{"id":2721,"date":"2019-11-09T17:43:09","date_gmt":"2019-11-09T22:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/?p=2721"},"modified":"2019-11-10T15:28:07","modified_gmt":"2019-11-10T20:28:07","slug":"claro-walnut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woodturningpens.com\/claro-walnut\/","title":{"rendered":"Claro Walnut"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Geographic Distribution<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The wood most commonly known as Claro Walnut is known to botanists as Juglans hindsii<\/em>.  J. hindsii<\/em> is historically native to a range from the San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley to the Inner Northern California Coast Ranges and San Francisco Bay Area, in northern California.  The tree grows in riparian woodlands, either in mono-species stands, or mixed with California oak species (Quercus spp.<\/em>) and Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii<\/em>) trees.<\/p>\n

To add a layer of confusion, there is an additional walnut tree native to California, and there is debate as to whether there are two separate species or simply varieties of a single species.  This second California native walnut tree is known to botanists as Juglans californica<\/em>.  J. californica<\/em> is generally found in the southern California Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges, and the Central Valley. It grows as part of mixed woodlands, and also on slopes and in valleys wherever conditions are favorable. Some native stands remain in urban Los Angeles in the Santa Monica Mountains and Hollywood Hills. J. californica<\/em> grows in riparian woodlands, either in single species stands or mixed with California’s oaks (Quercus spp.<\/em>) and cottonwoods (P. fremontii<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Most, if not all, Claro Walnut found for sale will be J. hindsii<\/em> due to its common use as a nursery graft stock for the commercial growth of English Walnuts (Juglans regia<\/em>) in northern California.<\/p>\n

For the sake of simplicity I will refer to J. hindsii and J. californica<\/em> from here forward simply as Claro Walnut.<\/p>\n

General Characteristics<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Claro Walnut heartwood shows a range of colors from a light pale brown to a very dark chocolate brown with even darker, almost black, streaks.  Color variations and casts can include gray, purple, and\/or red.  In contrast, the sapwood of Claro Walnut is almost white and it clearly demarcated.<\/p>\n

Wood obtained from orchard trees that have been grafted with J. regia, or English Walnut for nut production, have a highly colorful and heavily figured section with streaks of color near the graft.  These graft junctions are highly sought after by wood workers of all types, especially for gun stocks, and is sometimes referred to as “marbled Claro Walnut.”<\/p>\n

Claro Walnut can also display figure such as curls, crotch, and burl even when not harvested from the graft line.<\/p>\n

The grain on a piece of Claro Walnut will generally be straight but there can be irregularities on occasion.  Claro Walnut features a medium texture and moderate natural luster.<\/p>\n

Claro Walnut is very resistant to rot but it is susceptible to attack by insects.<\/p>\n

Working Characteristics<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Claro Walnut is usually very easy to work with both hand and motor powered tools, assuming that the grain is straight and regular.  However, irregular and\/or figured grain may lead to tearout during planing.<\/p>\n

Claro Walnut glues well.  While Claro Walnut is almost never stained because of the intensity of the natural color, Claro Walnut will stain well if so desired.  Claro Walnut also takes a nice finish.<\/p>\n

There is a faint but distinct odor to Claro Walnut that isn’t unpleasant but instead mildly sweet and spicy.<\/p>\n

Pricing and Availability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you are seeking plain and unfigured Claro Walnut you shouldn’t expect to pay a great deal more than for eastern Black Walnut (J. nigra).  If, however, you are seeking curly, marbled, crotch, or burl figured wood you should expect the wood to be VERY expensive.  Figured Claro Walnut is highly sought after by woodworkers for making gunstocks and turned items.<\/p>\n

In this blog, I almost always recommend several vendors with whom I have done considerable business and in whom I have great confidence.  These vendors are: West Penn Hardwoods<\/a>, Bell Forest Products<\/a>, NC Wood<\/a>, WoodTurningz<\/a>, Amazon Exotic Hardwoods<\/a>, Griffin Exotic Wood<\/a>, Exotic Woods USA<\/a>, Got Wood?<\/a>, and Wood Turning Blanks 4U.<\/a><\/p>\n

