Walnut Turning Blanks

Walnut Specs

Scientific Name

Juglans nigra

Common Name(s)

Black Walnut

Distribution

Eastern United States

Specific Gravity

Basic: .51, 12% MC: .61

Janka Hardness

1,010 lbf (4,490 N)

Modulus of Rupture

14,600 lbf/in2 (100.7 MPa)

Elastic Modulus

1,680,000 lbf/in2 (11.59 GPa)

Crushing Strength

7,580 lbf/in2 (52.3 MPa)

Shrinkage

Radial: 5.5%, Tangential: 7.8%, Volumetric: 12.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.4

Appearance

Heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown with darker brown streaks. Color can sometimes have a grey, purple, or reddish cast. Sapwood is pale yellow-gray to nearly white. Figured grain patterns such as curl, crotch, and burl are also seen.

Texture

Grain is usually straight, but can be irregular. Has a medium texture and moderate natural luster. Endgrain: Semi-ring-porous; large earlywood pores grading to medium latewood pores, few; solitary and radial multiples of 2-3; tyloses occasionally to abundantly present; growth rings distinct; medium rays barely visible without lens, normal spacing; parenchyma diffuse-in-aggregates (sometimes very faint and barely visible even with lens) and banded (marginal).

Rot Resistance

Black Walnut is rated as very durable in terms of decay resistance, though it is susceptible to insect attack.

Workability

Typically easy to work provided the grain is straight and regular. Planer tearout can sometimes be a problem when surfacing pieces with irregular or figured grain. Glues, stains, and finishes well, (though walnut is rarely stained). Responds well to steam bending.

Odor

Black Walnut has a faint, mild odor when being worked.

Allergies/Toxicity

Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Black Walnut has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye and skin irritation.

Pricing/Availability

Very popular and widely available, though board widths can sometimes be narrow. Considered a premium domestic hardwood, prices are in the high range for a domestic species.

Sustainability

This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Common Uses

Furniture, cabinetry, gunstocks, interior paneling, veneer, turned items, and other small wooden objects and novelties.

Comments

It would be hard to overstate Black Walnut’s popularity among woodworkers in the United States. Its cooperative working characteristics, coupled with its rich brown coloration puts the wood in a class by itself among temperate-zone hardwoods. To cap it off, the wood also has good dimensional stability, shock resistance, and strength properties.

Black Walnut Turning Blank Prices

1.5″ x 1.5″ x 12″ Black Walnut Turning Blank

$2.96

$2.66

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1.5″ x 1.5″ x 18″ Black Walnut Turning Blank

$3.54

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Black Walnut Pen Turning Blank

$0.84

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