I agree with him too. Black walnut is a better choice. Black walnut has a much larger heartwood and less sapwood which fits for your 7" d sphere in a log that's about 8-9 diameter.
http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/juni.html
http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/juni.html
I showed the large sphere to a good friend that does woodworking. He thought it was black walnut. Looking more at the color, grain, and pics, I believe he's correct. I think this is black walnut.
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