Your Ultimate Guide To WALNUT LUMBER - How to Buy, Use & Finish It

I think it's time we talk about walnut, woodworkers of KZbin!
Yeah, I totally get that most woodworkers who use hardwoods are probably acquainted with walnut - but I'm going to cover some of the things you might not know, and hopefully help you build better projects and have a more enjoyable experience buying, using, and finishing walnut.
Hope you enjoy this one, and get something good out of it. I know it's a long one this time, but if I've learned one thing from you folks since starting this channel, you like to get as much solid info as you can. Hope this won't disappoint. Thank you -
M.S.
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Other Walnut Videos:
Hand Rubbed Tung Oil Varnish on Walnut Desk: • Wood Finishing How-To:...
Ultra Dark Walnut Finish in 2 Simple Steps: • Finishing Walnut: 2 St...
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Products Mentioned:
- Titebond II Dark Wood Glue
- Old Masters Woodgrain Filler + Spanish Oak Wiping Stain
- General Finishes Ebony Dye Stain for ebonizing walnut
- Watco Black Walnut Danish Oil
- Old Masters Tung Oil Varnish
- General Finishes High Performance Water Based Top Coat
- Zinsser SealCoat Dewaxed Shellac
- Old Masters Paste Wax
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Visit us for hardwood lumber!
www.woodworkerssource.com/
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Follow us for absolutely no good reason!
Instagram: / woodworkerssource
Facebook: / woodworkers.source.har...
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Chapters
00:00 Who and why?
1:05 How is walnut named
1:56 Buying & selecting
2:12 About the tree
3:00 Quality issues
3:22 Color issues
3:58 Steaming walnut
4:54 Color sorting
5:43 Flawless walnut
7:03 Beauty of flaws
8:14 Working tips & tricks
10:00 Best finishing ideas
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Sounds
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Sights
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Stock Media provided by vasttt / Pond5
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[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

1:05 - how is walnut named 1:56 - how to buy & select 2:12 - about the tree 3:00 - about knots, figure, and grain issues 3:22 - color issues 3:58 - steaming walnut 4:54 - color sorting 5:59 - how to get consistent walnut 7:03 - solid lumber means expecting inconsistencies 8:14 - tips & tricks to working with walnut 10:00 - finishing tricks and ideas Okay, yes this is a pretty long one so hopefully this will help! Many thanks for watching, and hit us with your questions -

[@creepincat7399]

Can you pin this to the top?

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

@@creepincat7399 wooops, thanks for the heads up!

[@creepincat7399]

@@WoodworkersSourcecom thanks for the informative video!

[@dejanangelovski7941]

very great video thansk. can i ask angled box with 5 -vine heads like are.for what ?? very beautifull. sory for bad expl. thank you

[@sheamaddy9893]

Some of walnut that grows here in Ohio has a lot of green, blue and purple as well as the dark browns, greys and yellow. But the purple really blows my mind, its amazing.

[@no1medic]

You can sense his passion , not selling anything . Just is really into his work.... Nice video I learned a lot

[@nikos-giorgos]

Watch video first, Then comment...

[@Taking20]

My dude. Your content is phenomenal. On screen personality is friendly and relatable. Editing, camerawork and format are absolutely on point. Kudos to the whole team.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Excelkent thank you for watching

[@RaysUserName]

Agreed

[@blindsagacity]

Never thought I’d see you in Woodworking KZbin. Love your D&D content!

[@kristiecsu]

I also appreciate that he speaks quickly and doesn’t mumble. Super easy for those of us who can’t deal with slow talkers.

[@wartlme]

Allot of good tricks and ideas. Glad I found this video. I have walnut, oak, elm and maple trees that grow on my property. I just go in the back yard and cut up a fallen tree when it falls. I cut blanks and keep them in the shed. It would be very expensive if I had to purchase it. I make allot of thing with walnut and elm. I like the grain in elm wood. it looks cool.

[@rebecca5837]

Wow!!! I came to learn about walnut and your “finishing” section blew my mind!!!!

