# Anyone ever use butternut?



## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

I went back to the mill I usually get wood at this morning to pick up some oak. As usual I ended up talking to the owner for about an hour about wood, projects and finishes. He mentioned his favorite wood to work with is butternut and showed me some cabinets he is working on. It is really interesting and beautiful wood, even unfinished. He mentioned it is extremely difficult to work with, and then showed me why. He doesn't sell it, but showed me a pallet (well over 1000bf) of his personal stash. It's all got A LOT of huge knots and cracks through the boards.

To my surprise, he told me I could just take one for free, and handed me a 8 foot long, 14" wide 5/4 board. I'm not sure what I can do with it as I looked around and it's not to popular of a wood stocked (in the north east anyway).

Any ideas on what I can do with this? Technically it's a hardwood, but it's on the soft side. Also, any tips on planing this down? I'll take some pics tomorrow but there are some BIG knots. If I cut around them I wouldn't have too much left


----------



## ksSlim (Jun 27, 2010)

Butternut carves nicely. Might try a chip or relief carving on it.


----------



## dpwalker (Aug 25, 2010)

I have done some carvings with butternut in the past. The "sawdust" is more of a cottony fabric texture than dust. Using a fine tooth blade resulted in a clogging of the teeth.


----------



## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

I bought some in northern PA a couple of years ago and made an interior door from it. It's light, softer than many hardwoods, and very nice to work with. The natural grain is nice, but IMHO the color is a bit plain.


----------



## DaleM (Feb 18, 2009)

Although a lot of knots will make any wood difficult to work with, butternut itself is a very easy wood to work. You can do anything with this wood that you can do with any other wood. Here is a project I posted that is made of butternut. The collapsible heart is red oak, but the curling iron and hair dryer holder with the box is butternut. http://lumberjocks.com/projects/51416


----------



## tyskkvinna (Mar 23, 2010)

The only real challenges I found with butternut were turning it. I struggled, and I tried a couple of times. If you work it flat, and let it "go with the grain" it was much easier and can be really, really beautiful. It planes just fine for me ..


----------



## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

I've seen a lot of things that Wayne Barton made with butternut in his chip carving books and they are absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to get some to try. Anything chipped carved out of butternut is a lot prettier than if it were done out of basswood.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


----------



## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Butternut is one of my favorite woods. Here is just a few of the buternut projects.


----------



## SteviePete (May 10, 2009)

I like butternut for carving, mills, hand tools, glues well, fairly stable when fully dry. As you mention, lots of limbs, pith, bark inclusions, cracks. Woodworker friendly but like walnut some folks are sensitive to the dust. It requires full sun, ample moisture and grows well in open areas-like pasture edges here in Wisconsin. Holds leaves late in the fall. If it grew in tight stands it would have fewer limbs etc and would yield better logs and lumber. It is (in most cases) only taken when a portion of the tree is diseased and dying. The canker will eventually take it like the Dutch Elm disease has done. It is sold largely in small lots-many folks harvest it year by year and make a run of paneling. Looks great, many style options-pecky, borer holes (at least three different sizes) Lots of small items are made. Shaker lampstands, sconces and lap desks are in the Handberg books. The flatsawn lumber shows double or triple cathedral figure. Cut to boards it checks and twists. I leave it in larger sizes and resaw later. Cannot be planed or machined when wet-big stringy mess. Locals here also use solar kiln or similar to dry. Some say it is not a tough wood. I have tried as have others to use butternut in canoe paddles-works great but no weak lumber and I do put a 2oz. fiberglass laminate and urethane tips. Probably why the last longer. Check http://www.norskwoodworks.com/cabinets.shtml They make cabinets carved in scandanivan style or http://lumberjocks.com/projects/26209#first-new. Plan on 50%+ waste or scraps. Carvings in butternut place high in the Iowa show-See Fred Cogelow. It has an earthy, not unpleasant odor. I get more usable wood if I treat the ends of boards and bolts with anchor seal. As mentioned above chip carving, relief and full figures are all great projects in butternut. Check the three sites mentioned-they are among the best examples. Seedlings are available from non-diseased stock from a fellow in Deer River, MN. No stain please-try oil and wax finishes. Try it, you'll like it.


----------



## lumberjoe (Mar 30, 2012)

Steve, thanks that was very helpful. Here is what I have to work with:


----------