None of the above suppliers sell Claro Walnut and this isn’t surprising since the above dealers are all located in the eastern United States, home to most of the nation’s hardwood species that are commonly used in wood working, but not home to Claro Walnut.  That said, Claro Walnut isn’t especially hard to find.  A simple Internet search will reveal numerous small dealers located in the range of Claro Walnut, most selling old orchard stock.  These dealers often sell specific individual pieces so you’ll know exactly what you are getting.  If you are in the area in which Claro Walnut grows it is worth the time to visit dealers in person to choose exactly the piece you want considering the prices you are likely to pay.<\/p>\n

If all else fails, Rockler<\/a> does sell Claro Walnut turning blanks of unknown quality, color, or figure.<\/p>\n

Beware of buying Claro Walnut that is not dried.  Claro Walnut often has pockets of moisture that can create problems of warp and cracking even when the material seems dry.  Reputable dealers should have a good idea about the relative dryness of the material they sell.<\/p>\n

Woodfinder<\/a> is an excellent website that is dedicated to advertising wood dealers.  In your search for Claro Walnut, this can be an invaluable resource provided you use multiple search terms to capture all the possible listings.  I can’t speak to the quality of any of the listed dealers, but Woodfinder does have the advantage of allowing searches to be performed based on location which might allow an interested buyer to visit a listed wood dealer in person to hand pick pieces at a comfortable price.<\/p>\n

A significant problem with using Woodfinder is that many vendors are listed for woods that, upon further investigation, they do not offer.  I don’t know if perhaps once they did and they didn’t update their listings or if some vendors use a standardized list of woods that include most everything conceivable with the idea that once you land on their page you will find something you want to buy even if you didn’t know it beforehand.  It happens to me all the time!<\/p>\n

Uses<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Claro Walnut is most commonly used in the making of furniture, cabinetry, gunstocks, musical instruments (especially guitars), veneer, turned items, and other small wooden objects and novelties.<\/p>\n

Sustainability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Claro Walnut is not listed as being endangered by the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendices<\/a> BUT it does appear on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List<\/a> as Vulnerable and it is listed as Seriously Endangered on the California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Inventory.<\/p>\n

Thus far the IUCN listing has not resulted in controls on the sale and distribution of Claro, and to the best of my knowledge, Claro Walnut is not subject to any additional special restrictions by any United States government agency.<\/p>\n

It is worthwhile to consider why the IUCN has listed Claro Walnut as Vulnerable.  The IUCN is classifying the NATURALLY occurring and NATIVE stocks of Claro Walnut, in both northern and southern California to be Vulnerable to extinction.  In fact, it is believed that there is only one native stand of Claro Walnut left in all of northern California although there are specimen trees both in the wild and in home gardens.  Claro Walnut might be vulnerable in the wild but it is widely cultivated by nurseries specializing in California native plants and it is widely used, as noted before, as the root stock on to which English Walnut is grafted for commercial nut production.  This grafting is done because using a native root stock naturally adapted to the soils and weathers of the area results in a much stronger and productive tree than would be the case for an un-grafted English Walnut.<\/p>\n

The reasons for the vulnerability of the native stocks include hybridization with orchard trees, urbanization, and habitat conversion to agriculture.  Over the last three generations this has resulted in a population reduction of 20% and the remaining Claro Walnut trees are in fragmented and diminished ranges.<\/p>\n

The case of Claro Walnut provides an example where knowing the source of the wood we work with is important.  Claro Walnut originating from the root stock of orchard trees or from home gardens is NOT endangered or vulnerable because it is constantly renewed and replaced with nursery stock.  However, Claro Walnut harvested from the wild is vulnerable and would perhaps be a material that we would choose not to work with because of its status.<\/p>\n