[@allangall6810]

I finished this wine rack but I do not know how to leave a picture but it turned out good Thank you Allan

[@mauiharward7897]

I’m going to have watch this again, and again, to soak up all this info. Good stuff though 🤙🏽

[@rauldemoura2417]

Very NICE! I LOVE walnut. Such a beautiful, natural look. I took down a large black walnut, dropping it’s nuts all over my carport and drive way. I saved 2 slabs cut from the center of the tree. It’s some 27- 30” wide, 1 1/2” thick, and 11’ long. I have another tree not quite as wide, but much taller and straighter. I’m still undecided what I will make!!

[@gordonxu2989]

A respectful wood specie needs a respectful and professional scholar tell it's story. You are a true story teller, I enjoy every bit of info.

[@gregmislick1117]

His enthusiasm is infectious - lots of great info

[@alecweber8893]

This is some of the most informative info I’ve seen in a long time. Thank you! Every point had a...point! All helpful. No time wasted.

[@WhitworthStud]

Most informative video on walnut I have yet to com across. Thank you for your brevity and wisdom!

[@allangall6810]

lucky me I was able to buy a bunch of wood in a garage It was sitting in this garage for 3 or 4 years about 50 board foot of walnut the sane of red oak and cedar and cherry the cherry has a lot of twist and bad spots. I am new to woodworking about two years and was tired of using only framing lumber but now having fun with all this hard wood thanks to you learning how to use it and finish it. Thank you you are good at explaining this has help me.

[@micschemelin663]

Thank you 🙏! The best video I've ever seen on finishing.

[@bobbray9666]

I usually use solvent based wipe-on poly (Minwax) on Walnut, straight on without a sealer. I use from 5 to eight coats, depending on what I build. It goes on much faster than brushed applications with no brush strokes or drips showing and you can recoat after about 3 hours. Not sure if this poly or UV light (or combo) gives the dark walnut a reddish orange hue over time but it looks almost like teak. Solvent poly does turn yellow. It was a pleasant surprise after I built a cabinet around our refrigerator in a kitchen with teak cabinets. It all blends in well. I never stain or dye walnut. That seems like a waste using such beautiful wood. If I want a very dark color. I'll use something like rift cut white oak.

[@dwighthapeman6590]

Another informative, awesome video. Thank you very much for posting this.

[@west5500]

Another great video. Thank you. Please keep them coming!

[@DsHardWoodCreations]

Walnut along with watco dark walnut finish equals beauty

[@tcw3201]

You rock! Most informative walnut video I’ve ever seen. Doesn’t hurt that walnut is my favorite wood to work with. Thanks so much!

[@SrikanthPRABHA7]

Oh that walnut finish so satisfying to watch. This is pure bliss

[@lanceroberts5488]

Great Video!! Thank you for always giving different options and the reasons behind them.

[@kevinnathanson6876]

Nice job; thanks! Might want to consider Waterlox as well; a bit tedious, but a great effect on walnut, especially if it isn't steamed. Also folks, the toxicity discussions are a bit overblown, walnut bowls, tongs etc. will not kill you or make you ill. At all. There is one serious toxicity issue to look at however. If you save/sell your sawdust to be used as bedding in stables, HORSES are very vulnerable to walnut that gets absorbed through their hooves, etc. Most stable operators are well aware of this, but if you do sell your sawdust, be sure to empty your collectors prior to and after running walnut through your saws, sanders, planers and jointers.

[@Ibaneddie76]

I can sell saw dust?🤣Tell you what I make a shit ton of it you can hit me up any time and come pick it up and do with it as you will I'm tired of dealing with it!

[@anthonygoodrich6487]

Thank you. Great info, well presented.

