Hi all,
I've got a question on walnut coloring. Occasionally I see a piece
that's stated to be made from walnut, but the color is a very light
brown (almost honey or golden brown), usually with beautiful red-brown
streaks. Now I'm a relative novice, and I've only built around a
dozen pieces -- but the walnut I've built with has chocolate brown
heartwood.
I'm wondering if there is a variety of walnut that is naturally this
golden brown color? Or is this some kind of treatment that is done to
regular walnut during the finishing process?
p.s. I did do a Google search before asking here. Thanks in advance.
In rec.woodworking
[email protected] (Nate Perkins) wrote:
>I've got a question on walnut coloring. Occasionally I see a piece
>that's stated to be made from walnut, but the color is a very light
>brown (almost honey or golden brown), usually with beautiful red-brown
>streaks. Now I'm a relative novice, and I've only built around a
>dozen pieces -- but the walnut I've built with has chocolate brown
>heartwood.
>
>I'm wondering if there is a variety of walnut that is naturally this
>golden brown color? Or is this some kind of treatment that is done to
>regular walnut during the finishing process?
Walnut is steamed before it is dried to make the sapwood as dark as the
rest to increase yield. I assume you're seeing walnut that hasn't been
through this process.
I just learned this from an article about saw mills in some woodworking
magazine that I can't find right now.
In rec.woodworking
"Jeffo" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Walnut is steamed before it is dried to make the sapwood as dark as the
>> rest to increase yield. I assume you're seeing walnut that hasn't been
>> through this process.
>>
>> I just learned this from an article about saw mills in some woodworking
>> magazine that I can't find right now.
>>
>
>Walnut lightens, refines, as it ages. My parents have a couple pieces walnut
>furniture that range from 70 to 150 years old which have mellowed to
>something like a honey brown. When I was told that I doubted it, but have
>since learned to tell old walnut. Growing conditions, location and variety
>may also have a play in things, French or European may look different, I'm
>only guessing. Now to bring my grandfather into it - I've been working with
>some walnut lately that he had sawn about 70 years ago. It's a real nice
>orange brown, great warmth to it, I almost wish I could buy more of it.
I'm not sure what you are saying. Are you saying it isn't steamed?
On 30 Dec 2003 21:05:48 -0800, [email protected] (Nate Perkins)
wrote:
>I've got a question on walnut coloring.
Van Dyke crystals. They're made from green walnut husks, so they're
pretty authentic and natural. You could make your own, but they're
ridiculously cheap to buy and it's a messy process. In a little
water, they make an excellent dye for evening up variable walnut (and
many other woods).
>Occasionally I see a piece
>that's stated to be made from walnut, but the color is a very light
>brown (almost honey or golden brown), usually with beautiful red-brown
>streaks.
Take a look in a gunshop, which still has a near monopoly on the very
best grades of walnut. There are many walnut cultivars around (the
world's biggest collection isn't far from where I live) but the main
two are the American black walnut Juglans nigra and the European
Juglans regia. IMHO, the black walnuts are poor coloured timber with
a tendency to ugly stripiness - European walnuts are _much_ nicer,
with a lighter chocolate brown colour. There's also a big variation
in European walnuts, some of which is species-dependent and some is
due to growing conditions. It's generally agreed that East is good for
walnuts. English walnut is better than French (ours are slow-grown
ornamentals, rather than plantation orchards) but the very best stuff
comes from Armenia or Romania.
--
Klein bottle for rent. Apply within.
[email protected] (Bruce) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
> I'm not sure what you are saying. Are you saying it isn't steamed?
Could be. I'm a relative novice and the difference in walnut color
due to steaming is news to me. I was interested in how different
walnut colors are achieved, and therefore I'm learning from what the
OPs have said.
The piece I saw was a rocker, like a takeoff on the Maloof style. The
placard described it as walnut, with an oil-varnish finish. Instead
of the chocolate brown walnut I have used, this piece was a real honey
brown, with a stunning grain to boot. It was one of those pieces I
saw at the local woodworking contest, and it made me realize just how
much of an amateur I am.
Cheers,
Nate Perkins, Ft Collins, CO
Mike Howland <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
...
>
> Nate,
>
> For what it's worth I've seen variations in color in black walnut. I
> work with it a lot and most of the stock I've worked with has been very
> dark, almost with a purple hint to it. About 6 months ago I had a
> walnut log slabbed out by a local sawmill and was suprised to find that
> it was much lighter than the normal stock I've been working with. It's
> not golden brown more like a very light chocolate milk brown. Far
> diffrent from the dark wood I've been used to working with. I checked
> it yesterday and it's still that same light color.
