Hello all,

When I went to the local hardwood supplier this week to get a piece of
butternut for my wife to use with her scroll saw, I had to do a
double-take. I get contractor prices, but even so- the butternut was
only $1.81/bf. For comparison, the 2/4 soft maple I grabbed at the
same time was well over $2.50/bf.

Now, perhaps it's only a matter of personal taste, but I think
butternut is a very attractive and easily worked hardwood. I just
cannot figure out why on earth it would cost less than spruce!

Anyone able to fill in the gaps for me? Is there something nasty
about butternut I'm not aware of, or is it just underrated? I would
have thought maple would be the cheap stuff- it grows like a weed
around here, but I've never seen a butternut tree in these parts.

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...

Now, perhaps it's only a matter of personal taste, but I think
butternut is a very attractive and easily worked hardwood. I just
cannot figure out why on earth it would cost less than spruce!

Anyone able to fill in the gaps for me? Is there something nasty
about butternut I'm not aware of, or is it just underrated? I would
have thought maple would be the cheap stuff- it grows like a weed
around here, but I've never seen a butternut tree in these parts.



You a northern or southern cheesehead? You'd pretty much have to be on big
water in the north to find butternut. Not hardy enough.

FWIW, willow is a pretty nice wood, too. Smells when burned or wet, but has
a mellow brown butternut look.

On Sun, 5 Jun 2005 07:54:25 -0400, "George" george@least wrote:


"Prometheus" wrote in message
.. .

Now, perhaps it's only a matter of personal taste, but I think
butternut is a very attractive and easily worked hardwood. I just
cannot figure out why on earth it would cost less than spruce!

Anyone able to fill in the gaps for me? Is there something nasty
about butternut I'm not aware of, or is it just underrated? I would
have thought maple would be the cheap stuff- it grows like a weed
around here, but I've never seen a butternut tree in these parts.



You a northern or southern cheesehead? You'd pretty much have to be on big
water in the north to find butternut. Not hardy enough.

Northern. I just find it amazing that it is so cheap!

FWIW, willow is a pretty nice wood, too. Smells when burned or wet, but has
a mellow brown butternut look.

Not too many of those around here either. Seems like all I can find
are Maple, Oak, Paper Birch, various pines, and the odd Cherry or
Boxwood tree. Sure, there are others, but they are cultivated timbers
that people have in their yards.

Prometheus wrote:

On Sun, 5 Jun 2005 07:54:25 -0400, "George" george@least wrote:


"Prometheus" wrote in message
. ..

Now, perhaps it's only a matter of personal taste, but I think
butternut is a very attractive and easily worked hardwood. I just
cannot figure out why on earth it would cost less than spruce!

Anyone able to fill in the gaps for me? Is there something nasty
about butternut I'm not aware of, or is it just underrated? I would
have thought maple would be the cheap stuff- it grows like a weed
around here, but I've never seen a butternut tree in these parts.



You a northern or southern cheesehead? You'd pretty much have to be on
big
water in the north to find butternut. Not hardy enough.

Northern. I just find it amazing that it is so cheap!

FWIW, willow is a pretty nice wood, too. Smells when burned or wet, but
has a mellow brown butternut look.

Not too many of those around here either. Seems like all I can find
are Maple, Oak, Paper Birch, various pines, and the odd Cherry or
Boxwood tree. Sure, there are others, but they are cultivated timbers
that people have in their yards.


to have that kind of hard wood everywhere, I HATE YOU!!!!! it's all pine
here, if I want real hard wood I have to go chop down someones tree, thats
where I got some cherry, maple and Willow last week. as far as buying the
cheepest hardwood is popular at $2.50BF, alder was cheep but is now in the
$4-$5+ same with soft maple and oak

I understand there is mountain mahogany in the Owaheeys a few hours south of
here but I just haven't gotten then urge to go look for some, all I need is
a $7/cord BLM lumber permit and some time to look


--
if corn oil is made from corn, and olive oil is made from olives, where dose
baby oil come from?