[@averagejoe4837]

I have a black walnut slab that's been sitting in the garage for a year now. Got it from a fellow woodworker that I bought a jointer and planer from when I first started in woodworking. We were discussing projects we were working on and I mentioned that I had been working with soft woods primarily while honing my skills. He kinda gave me a funny look and asked what I could learn about woodworking from using things like pine and cedar. I told him that I'd learned how to sharpen a chisel really well and he said there's no way because soft woods wouldn't even dull a chisel. I had my chisel set in my toolbox in my truck and challenged him to see who's chisels were sharper, and told him to even sharpen his chisel on the spot. He did, and I grabbed my chisels and a block of pine. His chisel did a fairly good job of cutting the pine. Then I used mine to flatten the cut end and shocked him. I cut through the end grain without crushing any of the fibers and it left a glass smooth surface. So he gave me $100 off the price of the tools I came to buy and gave me a 6ft x 16" slab of 8/4 walnut and said that he looks forward to seeing what I do with it. I've since ventured into using oak and poplar in a few projects. But I'm saving that slab for something special so I can impress him on Instagram eventually.

[@taokichavez9319]

This is by far the most comprehensive yet clear Walnut tutorial ever! Thanks for sharing!

[@johnnydutcher208]

Incredibly educational. Just watched your video on maple as well. Your love for wood and woodworking is evident. Thank you for sharing!

[@scaira60]

I Highly recommend these guys They are Awesome Great customer service

[@daviddejulio863]

Thanks for taking the time to put together this extensive video. Just picked up my first few walnut boards and can't wait to work with them.

[@the_joester]

Mark, you're super down to earth and all around kind. Love that you're simply about sharing your passions with others. Thanks for the videos, definitely subscribing!

[@BruceAUlrich]

Great information! Thanks for putting this together!

[@viviancovington7813]

I love your excitement about wood. 🪵

[@garycrowley1]

So much great information packed into all of these Woodworkers Source videos. Thank you!

[@marktourtellotte1336]

Very well done! Excellent information for us wood lovers. Thanks!

[@soffiegirl1027]

shoutout to yt’s algorithm for leading me here. no one is ever based in AZ and I always have fomo. I’m so thrilled you guys are here! 🤗🤗🤗💙

[@mattstegall]

Well done and super informative

[@MnktoDave]

This video was packed with lots of useful information, and I just wanted to say thank you! I really learned a lot.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

MnktoDave thank you, so glad you found it useful

[@georgegri]

Love your videos!! These are awesome and you’re great at describing all these quickly but clearly! Thank you! 👏🏻👏🏻

[@casacustoms]

Man this was PERFECT! Straight to the point and showing examples..perfect timing to find this as well. Working with walnut for the first time and this was super helpful...thank you

[@johnnygsdiy1981]

Thanks for the knowledge. That’s a lot to think about.

[@cookingwithsanjay]

So glad I stumbled onto your video. I am about to embark on my first live edge black walnut journey to build a console table and I'm super excited yet haven't got a clue how to best stain it. Now I have a few great ideas! Thanks again!

[@eyoung74]

Thanks for the great presentation. I’ve learned a lot from you.

[@gitaseldiy9525]

really beautiful.....there is always a way to create a perfect masterpiece

[@dalepage5511]

Great job. Your delivery is clear, concise, and easily understood. Thanks for such a good resource.

[@rubbercrutch1]

I absolutely love these videos. I’d love to see something on fruit woods or exotics if you have time!

[@jadadahut3654]

I’m so glad i stumbled upon your videos I’m an amateur wood worker but absolutely love it. You can find videos everywhere about how to work with wood but your one of the very few I’ve found who talks about what woods to use where and you have a wealth of knowledge on all species. Very informative looking forward to more videos

[@treforparry4054]

Great video! That was really informative. Thanks so much for posting.

[@andrewpensavalle2282]

Mark, we've "known" each other for many years. The known is in quotes because our only contact through the years has been via emails. You are my Guru of woodworking and finishing. Now that Charles Neil is gone, you do a great job of filling his shoes. You've always been there for me with assistance whether it be an answer to a question or a solution for a "situation" with on line sales. Keep up the great work and keep producing these videos.

