Walnut tree for fire place

[tigger24]

Hi

 

Advice wanted please

 

I had 2 walnut trees, one of which is very healthy and one that was dead or dying as it didnt bother having any leaves.

 

So i got my husband to pull it over with his tractor and snedded it leaving its trunk.

 

Its beautiful wood and would like to make a beam out of if for my fire place.

 

My question is = how would i go about it and do i have to leave it any time before i do it?

Edited March 3, 2014 by tigger24
forgot pic

[sloth]

Sorry I'm no help to your question, but is that a kingfisher on the trunk?

 

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[woodyguy]

Difficult to get the scale but I'd have thought that if you squared it off and in view of how bendy it is, you'd be lucky to get a 3 foot long 4"x4" from it. Sorry to be negative but a fire place beam sounds a bit ambitious.

Yes wondered about the Kingfisher.

[wisewood]

If you only squared up the back and top you would be left with more character wood on show.

[tigger24]

Sorry I'm no help to your question, but is that a kingfisher on the trunk?

 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Arbtalk mobile app

 

Hi sloth, yes it is, it loves our pond, saw it a lot November. Beautiful bird

[tigger24]

Hi, woodyguy and wisewood, i suppose i was being a bit optimistic, but thanks for your advice.

 

Chainsaw it is then for firewood

[treesrus]

the beam doesn't have to be straight, depends n how big your fire place is, how rustic/artistic/ natural you want it to be. perfectly possible to machine a nice curved beam.

[agg221]

Someone with an Alaskan mill could probably face that up for you for a beam very easily - whereabouts are you?

 

Alec

[tigger24]

Someone with an Alaskan mill could probably face that up for you for a beam very easily - whereabouts are you?

 

Alec

 

the beam doesn't have to be straight, depends n how big your fire place is, how rustic/artistic/ natural you want it to be. perfectly possible to machine a nice curved beam.

 

Thanks guys,

im in France so not that easy

but the fireplace isnt built yet, (wouldnt mind 4ft wide) and i dont want immaculate shiny as its an old farm house

[agg221]

Thanks guys,

im in France so not that easy

but the fireplace isnt built yet, (wouldnt mind 4ft wide) and i dont want immaculate shiny as its an old farm house

 

Your location certainly won't make it easier, but there are a few people on here who may have the necessary kit - whereabouts in France are you?

 

What saw does your husband have? A small log mill might be viable (depends on the dimensions of the log, which are a bit hard to gauge from the picture).

 

There is another way of doing it, with a side axe, which needs a lot less kit but takes rather longer and requires considerable skill. Would come out with the appropriate surface finish though.

 

Alec

Edited March 3, 2014 by agg221

[treesrus]

you could do it with a chain saw and an anglegrinder/sander.