Post #205317 by 8FT Tiki on Mon, Jan 2, 2006 2:17 PM

I think I mentioned earlier that I had gotten some logs from a Black Walnut tree this summer. I have some photos to share and although I am not finished with the first carving, I decided to go ahead and post what I have done so far.

This tree was about 30 feet tall and was on the bank of a creek. It was healthy but fell during a storm.
Here my brother in law and I decide where to make the cuts.

There is a lot of curve to the branches so I had to be realistic about how long a length I could get without too many twists and turns. We had a lot of 1-2 foot pieces to stack and I got 3 good sized logs in the 4-7 foot range.
I applied the Woodcraft Green wood end sealer (liquid wax) on the cut ends and this seems to be a very good product.

As many of you know, the heartwood of Black Walnut is a beautiful dark brown color. But you may not know that just under the bark is a layer of the newest wood which is a layer of white. What I have tried to do with this log is to utilize some of that outer 1/2 inch of lighter wood in the various high points and to provide some contrast.

I expected to remove the lower 12 inches or so during the carving process due to the curve. The top of the head was a feature I took my time deciding how to finish. I knew I wanted a headdress of sorts and this is meant to represent a feather or leaf type headdress.

I had not worked on this for over a month due to snow and or cold temps until yesterday when I was able to spend several hours outside. When you get a New Years day in the 50's here in this part of the country, you had better take advantage of it! This log is still very wet inside so I am going to let it dry naturally outside until I feel it is ready to be treated. It sure is a very solid, heavy wood and has been great to work with. I am very happy that it has not cracked and doesn't splinter much either.