[@nfix09]

thanks for clarifying, was always confused by the different names thrown around for walnut. Love turning walnut on the lathe. I work at a cemetery in Michigan with about 75 walnut trees. MSU occasionally comes out to study the health of our trees due to the large number present

[@benjones1452]

that is a beautiful standing table! I'm a fan of the nakashima/waney edge on the small table too!

[@ajvboston1]

I’ve watched several of your vids and I’m glad I chose your channel! Very good information on here, and you’re good with the talk! Thanks!

[@johnhughes3963]

Great demonstration!

[@mcorrade]

Love this channel and I really love walnut. I've been looking for a good book shelve and couldn't find one so I made one. I'm not a fancy wood worker but the book shelve came out GREAT and it's mostly due to the wood I chose, American walnut. Very forgiving at least for my talent level.

[@ejl74]

I love walnut so much. My fav wood to work with. This is an amazing video. Thanks for this.

[@silverpig11]

Thank you so much for this. Really informative, entertaining, and straight to the point. I never felt like I wanted to miss anything because everything was new and exciting to hear about and explained in exceptional and understandable detail. Truly, truly tremendously helpful. Thank you.

[@adamprickett6462]

You have a gift for this KZbin! I enjoy your videos. Thank you

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Adam Prickett great to hear thank you for watching 👍

[@garywemmer9342]

Thank you for the tutorial, as there are some of us that had no idea , what we thought we knew. Carry on!!!!!

[@timothybladon9958]

Lots of good information. Many thanks.

[@bullittime]

What a great article. Very informative and you made the effort of producing examples to show the different finishes. This will definitely improve my Walnut finishing which is doubly amazing as its crazy expensive in the UK. Thanks dude.

[@paulhensley928]

I am so happy I came across this video! I’m just recently getting into wood working in AZ and have been searching for a hardwood supplier. Also great video with lots of knowledge, thank you!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Paul Hensley welcome to the adventure! Thanks for watching

[@TheHoustonWay]

This Chanel has quickly become invaluable for a new woodworker. Great videos and content. Look forward to getting my first bit of walnut . Subscribed. Thanks. 🇮🇪

[@Bhackett7777]

This was extremely helpful! Thank you.

[@blakeloke5586]

Great explanation of American Walnut and how it reacts with different finishes. I'm just starting an electronics cabinet that will be full walnut and will try the grain filler technique with wet sanding. So, your video is timely!

[@rezadaneshi]

You had fun with practical hands on experience in things you have fun sharing. Perfect for the job (y)

[@tinshedmodular8096]

I am just starting out in woodworking and building a small cabinet in American walnut ( I’m in Australia). Absolutely in love with this wood and I am very happy to have found this video and your channel. Thank you

[@kentbortz8565]

This is terrific information. Walnut is my all-time favorite wood. I have had mixed results with finishing it. Thank you!!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Thanks for watching, so glad it helped!

[@bluejack-ve7so]

Wish I had actual hardwood store near me... I buy from you guys all the time though. Great buying experiences. You guys are great!!

[@bufunga]

That was a lot of information. Ill have to rewatch again and again

[@luckynumbersevuuun]

good presentation, super clear and its fun hanging out with ya

[@cbbuddydavis]

One of my favorite videos!

[@davidrusso4750]

Again - great video - learned a lot. Thank you.

[@dragunov525]

Thank you sir, you went into excellent detail about this in 16+ min. Saved me a lot of time researching all this separately. Definitely subscribed, looking forward to watching other videos you've made and future ones you put out. Also, I can sense your enthusiasm. I really appreciate how you showed us actual physical examples of each type of finishing style. Not sure if that was for your own information, or for the video for us, or both... but it's appreciated you sharing it with us. Again, thank you.

[@texxmexxchick]

great breakdown. walnut is so beautiful! I am planning on getting a wood desktop for my desk custom built and I have no idea how to communicate what I want so this was extremely helpful!

[@allyfrasier6306]

Such great information, thank you! You taught me so much and it's so awesome to hear from someone who really knows his stuff! Thank you. 😊

[@nottingham_ChrisAllison]

Thats such a great and informative video..thank you..