On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 18:06:08 -0600, Richard Clements
wrote:

Not too many of those around here either. Seems like all I can find
are Maple, Oak, Paper Birch, various pines, and the odd Cherry or
Boxwood tree. Sure, there are others, but they are cultivated timbers
that people have in their yards.


to have that kind of hard wood everywhere, I HATE YOU!!!!! it's all pine
here, if I want real hard wood I have to go chop down someones tree, thats
where I got some cherry, maple and Willow last week. as far as buying the
cheepest hardwood is popular at $2.50BF, alder was cheep but is now in the
$4-$5+ same with soft maple and oak

Sounds like you need to consider relocating! I'd bet I mowed under
about 50 or 60 maple saplings last week alone. If we didn't keep up
with 'em, they'd overgrow the house. But of course, every blessing
gets a little stale with time- some days I'd just about kill for some
of the interesting looking southern hardwoods. You can keep the piney
wood, though!

I understand there is mountain mahogany in the Owaheeys a few hours south of
here but I just haven't gotten then urge to go look for some, all I need is
a $7/cord BLM lumber permit and some time to look

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
Sounds like you need to consider relocating! I'd bet I mowed under
about 50 or 60 maple saplings last week alone. If we didn't keep up
with 'em, they'd overgrow the house. But of course, every blessing
gets a little stale with time- some days I'd just about kill for some
of the interesting looking southern hardwoods. You can keep the piney
wood, though!

Yep, mixed blessing, all right. Cutting a couple cherry for spoons, and the
blackflies got me good around the ankles.

"Richard Clements" wrote:

to have that kind of hard wood everywhere, I HATE YOU!!!!! it's all pine
here, if I want real hard wood I have to go chop down someones tree, thats
where I got some cherry, maple and Willow last week. as far as buying the
cheepest hardwood is popular at $2.50BF, alder was cheep but is now in the
$4-$5+ same with soft maple and oak

Hm...[nips outside for a second]

Well, I've got...lessee...a couple cottonwoods (i.e. poplar), countless red
and silver maple seedlings, not to mention more than a few mulberries
sprouting outside right now. Oh, and five black walnuts, from seeds buried
by the squirrels before that particular yard tree was cut down, 4 years ago.

*grin*

Jason

Prometheus wrote:
Hello all,

When I went to the local hardwood supplier this week to get a piece of
butternut for my wife to use with her scroll saw, I had to do a
double-take. I get contractor prices, but even so- the butternut was
only $1.81/bf.

Please send me 1000 bf.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 12:23:07 GMT, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Prometheus wrote:
Hello all,

When I went to the local hardwood supplier this week to get a piece of
butternut for my wife to use with her scroll saw, I had to do a
double-take. I get contractor prices, but even so- the butternut was
only $1.81/bf.

Please send me 1000 bf.

Heh. That'd be quite a shipment! If you're ever coming near the
north-central WI area, give ne a ping on the list, and I'll tell you
where to get it.

I love butternut. Around here (upstate NY) it is twice the price of oak,
and hard to find. My usual lumberyard rarely has it; they say the sawmill
has to readjust everything for it because it is so soft, so they won't run
it.

The big problem with butternut is that it is soft and weak. It dents if you
breath hard on it, and breaks pretty easy.

I just built a large buffet table. I used oak for all the internal work for
extra strength; even making oak-butternut panels in a few cases where only
the end of the panel would be visible. I used walnut in a few places where
it couldn't be hidden, but needed extra strength. The contrast was very
pretty, and I regretted not doing it more liberally; walnut drawer faces
would have looked great, but I sold it and the customer liked the butternut
fronts.
Not much you can do about denting. (any suggestions?)

Seems like I recall seeing a lot of furniture built of butternut at the
Shaker community of Pleasant Hill in Kentucky.

