterson 8" WPF (swing-arm mill). I usually cut various hardwoods into 1x6's - 1x8's. I do cut some pine for construction around the farm (e.g. 40'x76' pole barn). I've cut a lot of read oak for flooring my new house (in progress) and black walnut for furniture, trim, and raised panel wainscoting.
The walnut root was in the creek for quite some years and had most of the dirt washed off. There was a bit of fine grit though.
Take care,
Roger <><
Roger, Do you mean that the tree was 8' across where the tree was cut down, or are you talking about across the root-ball?
I cut one up with my chain-saw a couple of years ago, and ruined the bar and chain on two saws, but I got some really nice figured wood out of it. I'm not sure I would do it again though.
"I'm not sure I would do it again though." From what I've read so far, this seems to be the reaction after trying it once!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
The root ball is about 8' across; the stump cross section is probably about 24" (sap wood has long since rotted off). The acutal thick root sections are about 2' by 6" or so, then about 2' of stump (sort of like the "knees" referenced in a previous post), and there are probably about 3 or 4 nice sections like this. Since the tree was in the creek, most all of the dirt was washed off of it. there was a bit of gritty silt on the tree and in the hollowed out portion of the stump, however, the damage was just one dull chain. I plan on pressure washing the silt off before I do any more cutting.
Right now, I'm thinking that I would be better off cutting it into billets, then slicing it up for jewlery boxes; perhaps using a band mill or just my 14" delta band saw.
Take care,
Roger <><
that is a little on the small size to be getting the good stuff. do you see a lot of figure on the surface where the roots turn out? If you don't, I would not bother. There is always some dirt and rocks captured in the crevasses between where the roots grow together and capture it.
Yes, you can see the figure where the roots turn. Looks like folds perpendicular to the long axis of the tree/root
It would be Good for Wood Turners .
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