On Wed, 4 Jul 2007 10:15:20 -0400, "Jimmy"
wrote:

I've bought walnut, but never ran into black walnut. I can get a deal on
some but wanted to know if it is much darker, harder to work with, etc.
Also what would be the best way to finish walnut without making it darker? I
know it will darken some on its own but I don't want to help it along. Gonna
try some ideas on scrap today, just wanted some input.

Thanks


If you don't want dark, walnut is not a good choice. But, a light
wood can be finished with a dark stain, almost to being unrecognized.
Walnut can vary in color from gray-brown to purplish black, depending
on the location. There are several kinds of walnut, but if you are in
the USA it's most likely you have black walnut. If you have walnut
from Australia its workability is difficult, otherwise walnut (both
USA, Canada and European) is easily worked and finishes well. Walnut
dust is particularly bad to breathe, wear a good-fitting
mask/respirator. Nice for carving, turning, and veneer too.