Dick Durbin

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 08:41:21 -0700, Olebiker wrote:

Seems like I recall seeing a lot of furniture built of butternut at the
Shaker community of Pleasant Hill in Kentucky.

How could you tell? The pine was easy to spot. I thought the hardwood was
maple. How does one identify butternut through that brown stain? (Just to
avoid misunderstanding: I'm not criticizing your identification; I'm
asking how you made it.)

--
"Keep your ass behind you"
vladimir a t mad {dot} scientist {dot} com

The docent pointed out that the Shakers used it a lot. I recall it
because I was so unfamilar with it. It's been several years since I
was there, but I don't remember any brown stain on it.

On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 10:52:04 -0700, Olebiker wrote:
[re Pleasant Hill]
was there, but I don't remember any brown stain on it.

I have photos... I was going to post on apbw but I botched the photography...
Anyhow, to refresh your memory, the built-in cabinets had a brown stain.
The movables had a reddish stain or the brown stain. Some pieces, like the
cobbler's bench, appeared grubby--couldn't tell the original color.

As an aside, as I look at one of the better photos of a built-in drawer,
it appears that the face was stained before assembly. The pins are darker
than the tails and the rest of the drawer side.

--
"Keep your ass behind you"
vladimir a t mad {dot} scientist {dot} com

On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 18:54:33 -0500, Australopithecus scobis
wrote:

As an aside, as I look at one of the better photos of a built-in drawer,
it appears that the face was stained before assembly. The pins are darker
than the tails and the rest of the drawer side.

I wouldn't be surprised if the sides hadn't been replaced at some
time.

--
"We need to make a sacrifice to the gods, find me a young virgin... oh, and bring something to kill"

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

Anyone able to fill in the gaps for me? Is there something nasty
about butternut I'm not aware of, or is it just underrated? I would
have thought maple would be the cheap stuff- it grows like a weed
around here, but I've never seen a butternut tree in these parts.

While being located near the area a wood is harvested can be beneficial, if
the supplier can get it cheap the savings can be passed on to you. Ipe is a
good example of a U.S. imported wood that is relatively cheap. I get it for
pennies more than I pay for Oak.

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 15:55:33 GMT, "Leon"
wrote:


"Prometheus" wrote in message
.. .
Hello all,

Anyone able to fill in the gaps for me? Is there something nasty
about butternut I'm not aware of, or is it just underrated? I would
have thought maple would be the cheap stuff- it grows like a weed
around here, but I've never seen a butternut tree in these parts.

While being located near the area a wood is harvested can be beneficial, if
the supplier can get it cheap the savings can be passed on to you. Ipe is a
good example of a U.S. imported wood that is relatively cheap. I get it for
pennies more than I pay for Oak.

Sounds like I'm just in luck around here- I guess it's the same case
with other woods in other areas. I know I can't buy things like
Mesquite or Osage Orange locally at any price. Butternut *is* soft,
but softness is a relative term- I certainly wouldn't let anyone whack
me over the head with it! I've never had it dent, either, but maybe
I've just been lucky.

For the poster that asked for suggestions about the denting, I've
heard that a moist rag laid over the dent and an iron will pop the
dent back out.

Prometheus says...

Sounds like I'm just in luck around here- I guess it's the same case
with other woods in other areas. I know I can't buy things like
Mesquite or Osage Orange locally at any price. Butternut *is* soft,
but softness is a relative term- I certainly wouldn't let anyone whack
me over the head with it! I've never had it dent, either, but maybe
I've just been lucky.

For the poster that asked for suggestions about the denting, I've
heard that a moist rag laid over the dent and an iron will pop the
dent back out.

It has a hardness rating lower than yellow poplar, and only beating out
basswood and aspen on my spreadsheet of 40+ hardwoods and their
properties. I agree it is really nice looking though.

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

When I went to the local hardwood supplier this week to get a piece of
butternut for my wife to use with her scroll saw, I had to do a
double-take. I get contractor prices, but even so- the butternut was
only $1.81/bf. For comparison, the 2/4 soft maple I grabbed at the
same time was well over $2.50/bf.

