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+-- Thread: Butternut (/showthread.php?tid=7349522)
Butternut - Turner52 - 07-31-2019
Have a chance to buy rough sawn 3 year air dried butternut. $3 a board foot. I have never used Butternut before. What color is it and would it be good for segmenting? Thanks and I look forward to your answers.
RE: Butternut - ajkoontz - 07-31-2019
Not a turner, but it is in the same family as walnut and works similarly. To my eye, it is like faded out walnut. So, I think it would make a pretty turning but maybe not so much as a stark contrast that I assume you're going for in a segmented turning.
RE: Butternut - SceneryMaker - 07-31-2019
(07-31-2019, 03:54 PM)Turner52 Wrote: Have a chance to buy rough sawn 3 year air dried butternut. $3 a board foot. I have never used Butternut before. What color is it and would it be good for segmenting? Thanks and I look forward to your answers.
$3 seems a little expensive for air dried wood. I get kiln dried ash, maple, and walnut for that. Try to check the moisture content. You don't want it to move much and make your glue joints stand out.
RE: Butternut - MichaelMouse - 08-01-2019
(07-31-2019, 03:54 PM)Turner52 Wrote: Have a chance to buy rough sawn 3 year air dried butternut. $3 a board foot. I have never used Butternut before. What color is it and would it be good for segmenting? Thanks and I look forward to your answers.Soft, and yellow-brown. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=butternut+wood+pics&qpvt=butternut+wood+pics&FORM=IGRE
No matter how it dried, after a month in your shop it will be the same moisture content as what's there now. As to price, doesn't seem out of line to me, though I have none available at local mills to compare.
RE: Butternut - Scoony - 08-01-2019
I think that's a good price. I have used it and actually have some on hand for a future project of some sort. Lots of folks call it the white walnut, but I disagree. It is a lot softer than walnut and has a different grain pattern.
RE: Butternut - Turner52 - 08-01-2019
Think I will pass. I still have several hundred feet of walnut from 3-4 years ago. It runs from very dark to medium depending on how close it gets to the sap wood. If I want a washed out walnut color sounds like I can just go with the lighter walnut. Payed less for that than asking price on the butternut. I am not familiar with butternut and had no idea what to expect when I posted the question. Thanks
RE: Butternut - Scoony - 08-02-2019
(08-01-2019, 02:26 PM)Turner52 Wrote: Think I will pass. I still have several hundred feet of walnut from 3-4 years ago. It runs from very dark to medium depending on how close it gets to the sap wood. If I want a washed out walnut color sounds like I can just go with the lighter walnut. Payed less for that than asking price on the butternut. I am not familiar with butternut and had no idea what to expect when I posted the question. Thanks
If I found nice clear butternut for $3 a bft, I would be all over it. Love working with it. Probably going to make a blanket chest with what I have on hand. 8/4 wide boards would make fantastic chair seats.
If your looking at a washed out walnut color, you may want to try bleaching walnut. One of the coolest walnut finishes I have seen is Lonnie Bird's bleach and red dye finishes.
RE: Butternut - Turner52 - 08-02-2019
Scoony I don;t know where you are located, but the wood is about 30 miles north of Green Bay. I will try and find the bleaching and dye you have mentioned. Thanks
RE: Butternut - DFJarvie - 08-03-2019
At that price it may be worth getting some. I use soft maple quite a bit since I can get it for 2 bucks a foot but I have to deal with a bunch of knots. It’s a good shot to get a bunch of light colored wood at a good price.
If I was closer I’d be all over it. When you have an opportunity to get good cheap wood you need to get it and figure out what to use it for later.
RE: Butternut - Timberwolf - 08-05-2019
(08-01-2019, 08:01 AM)Scoony Wrote: I think that's a good price. I have used it and actually have some on hand for a future project of some sort. Lots of folks call it the white walnut, but I disagree. It is a lot softer than walnut and has a different grain pattern.
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Agreed.....much softer IMO...I have used it for the tops of a couple of musical instruments....