Black Walnut Input wanted ?

[TwistedHollow]

I have never made any bows yet but will eventually in the future when I’m able too. That being said I’m always reading on here and trying to get all the information I can to help me for the future. A friend of mine cut some nice black walnut down a few months ago. He said I can take some if I wanted it. Is black walnut okay for risers? Also is the wood going to be okay since it’s been sitting for a month or two? He said it’s cut into “long” sections. When I asked him how long he said around 4 feet.

[KenH]

Walnut makes beautiful risers.  Probably best to get the bark off that wood, paint the ends and get it out of the weather.  If it's riser pieces you want, I'd cut it into 18" lengths and square it up with a bandsaw now. 

[Roy from Pa]

What Ken said.

[Pat B]

How has the BW been treated since it was cut down?

[Mad Max]

I was on my way to MoJam and saw some guy's cutting up a tree and stopped and got two 24" pieces, put 2 coats of wood glue on the cut ends, when I got home I sprayed them down with diesel fuel to keep bugs out, tried to split one and gave up for about 6 months. I left the bark on mine.

here is one with some sap wood on it

[mmattockx]

Walnut makes beautiful risers.

+1. Also works very well as a trim wood with maple and other white woods.


Mark

[Flem]

Nice score on the Walnut Wish it grew around here!
Beautiful wood, a North American classic. Makes good lams, along with risers. I made a few bows from some 100yr old architectural pieces that were in a burn pile! Needs a little more mass in the limbs than some other more dense woods, but it makes a smooth, lite bow.

[TwistedHollow]

Thanks for all the help guys. The would hasn’t been treated at all. It was just cut down and left where it fell pretty much

[garyschuler]

I would seal the ends with Anchor seal and if it is only 4 months old, I would do nothing until about 2 years old, except store it inside the shop. I don't precut into blocks until the drying process is well along, green wood when cut into blocks will have to be put on a jointer over and over, so leave extra wood to deal with. I spray all my wood with Bora -Care. lots of ways to work wood and this is my go to way for me.

[Pat B]

The sapwood will be affected by fungi quickly on BW  but the heartwood takes longer so just be aware.

[Mad Max]

The riser I made up in the picture was lighter in the hand than any other wood I have in my bow Shop.
I think it needs some support to be a riser

[kennym]

The riser I made up in the picture was lighter in the hand than any other wood I have in my bow Shop.
I think it needs some support to be a riser

 

[Bvas]

The riser I made up in the picture was lighter in the hand than any other wood I have in my bow Shop.
I think it needs some support to be a riser

X3

[Autumnarcher]

Nice score on the walnut. As was mentioned, seal it up good, and let it dry. IF ya do not seal it it will be more prone to checking. Walnut makes some great lookin bows. Unless its kiln dried, it will be quite a while before its dry enough to use in a bow.

[Flem]

The riser I made up in the picture was lighter in the hand than any other wood I have in my bow Shop.
I think it needs some support to be a riser

True for an induced stress design. For a neutral or bend into the handle design, Walnut works well and looks good.

[Mad Max]

The riser I made up in the picture was lighter in the hand than any other wood I have in my bow Shop.
I think it needs some support to be a riser

True for an induced stress design. For a neutral or bend into the handle design, Walnut works well and looks good.

Remember what Roy said Flemmy boy you need new glasses, read the first post, RISER

[Roy from Pa]

Maxi, ya otta take er easy on ole Flemmy Boy.

He is getten up there in years ya know.

Knowing him, he prolly makes his own specs from the bottom of mason jars wif coat hanger designer frames..

Ya ever see the mad scientists shop projects?

 

[Mad Max]

 

[Flem]

I spent the whole morning looking for the spy cam you guys are watching me with
I might be more dense than Walnut, but in my last post I was also referring to Walnut as a riser wood in low stress designs.

[kennym]

Flemmy, I understanded ya...