Now, perhaps it's only a matter of personal taste, but I think
butternut is a very attractive and easily worked hardwood. I just
cannot figure out why on earth it would cost less than spruce!

Anyone able to fill in the gaps for me? Is there something nasty
about butternut I'm not aware of, or is it just underrated? I would
have thought maple would be the cheap stuff- it grows like a weed
around here, but I've never seen a butternut tree in these parts.


Why is it "underrated"? Well, probably because it's not widely available.
I've lived in MD and AZ and never seen it at a local lumber yard.

Norm

Butternut is attractive and a decent choice for furniture, carving,
and veneer. Some folks call it "white walnut" but it is lightweight
and soft for a hardwood. It works easier than either hard or soft
maple, has a course tecture and stains/finishes well. It grows in
Canada and the US. Not sure the reasons it is underrated, but a wood
in less demand will have a lower cost. Using butternut for a tabletop
might not be as good as maple as it will dent more easily. I would
not hesitate to construct a cabinet or chest of drawers from
butternut. Nice wood.

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 06:18:44 -0500, Prometheus
wrote:

Hello all,

When I went to the local hardwood supplier this week to get a piece of
butternut for my wife to use with her scroll saw, I had to do a
double-take. I get contractor prices, but even so- the butternut was
only $1.81/bf. For comparison, the 2/4 soft maple I grabbed at the
same time was well over $2.50/bf.

Now, perhaps it's only a matter of personal taste, but I think
butternut is a very attractive and easily worked hardwood. I just
cannot figure out why on earth it would cost less than spruce!

Anyone able to fill in the gaps for me? Is there something nasty
about butternut I'm not aware of, or is it just underrated? I would
have thought maple would be the cheap stuff- it grows like a weed
around here, but I've never seen a butternut tree in these parts.

Phisherman wrote:
Butternut is attractive and a decent choice for furniture, carving,
and veneer. Some folks call it "white walnut" but it is lightweight
and soft for a hardwood. It works easier than either hard or soft
maple, has a course tecture and stains/finishes well. It grows in
Canada and the US. Not sure the reasons it is underrated, but a wood
in less demand will have a lower cost. Using butternut for a tabletop
might not be as good as maple as it will dent more easily. I would
not hesitate to construct a cabinet or chest of drawers from
butternut. Nice wood.

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 06:18:44 -0500, Prometheus
wrote:

Hello all,

When I went to the local hardwood supplier this week to get a piece of
butternut for my wife to use with her scroll saw, I had to do a
double-take. I get contractor prices, but even so- the butternut was
only $1.81/bf. For comparison, the 2/4 soft maple I grabbed at the
same time was well over $2.50/bf.

Now, perhaps it's only a matter of personal taste, but I think
butternut is a very attractive and easily worked hardwood. I just
cannot figure out why on earth it would cost less than spruce!

Anyone able to fill in the gaps for me? Is there something nasty
about butternut I'm not aware of, or is it just underrated? I would
have thought maple would be the cheap stuff- it grows like a weed
around here, but I've never seen a butternut tree in these parts.


I recently read somewhere that butternut has been declining, IIRC, from
disease or insect damage(butternut is Juglans cinerea vs. black walnut,
or Juglans nigra, which makes calling butternut white walnut more
understandable).

On 5 Jun 2005 11:36:41 -0700, "Charlie Self"
wrote:

I recently read somewhere that butternut has been declining, IIRC, from
disease or insect damage(butternut is Juglans cinerea vs. black walnut,
or Juglans nigra, which makes calling butternut white walnut more
understandable).

That may be the answer to the low price right there... I know that MI
has been cutting a lot of Ash to prevent the spread of the emerald ash
borer, and the prices have gone down quite a bit as a result of a lot
of it being on the market. I hadn't heard anything about butternut,
though. I guess I'll be stocking up, just in case!