> Regards,
> Mike
Thanks, Mike. I appreciate the info from you and the other posters.
Very educational -- this newsgroup has helped me a lot.
Happy New Year, all.
Nate
Black walnut lightens with age, even age lightened walnut if resurfaced goes
back to the original chocolate brown .
European walnut, which is not indigenous to Europe, but has middle eastern
origins has developed into five discernable varieties over the years .It is
basically lighter and has more striking grain characteristics than black
walnut [juglans nigra] and like black walnut also lightens with age .
the East coast sports two walnut varieties black walnut [juglans nigra] and
white walnut [juglans cineria] commonly known as Butternut . Butternut has
many of the grain characteristics of black walnut but is much lighter and
softer also....mjh
--
"Andy Dingley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 30 Dec 2003 21:05:48 -0800, [email protected] (Nate Perkins)
> wrote:
>
> >I've got a question on walnut coloring.
>
> Van Dyke crystals. They're made from green walnut husks, so they're
> pretty authentic and natural. You could make your own, but they're
> ridiculously cheap to buy and it's a messy process. In a little
> water, they make an excellent dye for evening up variable walnut (and
> many other woods).
>
> >Occasionally I see a piece
> >that's stated to be made from walnut, but the color is a very light
> >brown (almost honey or golden brown), usually with beautiful red-brown
> >streaks.
>
> Take a look in a gunshop, which still has a near monopoly on the very
> best grades of walnut. There are many walnut cultivars around (the
> world's biggest collection isn't far from where I live) but the main
> two are the American black walnut Juglans nigra and the European
> Juglans regia. IMHO, the black walnuts are poor coloured timber with
> a tendency to ugly stripiness - European walnuts are _much_ nicer,
> with a lighter chocolate brown colour. There's also a big variation
> in European walnuts, some of which is species-dependent and some is
> due to growing conditions. It's generally agreed that East is good for
> walnuts. English walnut is better than French (ours are slow-grown
> ornamentals, rather than plantation orchards) but the very best stuff
> comes from Armenia or Romania.
>
> --
> Klein bottle for rent. Apply within.
Andy Dingley <[email protected]> wrote:
<<snippage>>
>
> There are many walnut cultivars around (the
> world's biggest collection isn't far from where I live) but the main
> two are the American black walnut Juglans nigra and the European
> Juglans regia. IMHO, the black walnuts are poor coloured timber with
> a tendency to ugly stripiness - European walnuts are _much_ nicer,
> with a lighter chocolate brown colour. There's also a big variation
> in European walnuts, some of which is species-dependent and some is
> due to growing conditions. It's generally agreed that East is good for
> walnuts. English walnut is better than French (ours are slow-grown
> ornamentals, rather than plantation orchards) but the very best stuff
> comes from Armenia or Romania.
Juglans hindsii, or California Black Walnut, grows in certain areas of
Northern California, particularly near where my family has lived for
several generations (Walnut Creek, east of Oakland.) Some 100+ board feet
of beautiful, air-dried, wide boards, with some fantasic figure now reside
in my garage shop. Harvested 12-15 years ago, it's waiting for my skills
to catch up to it's potential.
Details on the type here - http://www.ca-walnutdesigns.com/index.html
Patriarch
"Nate Perkins" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Bruce) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> >
> > I'm not sure what you are saying. Are you saying it isn't steamed?
>
> Could be. I'm a relative novice and the difference in walnut color
> due to steaming is news to me. I was interested in how different
> walnut colors are achieved, and therefore I'm learning from what the
> OPs have said.
>
> The piece I saw was a rocker, like a takeoff on the Maloof style. The
> placard described it as walnut, with an oil-varnish finish. Instead
> of the chocolate brown walnut I have used, this piece was a real honey
> brown, with a stunning grain to boot. It was one of those pieces I
> saw at the local woodworking contest, and it made me realize just how
> much of an amateur I am.
>
> Cheers,
> Nate Perkins, Ft Collins, CO
Sorry, I'll try and answer directly, which can be difficult for me. Black
walnut is the most common walnut in N. America, usually chocolate brown when
dried. So I was thinking it's either an old piece where the colour has
changed, or that it is made from a something other than black walnut - e.g
french or english walnut, which are more of a tan than a chocolate. Given
that the piece in the Maloof style, I'd say that it's more recent, another
type of walnut. Where I get confused is between english, french, and other
types. English walnut is an ornamental planted in N. America, and
occasionally available here, so what makes the difference? Geography,
variety or??? So this thread is helping me as well. Steaming, from what I've
seen, will do more to change the colour of the sap wood than the heart wood
itself. HTH.
