What is Walnut?
Walnut is a hardwood with straight grain that has several different species throughout the world. Black Walnut is the most common specie of walnut found in North America. Most of the walnut harvested for woodworking comes from the Mississippi River Valley and the Missouri River Valley.
The heartwood (wood from the center of the tree) ranges from a light brown to a chocolate brown with darker brown streaks. The sapwood (wood between the heartwood and the bark of the tree) is a pale yellow-gray.
The wood is often bulk-piled after being sawn and then steamed for a few days. This process blends the rich brown color into the sapwood.
Why choose Walnut?
Walnut is an excellent hardwood and is very durable. It is considered to be a premium domestic hardwood but is not as highly priced as one might guess.
The range of colors makes it very unique and very appealing in a number of varying applications. Walnut has a rich, eloquent look to it when it has a clear finish. Using both Sapwood and Heartwood in your project provides excellent contrast.
It is rarely stained, as most prefer to maintain and enhance the natural beauty with a clear finish. Walnut is used for a wide range of projects from cabinets to paneling to accent pieces, and it is quite popular in making stocks for guns.
Walnut in Woodworking
Walnut is very popular in woodworking circles with excellent workability. It truly is a craftsman dream species to work with.
While it is a hard wood, it is considered “softer” than other traditional hardwoods such as maple, oak or hickory.
Walnut glues and accepts all finishes well. It is very easy on hand tools, machining and sands very well. One drawback, however, is that knots tend to be loose and are generally avoided.
Contact us today to get started on your own custom woodworking project with walnut.