Walnut - The White and Brown parts??

The white parts are just the sapwood. Nothing wrong with it. It’s just white. In commercial kiln operations they will use a steaming process that will turn the white parts brown so it will be more consistent. Some smaller sawmill operators will trim the sapwood off.

All that said…some people prefer the contrast and some people don’t. There are quite a few people that would rather buy unsteamed walnut when they can find it. It’s just a preference.

-- Allen, Milwaukee, WI

don’t look down on sap wood . sometimes the difference in color can make a project really stand out.

-- Roper - master of sawdust-

That’s sapwood (light) and heartwood (dark).

Some people like both. It also depends on what you are planning to make from it.

Some trees don’t even have heartwood.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

It’s called using more of the smaller tree.

-- ??? My mistakes heat the house. It's very warm in here. ???

Do you feel like a sap yet…it all good…happy woodworking…Blkcherry

Here’s a cool project by LJ Daren, that uses both sap and heartwood to good effect.

There. I widgetted. ;^D

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Marc DeCou produced a knife display box using the sapwood as well. Real rustic and real nice.

Hey! This widgeting thing is easy!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

i prefer the contrast myself. i try to find really streak walnut., when i want do dosmaller projects. book matching the streaks looks very unique when it can be accomplished

You folks are fantastic.

I now UNDERSTAND! Wonderful example links to other projects as well.

-- MRod, Henderson, Colorado by way of Brooklyn!

I’m glad you posted this MRod, I had the same question… Thanks!

-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

Some like white meat, some like dark, and some go both ways.

I cut a lot of black walnut over the years. Until I started operating a mill, most went for firewood. On Gary’s comment “Some trees don’t even have heartwood.” I’ve never seen a black walnut tree without heartwood. But there’s only one native specie locally. The sapwood generally runs from 1-2” thick. There must be some species somewhere that are referred to a black walnut that don’t have heartwood. That’s curious.

-- Wonderful new things are coming! - God

Maybe he meant species other than walnut?

Where do you live dirtclod? Walnut for firewood, I love it, you must have so much its coming out your ears.

-- MRod, Henderson, Colorado by way of Brooklyn!

MRod,
Kentucky. Now that I run a mill I’m more frugal. But turners would still love to go through our firewood. Last winter a rick of spalted apple, much of it curly, when up the chimney. A few months before we got the mill I had a straight clear 30’ walnut log I cut into firewood. I was saving it to sell at a local mill but someone got desperate for firewood and all I can say is it was the prudiest firewood you ever saw. I guess I need buyers to shame me with money to get me to stop the practice completely. Until they do that I don’t want to hear any more complaints about it. lol Here’s some of what we run into: http://lumberjocks.com/topics/1319#reply-33665

-- Wonderful new things are coming! - God