Walnut again....ARGHHH!!

[bigcreekdad]

Started assembling my HMS Convulsion top mast trestle tree. 3 pieces overlap 2. The latter pieces have 3 notches for the cross pieces to sit. As usual, the notches are a hair too narrow. As I carefully try to widen one with a small file it breaks off at the notch. I tried gluing it with no success. That's OK....it's a small enough piece that I can cut a new one from the piece of walnut it came from. 15 minutes later, after some careful work with my scroll saw and belt sander, I've got the right size and shape. I figure I will use my Byrnes saw to cut the notches. I experiment with blade hight and finally have some cuts at just the right depth with some scrap wood. However, as soon as my newly made walnut piece touches the blade....it breaks off! So, back to square one, but this time I make it out from a piece of cherry left over from my Hannah frames. Go through the same process, including notching with the Byrnes. Perfect. I then glue the cross pieces into the notches. Waiting for that side to dry, I take the other walnut piece (the unbroken one) and realize the notches, again, need a tiny wee bit of widening. Remembering my first attempt at this, I am SUPER careful of any undue pressure with the small file. Well....you guessed it.....breaks off. I will now be making 3 of these out of cherry.

 

I'm not crazy about walnut even for planking, but for small, thin pieces, I will build my own going forward with something else.

 

 

Anyone else share this frustration? 

 

[NMBROOK]

In answer to your question YES,I hate the stuff with a passion.Aside from the grain being overscale,it is just far too 'flaky' for my liking.I habitually replace walnut now when it is supplied in kits.It is unfortunate that the good stuff like pear and boxwood are so expensive,however they are so much nicer to work,it is worth it in the long run IMHO.

Kind Regards

 

Nigel

[HIPEXEC]

All dark woods give me fits!

Rich

[MarisStella.hr]

Hi, ...European walnut is easy treated, moldings are not broken while bending, the color is dark to light ... cherry, larch, pear and boxwood are available but in very small quantities, it is impossible to charge kit boxes with them ...

[Nirvana]

Walnut in its' general material, has a nice smell when sanding while shaping.

And it does obey you to certain degree when it come lateral way as well.

Have had good experience with the material.

Pre-watered and high temp steaming does the job...... to a certain degree.

When you reach the limit it will snap directly, even wet.

[grsjax]

One thing to remember is that not everything called walnut actually comes from a walnut tree.  Some of the woods that come in kits are from fast growing tropical trees that do not produce the strength and other qualities of true walnut.  That said good quality black walnut isn't that expensive and is widely available.  I agree that replacing the poor quality "walnut" in a kit is the way to go.

[normanh]

From memory those parts are made from walnut ply, you need to be very careful in cutting it out, I have broken a couple in the past as the design is common across the Caldercraft kits so I used a superglue - no problems.

 

Norman

[pirozzi]

Walnut can be good and bad. It depends on the moisture in the wood. If it is really dried out, like many pieces in kits, it is very brittle and hard to work with in small thin pieces. Good quality wood has some moisture content and will not break if handled carefully. If you are having brittle issues, try soaking in water for a couple of hours and then just blow dry so they are still barely moist. I do this often and it makes the wood easier to work with and reduces breakage considerably.

 

Vince P.

[michael mott]

Dave I have a whole load of true Black American Walnut that a friend gave me from his kitchen renovation all is 3/8 x 2 1/2 inches and a few varying lengths from 12 inches to 24, all neatly stacked and waiting for the right job. I have always liked the look and workability of the real stuff.

 

True Mahogany, Swietenia macrophylla is also very nice to work with.

 

The local Lee valley has some wood they are calling Yellowheart ,Are you familiar with this wood I just noticed it the other day and looked at it but I was in a bit of a hurry (never a good thing) and did not inquire?

 

Michael   

Edited April 4, 2014 by michael mott

[Modeler12]

I have used walnut for some of the deck 'furniture'. I like the contrast it provides from the lighter colored deck planking.

Of course, it is all for straight parts, but I have no problem with cutting it into thin strips.

 

[paul ron]

Ive got furnature grade black walnut i cut my strips out of n love it.

 

But the stuff ive seen in kits is usually poor quality or improperly saw walnut that just has the grain running the wrong way or soft fast growth junk that should have been tossef in a fireplace!

 

That stuff in the above pic looks more like philapino mahogany... Grain is too open n looks like straws... Not walnut for sure!

Edited April 25, 2014 by paul ron