[@johnwallace4408]

Walnut is my favorite wood. For yrs I have been using Minwax Dark Walnut oil stain to enhance the grain of my walnut projects.

[@boatdetective]

Wonderful. Suprisingly dense in content yet delivered with a pleasant, inviting tone. Really energizes me to make that walnut coffee table!

[@Thinkeducation841]

I enjoyed all of this much needed information thanks

[@jaycroyle8761]

Awesome video, i learned a bunch. Just completed a walnut cradle for my son and his wife. My reason for ending up here is that i want to come up with a great finish. Going to re-watch that finishing process's again. Thank you so much!!!

[@NeilGool]

Really love your videos, so educational for the beginning woodworker that is daunted by the selections of wood. Keep up the great work!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Neil Goolcharan great to hear, thanks for watching! We’ll bring you more 👍

[@richardanderson4916]

A very pleasant video. Down to earth, folksy pleasant gentleman. I wish I knew more people like this. Very informative. Thanks bro!

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Richard Anderson 👍thanks

[@danielconley5256]

Just bought some black walnut from you guys and then discovered this video. Perfect! Can’t wait to begin my project

[@alveres9680]

Thank you so much, your info on finishes. I learned so much in just a few minutes.

[@Tomangel61]

Thanks for the info, great presentation

[@ManWhoLovesTheMary]

Amazing! Learned so much. Planning on restoring my great-grandfather's chest of drawers. Don't know if he made it from walnut, but your comprehensive advice is helping me to find out. And I'm learning a lot about different ways to stain, as well. Love your content.

[@mrdhksan]

Very informative! Thank you.

[@ButtmunchCookie]

Great video. I learned a lot. Thanks!

[@davidmoran5431]

Another thing --- it is hard to go wrong, never had bad outcomes even w suboptimal walnut, branches, reusing stereo component sides, etc etc. Makes great cutting boards. Even butternut is good, albeit it light. I have a ton of it, thick desks, beds, tables, sculpture, etc etc etc.

[@512bb]

I always learn from your expertise Mark & its always enjoyable. I saw your 2pt desk series way back when you did it & its as awesome today as it was back then. Still being held hostage here in the Peoples Republic of California but planning my escape to freedom in Arizona, hopefully soon! Thanks my friend.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

scott satren thanks for watching, man we appreciate it 👍

[@melternes3678]

Very well done. Thanks!

[@vjaneczko]

Thanks, as always! Love the longer videos.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Good to know, thanks!

[@ptabz3112]

Thanks for the great video. Lots of useful information and your presentation is excellent.

[@F.o.s.t.e.r.]

Great video. I'm doing my first project with walnut and red oak and was stuck between poly, danish and tung oil. Now I'm definitely leaning towards the tung oil.

[@lesstein3747]

Very thorough!

[@RedRoyce]

New to wood working and wow I really enjoy watching your videos. You sir know your woods and I know you sell wood but you never go overboard on that point. You love to teach us about wood and wow so much to learn and know about it before building something and at the prices of wood right now one doesn't want to mess up. LOL Thank you for all the work you put into making these videos for us. People don't know how much work goes into a 15 min video. I do some work for our church and it takes some time for just a short video so thank you.

[@DanielinLaTuna]

Thanks! I’m forwarding to my friend who loves wood! He’ll be thrilled. We’re in Los Angeles, which isn’t too far from you

[@64yanks]

Love walnut and your channel

[@paulnordin5219]

I just stumbled onto this video...fantastic reference on walnut finishing options! Cheers

[@cesarflores2744]

Love this videos. Great information, and clearly explained. Is great to learn from a professional.

[@WoodworkersSourcecom]

Cesar Flores thank you, very happy to know you enjoyed it and got good info👍

[@designer-garb572]

Excellent information.thank you

[@emad9202]

Tree trimmer here and getting into wood working because of all the extra logs and beautiful Material I have - excited to Keep learning