I'm thinking of replacing the wood on my Hunter 23. I have some walnut I could use, but I'm not sure how it will hold up. Any thoughts out there?
How does walnut weather?
- Thread starter Steamboat Steve
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Walnut is fairly durable, strong , hard and heavy like most wood it will weather to a silver grey if left untreated. Otherwise it is as good as the finish you use. I have used it for thresholds on doorways expoased to the weather and painted. It lasts as well as oak which is far better than pine or D.Fir.
Ross, I have to disagree with you about the Douglas Fir. I have a 100' long dock. It was built ~1950, 2 years ago I finally replaced the 3X6X14 D. Fir stringers. The ends were finally starting to go. Of course this was probably old growth, not sure if you could even still get it anymore. Walnut is a poor choice for outdoor, tends to wine, unless you can get center cut old growth. The treated yellow pine is not worth a s#$! because the treatment rarely penetrates the centers. Black Locust is an interesting choice, does pretty good as fence posts. I had a piling driven with it though and it did not last but 10yrs, which surprised me.
Witz, It depends on the trees the wood was cut from. It the tree was straight and balanced then the boards cut from it will stay straight. Walnut is chosen for gun stocks because it is stable. Look at the fence boards on the horse farms some of the boards are straight after years of service and some have twisted enough to pull the nails. I had a locust block on my boat go rotten this year but six others in the same service are completely sound.
It is very hard to find old growth all heart D.Fir in today's market.
It is very hard to find old growth all heart D.Fir in today's market.
I would have to agree with Witzend. Some woods are really not suitable for outdoor use.
What are you planning on using the walnut for? Are you going to cover it when you are not using the boat?
What are you planning on using the walnut for? Are you going to cover it when you are not using the boat?
This is only a wood butcher’s opinion but I have been a Custom Cabinet and Furniture maker for over 30 years and I don’t think I have once heard of any one recommending walnut for any outside use. It is a hard wood but it is not very rot resistant in a wet environment kind of like Poplar. I think you will be better served to save your walnut for some nice interior work and spend you energy on a more suitable wood like Teak or Mahogany.
Bill, I don't know where you get your information but I think that you need a new source. I didn't use walnut for exterior trim on my boat because I had cypress and black locust. I did however use walnut for the cabin floor
Characteristics and Properties
Characteristics and Properties
Black walnut is a heavy wood, averaging
38 pounds per cubic foot at 12 percent
moisture content with a specific
gravity of 0.51 based on green volume
and ovendry weight. The wood is hard,
strong, stiff, and highly resistant to
shock. The heartwood of black walnut
ranks with the most durable woods, including
cedars, chestnut, and black
locust, even under conditions favorable
to decay. It can be satisfactorily kilndried
and holds its shape well after
seasoning. Black walnut is normally
straight grained, is worked easily with
hand tools, and has excellent machining
properties. The wood finishes beautifully
with a handsome grain pattern
(fig. 4). It takes and holds paints and
stains exceptionally well. It can be
readily polished and satisfactorily
glued.38 pounds per cubic foot at 12 percent
moisture content with a specific
gravity of 0.51 based on green volume
and ovendry weight. The wood is hard,
strong, stiff, and highly resistant to
shock. The heartwood of black walnut
ranks with the most durable woods, including
cedars, chestnut, and black
locust, even under conditions favorable
to decay. It can be satisfactorily kilndried
and holds its shape well after
seasoning. Black walnut is normally
straight grained, is worked easily with
hand tools, and has excellent machining
properties. The wood finishes beautifully
with a handsome grain pattern
(fig. 4). It takes and holds paints and
stains exceptionally well. It can be
readily polished and satisfactorily
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/usda/amwood/270bwaln.pdf
Ross show me a few examples where walnut is recommended for exterior use by any competent authority.
Any one can go online and find sites for wood characteristics that doesn’t necessarily mean that a wood is suitable for a particular purpose.
The fact that you used it on the floor doesn’t prove any thing. Also Locust and Cypress are both oily woods by comparison to walnut Locust and Cypress are as different to each other as White Oak and Red Oak. As to where I get my info I am a 7th generation woodworker with 32 years of practical experience.
Any one can go online and find sites for wood characteristics that doesn’t necessarily mean that a wood is suitable for a particular purpose.
The fact that you used it on the floor doesn’t prove any thing. Also Locust and Cypress are both oily woods by comparison to walnut Locust and Cypress are as different to each other as White Oak and Red Oak. As to where I get my info I am a 7th generation woodworker with 32 years of practical experience.
I have worked extensively with walnut for over 30yrs. It is a very fickle wood for fine cabinetry where joint precision is critical. You first need to rough cut the dimensions of the pieces and let them sit for a number of months. This has to do with grain stress relief. Even in what appears to be relatively strait grain. If you don't it will still move and general wine. This is why you don't see the production houses offer it. Making gun stock with walnut does not require the stability that fine furniture does. Finding longer clear lengths of old growth walnut is getting more challenging. Get Walnut wet in a marine environment and it will squirrel up on you. Granted, Bill is not building a piece of furniture, but you are looking for a degree of stability in a challenging environment. Teak, or mahogany is you best bet, there are some other tropical woods that would be OK such as cypress, but may not have the hardness desired.
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Bill ,walnut is just too pretty to see general use outside. I have seen it in old window sash.
Yes, anyone can go on line and find something to support a point of view but the US forest service is a reliable source. If your family has always been cabinet makers then they may not have had occassion to use walnut to produce millwork for house construction.
My forestry text book copyrighted 1941 states that at that time, black walnut was scarce although it was once abundant. It is quite unlikely that anyone living today remembers when walnut was abundant and used as timber in house and barn construction, just as american chestnut is rare today it was once abundant and used for utility work in construction. I have recoved fence boards that were cut 1x6x16 feet from black walnut and painted. It does endure in outside work.
Yes, anyone can go on line and find something to support a point of view but the US forest service is a reliable source. If your family has always been cabinet makers then they may not have had occassion to use walnut to produce millwork for house construction.
My forestry text book copyrighted 1941 states that at that time, black walnut was scarce although it was once abundant. It is quite unlikely that anyone living today remembers when walnut was abundant and used as timber in house and barn construction, just as american chestnut is rare today it was once abundant and used for utility work in construction. I have recoved fence boards that were cut 1x6x16 feet from black walnut and painted. It does endure in outside work.
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