# Walnut - The White and Brown parts??



## MRod (Apr 11, 2007)

Hi,

I just got some walnut here in Colorado and its about 10" diameter.

1/2 of it is white and 1/2 that brown color I am used to seeing.

What gives? do people just cut the brown walnut and drop the rest. When I imagine a piece made of walnut I see all brown stained wood.

Thoughts?

*This is walnut I usually see*


*How my walnut looks like as it is drying*


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## WIwoodworker (Apr 10, 2008)

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.


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## ropedog (Mar 26, 2008)

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


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## GaryK (Jun 25, 2007)

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.


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## unknownwoodworker (Apr 5, 2008)

It's called using more of the smaller tree.


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## blackcherry (Dec 7, 2007)

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


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## Radish (Apr 11, 2007)

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



There. I widgetted. ;^D


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## Dadoo (Jun 23, 2007)

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


Hey! This widgeting thing is easy!


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## bonzo (Jan 18, 2008)

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


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## MRod (Apr 11, 2007)

You folks are fantastic.

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


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## SteveKorz (Mar 25, 2008)

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


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## dirtclod (Oct 31, 2007)

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.


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## HokieMojo (Mar 11, 2008)

Maybe he meant species other than walnut?


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## MRod (Apr 11, 2007)

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


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## dirtclod (Oct 31, 2007)

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


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