Let it first be said, my woodworking skills are a bit under average - I've
only done a few projects. A few in cherry, and 1 in walnut.
My 11 year old son has shown an interest in woodworking. So, this past
weekend, we ran down to the Woodcraft in Denver and picked up a jewelry box
plan and some walnut (one of my favorite woods).
After a few days of working with the walnut, I've been having flashbacks of
my very first woodworking project - a simple, dovetailed recipe box out of
walnut. A box that ended up looking fairly pitiful given the chips,
splinters, and resultant gaps at the joints. Walnut seems to chip and
splinter very easily. I'm using new router bits and a fairly new WW2 blade
on the Unisaw... Last night, we were preparing all cuts with blue masking
tape - with only marginally effectiveness.
So my questions are these -
1) Will mixing fine walnut sawdust w/ titebond 2 provide an effective fill
for the gaps at the joints due to splinters\chips?
2) I've heard much about a wood "machining" well. Is this what I am
experiencing? What does "machining well" mean? Walnut doesn't "machine"
well? Given the common woods - cherry, alder, walnut, maple, oak, etc - what
is there comparative machinability? How do you compensate for woods that
don't machine well?
I love the look of walnut, even moreso than cherry - I hope someday to have
the skill to use it...
Regards,
jbd
I have to agree with Charlie Self. I have been been working walnut for over
50 years, both furniture and lathe stuff and still think it is the best wood
ever. I've had little or no problems except when I had dull tools or
mis-set something. One thing occurs is to look at the wood you are buying.
If there are splits or it doesn't seem dry enough that could be the problem.
Try another supplier.
Bob Moody
John Dykes asks:
>My 11 year old son has shown an interest in woodworking. So, this past
>weekend, we ran down to the Woodcraft in Denver and picked up a jewelry box
>plan and some walnut (one of my favorite woods).
>
>After a few days of working with the walnut, I've been having flashbacks of
>my very first woodworking project - a simple, dovetailed recipe box out of
>walnut. A box that ended up looking fairly pitiful given the chips,
>splinters, and resultant gaps at the joints. Walnut seems to chip and
>splinter very easily. I'm using new router bits and a fairly new WW2 blade
>on the Unisaw... Last night, we were preparing all cuts with blue masking
>tape - with only marginally effectiveness.
>
>So my questions are these -
>
>1) Will mixing fine walnut sawdust w/ titebond 2 provide an effective fill
>for the gaps at the joints due to splinters\chips?
As effective as any.
>2) I've heard much about a wood "machining" well. Is this what I am
>experiencing? What does "machining well" mean? Walnut doesn't "machine"
>well? Given the common woods - cherry, alder, walnut, maple, oak, etc - what
>is there comparative machinability? How do you compensate for woods that
>don't machine well?
Walnut machines beautifully. Your set-ups are probably wrong, your blade may be
dull, it may not be lined up properly with the fence or miter gauge or both, it
may be wobbling (arbor runout may be too great), any of a dozen other "maybes"
that don't involve the walnut. Even WWII blades need occasional sharpening: you
say it is fairly new, but what have you been cutting with it?
Are you using a zero clearance insert on the table saw?
What kind of router bits, at what speed, in what router and table combination?
New, cheap and cheesy router bits will often give worse cuts than older top
quality bits. Check out Freud, Amana, CMT, Whiteside among others.
If the problems persist, try backing up the pieces with scrap. I'd bet your
tear out and chips are all coming on the back sides, so letting scrap material
tear will help a lot.
Charlie Self
If God had wanted me to touch my toes he would have put them higher on my body.
http://hometown.aol.com/charliediy/myhomepage/business.html
"Bob Moody" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have to agree with Charlie Self. I have been been working walnut for
over
> 50 years, both furniture and lathe stuff and still think it is the best
wood
===============
Another Bob here who is in complete agreement with Bob Moody and
Charlie...although I only have 40 or so years experience with walnut...a bit
less then Bob Moody...
The only problem I ever had using Walnut was in learning how to deal with
the open pores when finishing Walnut
For the last 10 or so years I have even started to use
the sap wood to add a little more "natural" appearance to my projects...
Great wood as far as I am concerned....
Bob Griffiths
Bob G. writes:
>===============
>Another Bob here who is in complete agreement with Bob Moody and
>Charlie...although I only have 40 or so years experience with walnut...a bit
>less then Bob Moody...
Can't get into that one because I don't recall when I first used walnut.
Probably more than 40 and less than 50 years ago, though.
My shop normally contains walnut, cherry, white and red oak and some QS
sycamore. Right now, I haven't got much shop, but have got some osage orange,
some great mesquite from http://www.tbird-hardwoods.com One very lovely burl
piece and one good looking regular grain piece that needs planing. I'm going to
try the new Veritas scrub plane on that shortly.
I got some walnut from a local (Bedford County) sawmill some years ago: a
pick-up load. IIRC, I paid for 400 bf, log run, at 75 cents per. A friend
finally took the last piece a few months ago. Some great looking sapwood in
there, with some pieces half sapwood. It made a few interesting boxes, writing
box, etc.
I'll have to check around the county when I get back and see who else might
have something similar. Got my thick cherry the same way. More or less stumbled
onto it while buying some red oak and got it for the same price as the oak.
Charlie Self
"Take care of the luxuries and the necessities will take care of themselves."
Dorothy Parker
http://hometown.aol.com/charliediy/myhomepage/business.html
[email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote
[snipped]
> My shop normally contains walnut, cherry, white and red oak and some
> QS sycamore. Right now, I haven't got much shop, but have got some
> osage orange, some great mesquite from http://www.tbird-hardwoods.com
> One very lovely burl piece and one good looking regular grain piece
> that needs planing. I'm going to try the new Veritas scrub plane on
> that shortly.
VERITAS scrub plane? Is Mr. Lee delving into my wallet again?
BTW, I'm working on a couple of Claro walnut boxes right now. (California
Black Walnut, air dried over a decade, from a family friend's orchard. I
was very fortunate to come by this wood.) I find I need to be more careful
with this wood than I do with the projects I do in red oak and soft maple,
but I believe it's mostly a learning thing with me. I just need to slow
down. I've never been accusd of being overly patient. ;-)
Looks great with a couple of coats of Tried & True Varnish oil so far.
Patriarch
(who already has more hand planes than his wife thinks he really needs...)