Good evening y’all!
In early January I wrote about cutting a Black Walnut log into these Walnut cookies slices. At the time the black walnut tree had just been cut down so the moisture content was 100%. After 5 weeks, most of these are at 20% moisture but there are a few at 13-15%. It will be another few weeks before the moisture is between 8-9% so that I can begin finishing them. Check out my previous post from January 7th, Walnut Wood Cookies
I spent nearly 7 hours today removing the remaining bark, running them thru the planner on both sides and cleaning up the edges. They are looing really nice, a few cracks but that adds character. Most all of these are 12 inch in diameter and 2 inches thick.
All of them have really great color and should finish out beautifully! They will make great cutting boards, serving boards or plate chargers!
The National Weather Service has predicted a winter storm for our area starting Monday evening thru Tuesday with accumulations of 4 to 7 inches of freezing rain, sleet and snow! Where ever you are, I hope you are in a warm place!
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope you enjoy your weekend! 🙂
I will soon be adding a new board design, see picture below!
Serving boards
Michael's Woodcrafts 
It’s interesting following, the progress of these slices of wood.
Here in far north Queensland, we have 300-500mm of rain forecast for the weekend! We don’t have to shovel that, but roads are cut by floods and landslips. There’s always some darn thing, eh?
good evening Yvonne! Yes, it take months before they are dry and the drying process must be slow or they will split open! Wow, that is 11.3 to 20 inches of rain, that is a lot of rain over a weekend!! The most I can remember us having over a weekend is 14 inches and it flooded everywhere! I can imagine the floods and landslips. I agree there is always something! Stay dry and safe 🙂
wow—they look great Michael! and I love your new board design–they’re saying we will be getting a mix, snow, ice—who knows—no matter what we get it will pale in comparison to poor ol Boston and the northeast!!
I hope ya’ll have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!!!
Hugs and love Michael—
Julie
thank you Julie! They are looking really nice and should finish up very beautiful. I think they will also end up being darker too. Well I sure we both don’t much of the ice or snow but I do agree with you on the snow in the Northeast. I would not live there, having to shovel and snow blow all winter, what a chore that would be. Happy Valentine’s to you too! Big hugs, Michael 🙂
really neat slices!
thank you, they are looking good! Happy Valentine’s Day Tex!
Michael, those are just gorgeous. Do you think I’d be allowed to actually chop on one of those walnut slabs??? I like that you’ve left the live edge on them, too. Can you email me a price for making one of them into a live-edge cutting board? I’d prefer one of the biggest ones and one with a really pretty grain. Just something simple- no handles or holes. What do you think? My husband just adores the Maple board you made and still admires it daily. He treats it like a piece of fine art- which of course, it is 😉
Hi Elizabeth, thank you, I think these are really going to turn out nice. You could use one as a cutting board if your husband would be ok with it, haha!! I will email you tomorrow but I think you would like it. All of these will darken once the moisture gets to 8% which is were it needs to be for me to sand them for the final finish. The food grade mineral oil and beeswax will darken them as well. Happy Valentine’s Day!! 🙂
Thank you, Michael 😉 I’ll look for your email tomorrow- Happy Valentine’s Day to you both 😉
They look great Michael. Have a good weekend and stay warm!
thank you Cathy!! 🙂
They are looking beautiful. Stay warm! We are expecting a winter mix as well, assuming the forecast is accurate. I’m ready for spring, warmer temps, longer days and blooms starting to pop up.
I am ready for Spring too but it’s already freezing here and we also have 70 mph winds. Suppose to be 15 degrees in the morning! Happy Valentine’s Days! 🙂
That wood looks so attractive! I hope you don’t get iced in! Happy Valentine’s Day!
thank you Maureen! Me too, forecast changed this afternoon and they are saying 8 inches now!
Those walnut cookie slices are gorgeous. I love them just the way they are. 🙂 We have a blizzard arriving tonight and tomorrow. 😦
Thank you. Oh no, a blizzard is not good, I hope you guys have prepared for it. We have 70 mph winds right now and it’s freezing, suppose to be 15 degrees in the morning. Stay warm and be safe Judy!! Happy Valentine’s Day! 🙂
Beautiful wood slices. I can’t wait to see the finished product! Stay safe and warm.
thank you, your soup looks great!! 🙂
Many thanks back!
I hope you don’t see too much freezing rain Michael. None of us need to see that. The walnut sounds like it’s coming along great!
Me too Allen, freezing rain is not good. We live on a mountain, so any time we get the freezing rain we end up with trees down and power outage for days. We have gotten use to it but it still isn’t fun. 🙂
If I haven’t said it before – you are such a wonderful artisan! That black walnut is gorgeous to work with too!
thank you Kelli!! I hope you guys are prepared for the winter storm!! Love your strawberry pie, I have been making a similar pie for over 40 years!! 🙂
Oh yes – the sleet and snow have just started here but by morning it will be slicker than snot on the roads! 🙂
Looking forward to seeing your finished Black Walnut slices!
These are absolutely gorgeous. Have you had any requests and/or made any cake or cupcake stands with tiers? There’s a big market for them for country rustic wedding themes, and you can get really creative with the tiers and design. I’ve made and sold quite a few, but mine are not near as beautiful as yours. I’m getting better with everyone I make. Practice. Practice.Practice. Any suggestions on running black walnut thru my planer? It is such a hard wood, I have trouble getting a level smooth cut and not tearing up the blade.
Hi Lisa,
I am sorry I am just seeing your comment. Thank you so much for commenting on my work! I have both cake pedestals and cupcake pedestals, not sure about cut cake stands? I’d love to see your work!
Not sure what brand planer you have but it sounds like the blades need sharpening. I sharpen my blades at minimum of 1-2 times a month. You can also look at the grain on the boards you are planing, be sure to run the boards with the grain, don’t push the boards, let the planer do the work and pull the board for you.
Send me pictures or a link to your work! michaelswoodcraft@yahoo.com
thank you
Michael