Happy New Year!
Jeffo
Nate Perkins wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've got a question on walnut coloring. Occasionally I see a piece
> that's stated to be made from walnut, but the color is a very light
> brown (almost honey or golden brown), usually with beautiful red-brown
> streaks. Now I'm a relative novice, and I've only built around a
> dozen pieces -- but the walnut I've built with has chocolate brown
> heartwood.
>
> I'm wondering if there is a variety of walnut that is naturally this
> golden brown color? Or is this some kind of treatment that is done to
> regular walnut during the finishing process?
>
> p.s. I did do a Google search before asking here. Thanks in advance.
Nate,
For what it's worth I've seen variations in color in black walnut. I
work with it a lot and most of the stock I've worked with has been very
dark, almost with a purple hint to it. About 6 months ago I had a
walnut log slabbed out by a local sawmill and was suprised to find that
it was much lighter than the normal stock I've been working with. It's
not golden brown more like a very light chocolate milk brown. Far
diffrent from the dark wood I've been used to working with. I checked
it yesterday and it's still that same light color.
Regards,
Mike
Are there any mechanical or structural differences between the brown
heartwood and the white sapwood?
I've got a flatsawn 4/4 board with one face almost completely brown and
the other face almost completely white. I'm guessing as I plane it
down, I'll get to some really cool looking visual effects as I get right
near the boundary layer. But will the resulting wood be structurally
sound? Will the two different colors react differently to changes in
humidity, temperature, etc?
"Bruce" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In rec.woodworking
> [email protected] (Nate Perkins) wrote:
>
> >I've got a question on walnut coloring. Occasionally I see a piece
> >that's stated to be made from walnut, but the color is a very light
> >brown (almost honey or golden brown), usually with beautiful red-brown
> >streaks. Now I'm a relative novice, and I've only built around a
> >dozen pieces -- but the walnut I've built with has chocolate brown
> >heartwood.
> >
> >I'm wondering if there is a variety of walnut that is naturally this
> >golden brown color? Or is this some kind of treatment that is done to
> >regular walnut during the finishing process?
>
> Walnut is steamed before it is dried to make the sapwood as dark as the
> rest to increase yield. I assume you're seeing walnut that hasn't been
> through this process.
>
> I just learned this from an article about saw mills in some woodworking
> magazine that I can't find right now.
>
Walnut lightens, refines, as it ages. My parents have a couple pieces walnut
furniture that range from 70 to 150 years old which have mellowed to
something like a honey brown. When I was told that I doubted it, but have
since learned to tell old walnut. Growing conditions, location and variety
may also have a play in things, French or European may look different, I'm
only guessing. Now to bring my grandfather into it - I've been working with
some walnut lately that he had sawn about 70 years ago. It's a real nice
orange brown, great warmth to it, I almost wish I could buy more of it.
Cheers,
jeffo
There is an article in Feb 2004 issue of FWW in the notes and comments
section, regarding an English walnut tree and a table made from it in the
UK. mjh
--
"Jeffo" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Nate Perkins" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > [email protected] (Bruce) wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > >
> > > I'm not sure what you are saying. Are you saying it isn't steamed?
> >
> > Could be. I'm a relative novice and the difference in walnut color
> > due to steaming is news to me. I was interested in how different
> > walnut colors are achieved, and therefore I'm learning from what the
> > OPs have said.
> >
> > The piece I saw was a rocker, like a takeoff on the Maloof style. The
> > placard described it as walnut, with an oil-varnish finish. Instead
> > of the chocolate brown walnut I have used, this piece was a real honey
> > brown, with a stunning grain to boot. It was one of those pieces I
> > saw at the local woodworking contest, and it made me realize just how
> > much of an amateur I am.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Nate Perkins, Ft Collins, CO
>
> Sorry, I'll try and answer directly, which can be difficult for me. Black
> walnut is the most common walnut in N. America, usually chocolate brown
when
> dried. So I was thinking it's either an old piece where the colour has
> changed, or that it is made from a something other than black walnut - e.g
> french or english walnut, which are more of a tan than a chocolate. Given
> that the piece in the Maloof style, I'd say that it's more recent, another
> type of walnut. Where I get confused is between english, french, and other
> types. English walnut is an ornamental planted in N. America, and
> occasionally available here, so what makes the difference? Geography,
> variety or??? So this thread is helping me as well. Steaming, from what
I've
> seen, will do more to change the colour of the sap wood than the heart
wood
> itself. HTH.
>
> Happy New Year!
> Jeffo
>
>
>
>
>