Use for THICK walnut

[Tim Schubach]

I have access to a pile of Walnut that's been sitting in a garage for some

15 years. The smallest piece is a full 4/4" thick, 11" wide, and about 6' long. The largest piece is 16/4" thick, almost 12" wide, and 12' long. The remaining pile, in addition to some more 16/14" stock, is made up of 12/4", 8/4", and some 6/4".

My question to the collective is, Is there a market for walnut that thick? I don't have use for anything that thick, and I'd hate to cut it up for no good reason. If there is a market for this stuff, how much is it worth, and who do I need to get in touch with to arrange a sale. From the research I've done, I should be looking at a street price of about $8-10 bd/ft for the 12/4", and about $5 bd/ft for 4/4" stock.

I'm in the Dayton, Ohio area ...

Thanks, Tim

[Bill Rittner]

I don't know about wood prices in your area, but, here in CT a non dealer won't get much more than $1 to $2 per bd/ft. I just missed some dry cherry for $0.83 per bd/ft.

-- Bill Rittner R & B ENTERPRISES

[e-mail]

"Don't take this life too seriously.......nobody gets out alive" (Unknown)

[Bay Area Dave]

Perhaps you could send me a 6' sample? I haven't tried out my new smoother on walnut yet...

dave

Tim Schubach wrote:

[Swingman]

It's absolutely worthless, but I'll be glad to pay the shipping to get it off your hands.

Walnut is pretty high around here ... $4 - 7/bf. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to cut/resaw and use it. Sounds like good stock for table legs.

[Mike Schwarz]

The price depends on multiple factors such as supply and demand in your area, marketing, quality of the wood, ease of access to it, moisture content, method of drying... Here in Atlanta, I have been selling some Iowa walnut for about 4 years. There is not much for nice walnut here in the South, so I get a nice premium for wood that is not available locally (i.e. boards 15-21" wide, or 16/4, or boards that have both of those attributes). The prices I have gotten in the past range mostly 4 to $15/BF.

I would think being in Ohio would greatly limit the amount you will make off of these due to supply of walnut in your area. If 4/4 is selling for $5 in your area then you will most likely have to sell it for ~$4 to get people interested. The size of the boards are not that unusual so you don't have much of a premium there. If they were 20" wide and at least 95% clear it would be a whole different story. Look around - if you go to 5 wood stores and ask for 11" wide walnut or 16/4 walnut you will soon know how rare your wood. I love the look on their face when I would ask for a set of 4 bookmatched walnut boards that are 20" wide and flawless.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but I know what it is like thinking you are sitting on a gold mine of wood.

Mike

[Lawrence A. Ramsey]

[Phisherman]

Maybe $5 a BF.

[Frank McVey]

Hi Tim,

You're right in not cutting it down since larger dimensions command a premium.

Thick timber is always in demand by turners and carvers. You might try offering it on rec.crafts.woodturning. Remember to preface your subject line with "FS".

I don't know how much walnut costs in the US. You might try

Put "walnut" into the search engine and it'll come up with both american and african walnut blank prices. The sizes are metric and the prices in GBP, so you'll have to do the sums to come up with dollars/bf. Then figure that we in the UK pay for tools, hardware, consumer durables etc about the same number of pounds as you would pay dollars. I've a feeling though that your timber is even cheaper than that, so that rough guesstimate would give you a highish figure.

The fact that the timber has been air-dried for that length of time would add value. Any splits, shakes, knots or other such defect would lessen value.

Cheers

Frank

[Charlie Self]

He can save the conversion hassle, go to places like Advantage Lumber ($4.00 a bf for 6/4, thickest the state on-line, he can then e-mail the company to get prices on other sizes--not just advantage, but almost any lumber dealer carrying walnut).

Charlie Self

"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it." E. B. White

[Chris Merrill]

thick table tops, table legs, mantles, turning...

[David Babcock]

If you want to do all the work of listing, packaging, etc. Ebay has a big market selling all kinds of wood. I recently bought a bunch of reclaimed Hickory from old barns in West Virginia, to make an antique lapdesk You wouldn't have to cut the wood, although it would be expensive to ship large pieces.

Dave

[Lee Gordon]

Someone who makes guns might be interested for making rifle stocks.