The black walnut's easy-to-work, close-grained wood has long been prized by furniture and cabinet makers for its appealing colour and outstanding durability.
One of North America's most valuable and beautiful native trees is the black walnut tree (Juglans nigra).
From Canada to northern Florida and west to the Great Plains, early settlers found black walnuts growing in mixed forests.
Its logs are in such high demand for veneer that "walnut rustlers" have stolen trees in the middle of the night and even used helicopters.
The Roots of a 40-foot-tall black walnut might stretch out 160 feet.
For larger properties, black walnuts make excellent shade trees. They usually reach a height of 50 feet and a width of about the same, but specimens of more than 100 feet have been recorded.
The black walnut roots of mature trees can reach up to four times the tree's height from the trunk.
It has been discovered that the heartwood was highly resistant to decay and used it for fence posts, poles, shingles, and sills.
The roots of the black walnut, which may reach 50 feet or more from the trunk, exude juglone, a natural herbicide. The tree's leaves and fruit husks also contain this material.
Black walnut is used to treat parasitic worm infections as well as a variety of other infections such as diphtheria and syphilis. It can also be used to treat leukaemia. Some people gargle with black walnut, use it as a hair dye, or apply it to the skin to treat wounds.
When dealing with walnut roots, a lot of saw chains and sharpening gear should be used because there may be a lot of embedded stones.
The slabs will need to be covered with anchor seal and allowed to dry for a long time due to the swirling grain patterns.
Black Walnut Root wood has a striking appearance, but recovering the timber comes at a high cost.
To allow for wood movement and shrinkage during the drying process, gun stock blanks are normally milled at 3" - 4" thick. Following the cutting and sanding of the wood, end sealer should be applied to the two ends of the blank before wrapping it in shavings in a bag. It will be able to dry slowly as a result of this.
Smooth the cut faces of your blanks if you're using a chainsaw to increase drying consistency. This can be done with a planer, jointer, belt sander, and other tools.
Following the cutting and sanding of the wood, end sealer should be applied to the two ends of the blank before wrapping it in shavings in a bag. It will be able to dry slowly as a result of this.
Applying end sealer to the entire blank will prevent it from drying; the trick is to only apply it to the exposed end grain of the wood.
Stump or root wood can also make really pretty veneer.
The best way to clean the roots before getting to work is by soaking the roots in a pond for a couple of days and then power washing it thoroughly. This ensures to remove all the dirt and tiny stones embedded which may cause stress to the power tools.
The best figure on the walnut root is on the top of the big lateral roots where it is making the turn from flat to vertical.
Always keep in mind the larger the walnut tree gets, the more figuring there will be in its roots.
The kind of figuring in the wood depends on the mineralization and composition of the soil.
Anchor Seal/Wax the ends and a thinned application of seal/wax on the surface are some of the suggested methods for dealing with the wood. Shellac is a safe option for the surfaces as well.
About twenty-five years ago, the Japanese and others were very interested in purchasing the walnut roots. They turned them into veneers, pistol grips, and a variety of other products.
The best way to finish and polish your walnut stump is by applying a thick layer of fine paste wax on all sides of the stump. Using a steel wool, apply the wax. To prevent excess wax, go with the grain on the sides and top. Use just enough wax to seal the wood fully.
