Seasoning wood.

[JohnBHM]

A friend recently moved to north Alabama and messaged me earlier in the week and asked if I wanted a Filbert tree stump. I said sure. When I called her later she told me they were also cutting down a Black Walnut and a pecan tree and her son could mill them for me. 40 plus years ago when I lived in upstate N.Y. we would cut them and mill them and stack them with spacer's try dry on the same day. When researching I found some saying cut logs ,seal the ends and leave for up to a year before milling and others say mill green. I would like to use some of the Walnut for a future gun build and not sure of the Pecan. If anyone has some advice as to what would be the best way to treat this keeping in mind I'm in the south. Thanks, John.

 

[andy52]

I cut down a pecan on my property a few years ago it was huge didn't consider milling it but got as much for the wood as the price to take it down. I dried it cut split and sold it to several different BBQ joints for smoking meats,

 

[rich pierce]

Mill green, seal ends, stack and sticker.

 

[JohnBHM]

Mill green, seal ends, stack and sticker.

Thank's, That was my first thought. She told me there was also a Chestnut I could have. I questioned that it was actually a Chestnut tree and she assured me it was. Now I have to decide how thick to have it milled. I was going 2 1/2" for the Walnut so that I can get a stock out of it and maybe 1" or 1 1/2 " for some future cabinet work.

 

[1950DAVE]

2 1/2 is good for your stock. If you want 3/4(one by) I would have it milled 5/4. I had a large white oak cut 1” when it air dried I couldn’t get any 3/4" boards out of it. Many were 16” wide and the best I could get was 5/8”.
I’d rather have a bunch of planer chips than to have a bunch of pretty boards that are not really good for most cabinet work.

 

[LonestarShootR]

It's dependent on the wood species on the way it behaves while drying. I mill a lot of mesquite and its a dream when green and is stable as the day is long. You can use green if you want, its not going to change as it dries. Pecan and oak on the other hand have a lot of stress in it. IT can crack, check, cup and bow as it dries.
I like to cut that and let air dry about 5-6 months before kiln drying. Don't have walnut on the ranch to fell and mill and have only worked with it after its been milled. Thinking walnut is stable and doesn't move much. 2 1/2" should work. Just make sure the grain is good especially through the wrist area. when laying out. Air drying will take at least a couple years for that thickness before its dry enough or seasoned as you call it.
Been milling good sized spalted pecan the last couple days.

 

[pamtnman]

I own a sawmill and am active in our regional timber market. You got good advice here, above. Mill it now, paint or Anchor Seal the ends, put up on flat stickers 12”-18” apart, under roof or sheet metal, and wait. 3” thick for stocks.

 

[JohnBHM]

I own a sawmill and am active in our regional timber market. You got good advice here, above. Mill it now, paint or Anchor Seal the ends, put up on flat stickers 12”-18” apart, under roof or sheet metal, and wait. 3” thick for stocks.

Thank's for the help, John.

 

[ZUG]

If you are only air drying the wood it is recommended to figure on drying it one year for every inch. Also figure on losing about 1/8" in thickness to shrinkage. Depending on what style of rifle you are building figure on ending up with a thickness of around 2-1/2". Early rifle a bit thicker and a late rifle less. This is just a guide.