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Whether to Saw Old Walnut Logs
Question
Forum Responses
From contributor E: I milled three black walnut logs last week that had sat for 2 or 3 summers. None of the boards seemed at all punky. They were a beautiful combination of green and brown coming off the mill. They are now stickered and in line for the kiln. From what I can see between stickered layers, the green has disappeared. It looks like normal walnut. From contributor T: How big is the log? If the ends are solid, go for it. Even if there is a rot spot, it may be worth the time. Walnut rot tends to be cone shaped and stay small. About two months ago a customer brought me a walnut log about 5' long x 24" diameter at the base x 36" diameter at the top with a crotch. The tree was cut down in 1992. He stored the log in his garage for just about 15 years! He knew it was worth something and just couldn't find somebody to cut it until he heard I have a chainsaw mill. The sapwood had turned dark and soaked colors from the heartwood, and the heartwood was the darkest I have ever seen. The boards were beautiful and fairly dry. There were ants in the very core, but they only ate away a fairly large bark inclusion that ran down the very center of the crotch. The outer crotch wood was a perfect three foot long herringbone figure. I don't know if your log is degraded because it is outside, but I believe it is well worth your time. I think that any walnut log bigger than 16" or so is well worth the time to saw. If it turns out to have ants (which I doubt), it will be a valuable experience.
From contributor R: Saw it. Metal and sapwood degrade is all I'd expect to find. Would you like to add information to this article? Interested in writing or submitting an article? Have a question about this article? Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below? 
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