Walnut trees…is there any value

[Fork Horn]

My son recently purchased a piece of property that has several (seven, I believe without going to look) good sized Black Walnut trees on it. He’s wanting to clear the land and he isn’t interested in the trees. Is there any value to the walnut trees? I hate to saw it into firewood if someone would be interested in having it for furniture or for some other projects. Any thoughts about how to see if anyone is interested and how to find someone that might be interested? We are located in Suches.

 

[kayaksteve]

If they’re decent log tree you may find a local small sawmill operation that would want them but it’s a long shot. It’s just tough to make it worth it by the time you haul equipment out cut and haul them back to the mill. If you have the ability to cut and haul them to a mill you might find someone who would saw them for you in return for half of the lumber.

 

[Fork Horn]

If they’re decent log tree you may find a local small sawmill operation that would want them but it’s a long shot. It’s just tough to make it worth it by the time you haul equipment out cut and haul them back to the mill. If you have the ability to cut and haul them to a mill you might find someone who would saw them for you in return for half of the lumber.

There would be several logs from these trees, but as you said, it would be expensive for someone to come and get them just for a handful of logs. We’re not wanting any of the lumber, since we wouldn’t have anything to do with it. Just thought we’d see if we can find anyone interested in them before we make firewood out of them. Naturally I’ll ask around here locally since that’s the most likely solution.

 

[basstrkr]

I would suggest looking on Facebook for someone who advertises live edge lumber/cabinets and ask if they're interested. Its valuable wood, but as stated it cost to harvest.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

most commercial mills won't go near a walnut tree. The old timers believed if you stressed the tree, it would produce more walnuts, so they would drive nails, spikes, and even horseshoes into the trees to make them produce more nuts.

Those trees can ruin a $3000 blade in a heartbeat. You might have better luck getting someone with a band mill like a Woodmiser to cut them, since you are only talking about ruining a $40 blade.

 

[Toliver]

most commercial mills won't go near a walnut tree. The old timers believed if you stressed the tree, it would produce more walnuts, so they would drive nails, spikes, and even horseshoes into the trees to make them produce more nuts.

Those trees can ruin a $3000 blade in a heartbeat. You might have better luck getting someone with a band mill like a Woodmiser to cut them, since you are only talking about ruining a $40 blade.

Would running a metal detector over it do any good? Since trees grow from the top you wouldn't have to check very high.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

Would running a metal detector over it do any good? Since trees grow from the top you wouldn't have to check very high.

you could, but the commercial mills around here don't want to touch it, even then. The small amount of $ they get for sawing just isn't worth the risk of tearing up a high dollar blade, and the down time it takes to change it out, if they hit something.

The one mill I know of that MIGHT saw it would require you to sign a contract insuring their saw if they hit anything. It makes sense to me to contact a smaller band mill operator and let them saw it. If they hit a nail or spike, then the cost of repair is a 40 dollar band, not a 52 inch round saw blade, plus, because of the smaller kerf, you will probably end up with more usable lumber if you have good wood

 

[Milkman]

You might place an ad in the Market Bulletin and find someone willing to take them.

 

[Fork Horn]

most commercial mills won't go near a walnut tree. The old timers believed if you stressed the tree, it would produce more walnuts, so they would drive nails, spikes, and even horseshoes into the trees to make them produce more nuts.

Those trees can ruin a $3000 blade in a heartbeat. You might have better luck getting someone with a band mill like a Woodmiser to cut them, since you are only talking about ruining a $40 blade.

That’s interesting and something I’ve not heard before. One of the trees we’re wanting to remove is an older, gnarly looking tree that looked like an old tree when I was a young boy, which was longer ago than what seems possible. I would imagine something like you described could be true for this tree. There’s no way I’d sign anything saying the tree was free from nails, spikes, etc. I just don’t know.

Similar to your description of stressing the walnut tree to produce more, we had an old Apple tree that had grown over the power line several years ago. The power company came through and cut the tree back to almost nothing but a trunk and lower limbs while removing the limbs that were growing all around the power line. I thought they had killed the tree. The next year the tree produced the most apples I’ve ever seen it produce. There’s no doubt in my mind the heavy trim job resulted in the heavy production.

 

[HarryO45]

My hunt lease is managed for timber. A few years ago they became much more aggressive in taking hardwoods in the creek bottoms. Of course as a hunter i didn't like it, but it is their property so i can’t complain. I was curious and asked the logging foreman why they where pushing deeper into the bottoms than before? He said that new regulations allowed for the harvest. I asked what they plan to do with the hardwood (some was walnut)? I figuared he would tell me it’s going to NC to make furniture or something ? Instead He told me “nothing special”, it will be chipped just like the pine. He told me the major reason for going deep in the bottoms was so they could plant more pines.

 

[livinoutdoors]

My hunt lease is managed for timber. A few years ago they became much more aggressive in taking hardwoods in the creek bottoms. Of course as a hunter i didn't like it, but it is their property so i can’t complain. I was curious and asked the logging foreman why they where pushing deeper into the bottoms than before? He said that new regulations allowed for the harvest. I asked what they plan to do with the hardwood (some was walnut)? I figuared he would tell me it’s going to NC to make furniture or something ? Instead He told me “nothing special”, it will be chipped just like the pine. He told me the major reason for going deep in the bottoms was so they could plant more pines.

I saw this same thing happen here. Big hardwoods in a bottom that would normally get saved.

 

[madsam]

local saw mill (being port. sawmill type will buy Walnut ) Woodmaster
Lumber and Sawmill 478-230-0985......Cochran area .