Walnut timber - Is this worth anything/of use to anyone?

[spiral]

Big J & Devon Twig,

 

The difference in quality & & amount of heartwood between Devon & Scotland is immense.

 

Many hardwoods in Devon grow at about 4 rings an inch on good sites, Id guess Scotland is nearer 10? Due to colder temperature's , longer winters & regular frost.

Edited December 4, 2014 by spiral

[Big J]

You are right - timber does indeed grow considerably more slowly up here. I had some nice flooring grade beech through earlier in the year which was on average about 25" DBH and 95 years old, so 7.6 rings to an inch.

 

Nevertheless, I still feel that the first port of call for any batch of reasonable timber should be a sawmill. If it's deemed to be unsuitable, then firewood options could be explored. At the end of the day, it's you (the seller of the timber) that has the most to gain should the timber be of higher value. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that.

[spiral]

I agree totally, as much as I personaly hate sapwood, in truth most furniture makers would just dye it, as they have since the 1930s.

[The Jackel]

What's his number got a small walnut coming down next week in Ilminster.

[devon TWiG]

I have heard ( yet not entirely convinced ) that trees in northern regions average out more or less the same as southern ones in a temperate climate ..... due to the fact that although the summer appears shorter up north , when the growing season is in full swing ( summer ) the extra daylight hours make up the short fall , so although the season as such is shorter it is more intense .It could have a lot to do with soil fertility , shelter , ph etc

[Drew87]

it's already cut in to firewood so why ask?

 

should ask before it's felled as you won't get much from it now...

 

It's happening a lot these days 7th. Was going to say to him to upload it in the Milling Forum .. Oh well. Lathe / firewood now

[spiral]

I have heard ( yet not entirely convinced ) that trees in northern regions average out more or less the same as southern ones in a temperate climate ..... due to the fact that although the summer appears shorter up north , when the growing season is in full swing ( summer ) the extra daylight hours make up the short fall , so although the season as such is shorter it is more intense .It could have a lot to do with soil fertility , shelter , ph etc

 

They were telling you porkys...

 

Although of course I agree,anywhere can have poor sites slowing growth, lack of soil, exposed positions , over crowded growth etc. But latitude in temperate zones does make a big difference, trees grow quicker in Devon than most non south coast places.

 

Ive had laburnam firewood in Devon at 25 years old & 12 inch diameter {walled garden.} & 80 years old & 6 inch diameter. { You could see the North Atlantic from where it grew.}

 

There are softwood growth yield charts & I think I have a Victorian data comparing Devon & Northen Elm somewhere, but in truth Trees do go faster round here than in the frozen lands.

 

Even in Finland the southern growing spruce is much faster than the northern.

 

Was at Knighthayes on Tuesday, don't reckon those turkey oaks would be that fat in the frozen north?

[WADKIN]

I had to add a bit in here as I buy and remove a lot of walnut during the course of a year.

Firstly worth, a lot of what I get is free, or at least if it is suitable quality and covers the cost of removal or felling, so whilst I might not pay the owner when still standing they have it removed for free or at a lower cost, so free is not the right word really. I have also paid £20 on measure for the right butt. What is the right butt? no need to do that one really as everyone knows about sap rings, shake, colour etc. Is it worth sending in a artic load to a mill? Only if the quality is good, you can't base this on the number of logs. I have just finished selectively extracting 7butts from almost 80 in a old walnut grove of around 90years of age which is not that old really. The rest are worth more as firewood than timber, large sap rings, poor form etc.

Gambling on standing walnut, the only gamble is on shake really, that can be accessed from experience of the site and the exposure, the ground it stands on etc, the colour, sap ring etc is always inspected first so I know what I am getting, some varieties make for good timber some don't, but by inspecting each log it will always tell it's own story.

Lastly root balls? One day the myth of making thousands selling stocks will end hopefully, but then again I have numerous logs with rootballs on, one large log even has some nice burrs attached all over it, will I cut it for stocks? no, complete waste of time, the market is flooded by east europeans supplying this very small limited market for high end stocks which are produced alongside the very average ones sold to large gun houses producing thousands of stocks each year. We take the root balls only on very promising butt's with good stripe, only because it can produce stunning timber which is a lot easier to sell than some piece of sappy grey washed out stock.

That's my take on it and I deal with inspecting walnut almost on a weekly basis.

You can see a few bits and bobs of these on our website primetimber in the news section

[devon TWiG]

They were telling you porkys...

 

 

 

 

 

Was at Knighthayes on Tuesday, don't reckon those turkey oaks would be that fat in the frozen north?

 

No I do not believe Turkey oaks would get that big up north ! ... however , What about Douglas fir ?, where are the tallest trees in the UK ? .. I have been to Ardkinglas gardens and there are some incredible specimens there , also Inverewe has some surprising specimens !!

Edited December 4, 2014 by devon TWiG

[spiral]

No I do not believe Turkey oaks would get that big up north ! ... however , What about Douglas fir ?, where are the tallest trees in the UK ? .. I have been to Ardkinglas gardens and there are some incredible specimens there , also Inverewe has some surprising specimens !!

 

True but there softwoods originally from cold climates!

 

Oak Elm & Ash in Devon valleys {Not the moor ones.} grow or grew like there fed chocolate!