Need Advice on Apple Tree

[jpscroller]

I have been offered an apple tree which is about 12-14 inches in diameter. It blew over in a recent storm. It is still alive and producing apples, but the owner plans to cut it up after harvesting the apples. Is this a good wood to turn? Any thing I need to know about it like what projects might work well with it, drying, storing, etc.? Thanks for the help.

Jeff

 

[n7bsn]

It cracks badly... I'm fighting that now. As soon as you cut it, coat it. Keep it coated. I would try turnging it green and crossing your fingers

 

[DMcIvor]

apple tree

Apple is terrific wood to turn. Green apple wood throws off beautiful long shavings. The color of the wood is variable, often showing a great range of contrast from white to chocolate brown in a single piece. The wood does want to check and crack if left in the log. I have had little trouble with it once rough turned (unusual among woods in my very dry climate). It does move quite a bit in the drying process, so if rough turning leave yourself ample stock to get a round piece out of the dried wood.

Apple wood has interlocking grain and in addition to producing beautiful face turnings, it is strong and well suited to handles, mallets, rolling pins, and so on.

Good luck!

Don McIvor
Carson City, NV

 

[DeanGThomas]

And maybe turning something nice for the guy giving you the tree would get you more in the end. :cool2:

The stuff I've seen turned from apple has been lovely. Most fruit and nut woods produce great wood. And the bits and pieces are GREAT for smoking pork. GREAT!!!!! Use a little apple juice in the basting juice and in the water pan for even more flavor. Gooooooood barbecue! 😀

 

[Frank Kobilsek]

Jeff,

I have had more trouble with apple than any other wood. Success came with piece I rough turned within a few days of the tree coming down. Coated and bagged each piece. Logs don't keep well at all for bowls but an old (two weeks) cracked log can yeild smaller stock or boxes or stoppers.

My only attempt at boiling was on apple and it worked.

Apple moves more than anything else I have tried. I had a small bowl actually walk across our mantel. Over a weeks time it traveled about 3" before it settled down.

Frank

 

[jbburgoon]

One thing you might try is storing the smaller turnings in a zip lock bag with some of the shavings. Punch a few small holes in the bag. This has bee one of my attempts to slow down the drying process to reduce splitting and checking.

 

[Ziffy]

I love turning apple! A neighbor of mine took down a good size tree a few years back, and the logs have been sitting since. I've grabbed all I can... Since it's been sitting, it's nice and spalted with many, varied colors in the wood. But..., it is murder trying to keep from splitting. I've only gotten several pieces that you wouldn't call small. but I've turned many nice tops, bottle stoppers, ornaments, and some small bowls. Love to turn it!

Brian

 

[pyrocasto]

Apple is my favorite to turn so far. Only green, and boiled afterwards because it likes to warp. With boil method on them zero cracks so far.

Here's a pretty piece I recieved recently, though after it's finished the sap wood gets a little more pink in it and doesnt look as bright yellow.

http://www.woodturner.org/photopost...4ee806d3e935c05ae6ae09c&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

 

[PapaDoc]

I like the turning process with apple but have had a horrible time with cracking. The cracked vessels make wonderful firewood for my bbq, however.

 

[TurningDog]

I love to turn apple and on the rare occassions I get it, I chainsaw it into quickly useable sections and prepared blanks exposing as much of the inside as I can and do something very rare for me, I anchor seal the ends. This take pretty good care of the pre-turning cracking. I deal with any cracking during turning or after on a case by case basis, but with good prep work and deciding what the blanks will become and the size and shape I want them as soon as the logs arive in my yard and working quickly once I start a piece goes a long way in preventing any post turning cracks.