Selling walnut for gun stocks etc.

[timster2]

The power company is coming through my property to put up new power lines. They will be clearing lots of trees and recently they sent a pair of environmental type guys to check for endangered stuff and wetlands. I walked the route with them and they pointed out several cherry trees that would be cut down. How does one determine if these are veneer quality? Is there a specific size that makes them best?

 

[LD1]

I sold a few stocks blanks for stocks but I preferred to trade them. I traded several blanks for complete rifles usually for gifts. I traded several blanks 100+ for a custom rifle from Marvin Kemper valued in the $3500 range [/COLOR]. I gave the rifle to my father in-law who has several Kemper rifles, to add to his collection. I traded some to another guy who made one for my son it is a youth sized rifle because he was 8 at the time.
I was never able to sell many blanks but I guess there is a market out there but I never found it. I am happy with my trades though.

So you got $30-$35 each for the stock blanks.

Certainly not nearly as high as I hear some claim....

Not sure why the second "color" isnt working:confused3:

 

[SPIKER]

The power company is coming through my property to put up new power lines. They will be clearing lots of trees and recently they sent a pair of environmental type guys to check for endangered stuff and wetlands. I walked the route with them and they pointed out several cherry trees that would be cut down. How does one determine if these are veneer quality? Is there a specific size that makes them best?

Basically tall, straight trunks with no chance of any metal, (Middle of deep woods.) The issue is more likely if there is any market in your area or close by. The easiest way is to check the phone book for timber buyers in your area, stop by any local sawmills etc. The issue with veneer is again MILL in the area... Shipping is too expensive for one or two logs on most cases, haul in skidders and fellers setting up log decks etc... If the power company is coming thru then they need to pay you for market value of the timber so by all means contact local DNR to have a forester out to get on your side.

Mark

 

[timster2]

I'd say I have a dozen or more cherry trees that are about a food or more in diameter at chest height. They are about fifty or sixty feet tall at minimum so there would be at least a few truck loads if they were cut into twelve foot lengths. Other trees are maple and some hemlock and ash. The smaller trees will keep me in firewood for a few years at least. I'm not sure what the power company will do about clearing out the trees, however, if there are some that can go to market I would like a few extra bucks. I could skid them out to a loading deck with my tractor I think but I am by no means a logger. The only experience I have is skidding out some down trees for firewood. I will have to look into a forester to mark the trees that could be sold. This is all new to me as far as selling trees.

 

[tomd999]

Hiya,

Not that I know all that much about gunstock blanks but I did work for a bass guitar luthier when I was in high school. We would make our own necks from quarter sawn Eastern Rock Maple blanks. They were 4x4x48" and we were paying $20 for a AAA fancy grade and up to $40 for a highly figured AAAA "Birdseye" or "Flamed" blank. The finger boards were made from Madagascar Ebony, the blanks were 3/8x2-1/4x38", they cost $15 from C.F. Martin back then.
I'm told you can't buy the Ebony anymore because of US Importation laws, what a shame, it was a great wood to work with.

Tom

 

[teejk]

My guess is that not every walnut tree is suitable for high-end rifle use. I think you might want to start with a custom rifle maker and go from there. There are several around so do the google thing. Funny in that they command a premium for walnut stocks but they don't seem to want to pay much for them...although to their credit the value is largely driven by what happens to the blank...shaping, checkering, a lot of laquer...

 

[Grumpy Old Man]

wet wood is a hard sale anywhere , if the trees are even slightly close to a barn or house the mills don't want them no matter how pretty they are for fear of nails .barb wire etc hidden inside , veneer logs are a minimum of 24 inches and 12 ft long the bigger the better but not worth anything if you only have a dozen , everybody knows it's costly to move equipment and when you start lifting and loading 36-48 inch 16 foot logs you better have the right stuff to do the job , it's just easier for the mills to buy from large timber companies than mess with a small amount of logs . Now hickory on the other hand is in high demand as fresh wet cut fire wood by the local barbecue restaurants

 

[mudcat47537]

So you got $30-$35 each for the stock blanks.

Certainly not nearly as high as I hear some claim....

Not sure why the second "color" isnt working:confused3:

Yep that is pretty good for what they were. I had just stacked them to the side when sawing if I saw something that looked interesting. Fireplace mantels too out of cherry or hard maple. I was not in business of sawing stock blanks it was just an added bonus. As long as we were both happy that is all that mattered and I was tickled to death after getting the rifle. Some of the pieces probably were not suitable for stocks on his rifles but he probably rat holed them or traded them.

 

[pawnee]

just sold 21 walnut trees for 3,000 i dont think i would do it again there is a huge mess to clean up,but the good thing is i got to buy 2 good saws with some of the money

 

[npalen]

I pay roughly $100/bdft for Master grade "tonewood" for the guitars that I build. You think I'm crazy? You're probably right.
Curly Maple Archtop Back and Side Sets