I’ve been working on this walnut horse for over a month now, and couldn’t resist rubbing one coat of oil in after sanding all day to see what colors arise. I have loved working with this walnut, and am so glad to have tried something new! I always thought walnut would be very hard to work with. What I found is that it is harder than poplar, but that means it doesn’t splinter as much, and it’s a little more predictable. It is like carving into a block of frozen chocolate, whereas poplar is like carving into a mealy apple. Well, maybe not that bad. I still like the poplar, but the feel of slicing the walnut is great fun!

With this reclaimed lumber, none of my grains match up very well, but I enjoy all the variety and seeing the different lines and colors. Maybe I’ll try harder in the future to use colors that are more similar. But for now I really love this one, and it will be very unique! I still have the rockers to finish, and the mane to install. And then lots more oil and buffing! Here’s a sneak peek for now!

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