I realize that inherent in working with wood is the killing of a part of the natural world that may be slow to return and if I become deeply concerned about this fact, I will have to find a new hobby.  I hope that such a time does not come to pass or at least not any time soon.  In part because I am concerned about legally and responsibly obtained wood, I am reluctant to buy from sellers outside of well-established and known vendors.  I am highly unlikely, for example, to purchase any wood from auction sites, such as Ebay, because of uncertain sourcing and documentation, as well as the potential, even likelihood, of material being misidentified in order to achieve a higher selling price.<\/p>\n

However, due to the commercial scarcity of some woods, resorting to auction sites such as Ebay or Etsy may be the only way to obtain some desirable domestic, or in some cases exotic imported, species that are not routinely commercially harvested.  The potential risks of buying in these marketplaces have to be balanced against the desire to work with a specific species of wood.  That is inherently an individual decision.<\/p>\n

I also realize that many, if not most, wood workers do not have endangered species lists memorized, therefore I think it worthwhile and important to do even a small amount of research before purchasing any lumber, domestic as well as imported, to be certain of the potential impact you are having, even in a small way, on threatened or endangered populations.  This information is easy to come by and takes only minutes to locate through any Internet search engine, including those you can access on your phone as you are standing in the lumber yard or store.  Unfortunately, you simply cannot count on a vendor to tell you a product they are selling is endangered.<\/p>\n

Health Hazards<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In addition to the usual hazards posed by wood dust, it is important to note that other species in the Juglans<\/em> genus (such as Black, and English Walnut) have been reported as sensitizers, and Claro Walnut is likely to generate similar allergic reactions. The most common reactions are eye and skin irritation. It is also important to note that other sources list Claro Walnut as a severe allergen.  As always, caution is essential until you are certain you are not sensitive to Claro Walnut.<\/p>\n

It is important to remember that although many people may, or may not, be sensitive to any given wood, the only experience that truly counts is your own, so use reported side effects as guidance but not as a substitute for cautious and safe practices.<\/p>\n

Appropriate protective equipment is therefore always recommended when working with this, or any other, wood, exotic or domestic, unless you have worked with the species before and are certain you are not sensitive to it.<\/p>\n

Complete information about health hazards<\/a> associated with a wide variety of exotic hardwoods is available from The Wood Database<\/a>.  Additional information about how to best use a dust collection system and personal protective equipment, such as respirators, can also be found through this excellent and comprehensive resource<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, I experienced no negative side effects when working with Claro Walnut.<\/p>\n

My Personal Experiences<\/h2>\n

Claro Walnut remains one of my all-time favorite woods with which to work.  It cuts beautifully, it smells sweet, and it sands to a beautiful luster quickly and easily.  Claro Walnut almost always has interesting figure and often ribbons of chatoyance as well.  Claro Walnut is a stunning wood that is stunning easy to work with.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Claro Walnut Platter<\/p><\/div>\n

All of the work on the Claro Walnut was done on my Robust American Beauty lathe<\/a> using Easy Wood Tools<\/a> cutters.  Sanding was with Gold and Green Wave discs from Packard Woodworks<\/a>.  Nova<\/a> chucks and jaws were used for holding the piece while working the interior. The platter was reversed on to an Easy Chuck with Big Easy Jaws from Easy Wood Tools.  The Claro Walnut bowl was beautifully finished using Watco Medium Walnut Danish Oil.<\/a><\/p>\n

As always, I wish all my readers a great experience in whatever your wood working interests happen to be and to those who like working with lathes especially, do a good turn today!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The case of Claro Walnut provides an example where knowing the source of the wood we work with is important. Claro Walnut originating from the root stock of orchard trees or from home gardens is NOT endangered or vulnerable because it is constantly renewed and replaced with nursery stock. However, Claro Walnut harvested from the wild is vulnerable and would perhaps be a material that we would choose not to work with because of its status.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":2710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[135,128,136,137,129,138,139,130],"tags":[154,168,171,181,183,200,204,210,230,239,240,241,244,247],"yoast_head":"\nClaro Walnut - Wood Turning Pens ..<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Claro Walnut is an increasingly rare native California tree that has found a new life as the root stock for commercial walnut trees. 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