Problems with apple cracking FAST!

[pyrocasto]

The other day I was turning up some more Apple that I got quite a few months back. The logs 24" or so in diameter and 3 feet long have been sitting out side basically unsealed(sealer didnt work of course). I cut some down to blanks and started turning. I noticed some checks on the piece so I cut it down more. By the time I got one section of the piece carved the section I had just worked on(about 30 seconds ago) is already checked again. It was driving me a bit insane. Wood checking before I could finish the cut let alone sanding(was gonna let this piece dry, no rough turn).

Any reason it's doing this I dont know about?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[MichaelMouse]

It's been under a lot of stress. Orchardists are interested in fruit, not wood production, which causes them to prune in ways that can change pressure on the trunk from year to year. The most stable wood is the stuff from the forest, where it has to fight for light and sheds branches fast, though even there there's no guarantee. Volunteers make the best turnings, because they lack the human-induced stress.

Not that apple's a prize in drying characteristics anyway. Honeycomb is the most common, happening in areas of grain reversal, and then there's the brown rot and occasional white rot and/or voids from overgrown limbs, which persist longer in apple.

No solutions, just acknowledgement of the problem. I split and use for spoons.

 

[john lucas]

Try spraying with water frequently. I've had some success with other woods that check badly by keeping them wet while I turn. I use a spray bottle. Doesn't happen as much now because I turn so much faster than I used to.

 

[Richard Baker]

Or pat frequently with moist sponge. More drippy but less overspray that way.