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Wood "find"-"fiddleback apple"

G

Gretch Flo

Joined
Jun 9, 2004
Messages
1,223
Likes
49
Location
Haslett, Michigan
Yesterday while turning, the door bell rang, and Jim, an older tree trimmer (think his son runs the company now-Jim uses a cane. ) stopped by with a hunk of "flowering apple" (does it mean non fruit tree like crab apple???). Said a friend called and during the heavy snow storm in Nov. A horizontal large branch broke and Jim was asked to remove it. (same occurred to my apple, apple tree in the same storm) . He was cutting it up and said it had really crazy curl. He thinks of me whenever he has unusual or real good wood (gave me nice bk walnut 4-5 years ago too), and brought me the piece
So today in 50 degree sunshine (what a weird winter we have had), I got the chain saw Took advantage of the nice weather and cut up some other wood too. and most of it was the rich brown heartwood, with olts of closely spaced "stripes (fiddleback, vs curley Michael???)
I went back to the basement and made 3 bowls, 1/8" to 1/4" thick , 7-12" in diameter, from 2 of the slabs. There has been no tendency to split, except one piece close to a decayed pith. So am hoping there will not be any splitting.
Called Jim up after cutting up and asked if he had any more whole pieces, and he said 3-4. I got there 5 minutes later and he had 6, altho smaller-will cut up tomorrow I hope. He said he uses the bowl I gave him several years ago to distribute candy to the neighborhood kids about every day. Told him if all goes well, he'll be able to use 2 bowls now.
It was a nice day, Gretch🙂
 
Gretch, I'm sure I don't speak for myself only......but, if you can manage some pictures of your curly/fiddleback applewood, I'd be very much interested in taking a look.

🙂

ooc
 
pics

odie said:
Gretch, I'm sure I don't speak for myself only......but, if you can manage some pictures of your curly/fiddleback applewood, I'd be very much interested in taking a look.

🙂

ooc
Click to expand...
Odie-you don't know what a pain this is for me. I spent 2-3 hours the last 2 days trying to Get Raw photos into Jpeg of Xmas. Even printed some for the family but did not photo shop them yet. Downsizing I think is an issue -trial and error) Photoed and converted the jarrah burl I successfully restored (previous post) for my Australian friend (ozoned after fire, and I got the rich red back from a dull lite orange) I have hundreds of wood pics, still in raw.
Today I chain sawed up the 6 smaller pieces I got yesterday afternoon and stacked/staggered some to photo, and apply sealer. Forgot the photos!!!! They are in a wheel barrel in garage. May just go shoot some BUT, just for you I will do this. It's been a long time since I have put any pics into AAW forum. (that was before I got a fancy camera and have to use my brain-I hate that!!!) It will be a struggle, as I am eager to get to the basement!!!!
If someone could refresh my mind how to post the downsized pics, I would appreciate, as I am going to woodwork (after Photo op) !!!!! Gretch
 
Gretch Flo said:
Odie-you don't know what a pain this is for me. I spent 2-3 hours the last 2 days trying to Get Raw photos into Jpeg of Xmas. Even printed some for the family but did not photo shop them yet. Downsizing I think is an issue -trial and error) Photoed and converted the jarrah burl I successfully restored (previous post) for my Australian friend (ozoned after fire, and I got the rich red back from a dull lite orange) I have hundreds of wood pics, still in raw.
Today I chain sawed up the 6 smaller pieces I got yesterday afternoon and stacked/staggered some to photo, and apply sealer. Forgot the photos!!!! They are in a wheel barrel in garage. May just go shoot some BUT, just for you I will do this. It's been a long time since I have put any pics into AAW forum. (that was before I got a fancy camera and have to use my brain-I hate that!!!) It will be a struggle, as I am eager to get to the basement!!!!
If someone could refresh my mind how to post the downsized pics, I would appreciate, as I am going to woodwork (after Photo op) !!!!! Gretch
Click to expand...

Howdy again, Gretch........Sorry, if you've got other things to do, it's ok.

I'm really dumb when it comes to cameras, too.

If you can manage to get them into your computer files, then I believe the search function for downloading attachments is an automatic thing.

I'll defer to someone else more technical savvy than I am........😀

ooc
 
do you have photoshop? The camera you have should have a software to open raw files and convert to "tiffs". open the tiffs in photoshop and convert to jpeg. You might have to change the "bit" size from 16 to 8
 
Don't forget to check with your friends about the apple shavings. I got yelled at a while back at the local Stihl dealer, when I told the sales rep what I did with the apple cut offs and shavings. I now bag them up and drop them by and in return get free Jerky and smoked meat. I guess I could do it myself, but I would rather feed the fire pit on the back porch and stare at the flames while munching smores.
 
Gretch Flo said:
and most of it was the rich brown heartwood, with olts of closely spaced "stripes (fiddleback, vs curley Michael???)
Click to expand...

Just an obscure comment.......

There seems to be no real difference between "curly" and "fiddleback".......at least no prevailing consensus among this group of lathe turners.

It seems to me that the term "fiddleback" may have a certain appeal among potential purchasers of wood art, so using the term "fiddleback" in the description instead of "curly", may influence a sale.......

ooc
 
"fiddleback" apple pics

I hope they are here. I thought I had saved and converted a whole bunch of family pics from raw, and the shot yesterday wood pics but when I Photoshop, the converted pics aren't allowed. I did something wrong like when I closed Digital Photo Professional I didn't answer saying "no to all" per my instructions from a friend 2 years ago- I don't think I was given the option, Grrrrr. So my pics are the jpeg unconverted.
Disaster struck yesterday-the 3 pieces I did the day before were drying very quickly and spent yesterday sanding then grossly. I brought the beautiful, potato chip thin nat edged 9" bowl up stairs, and set on carpet to make room on my drying table, and one of my cats chose to race across the room sending the bowl about 3 feet and a 1" piece of bark came off-in 2 pieces. Took it to the basement to superglue, while swearing, and proceeded to lose one of the 2 pieces, and spent over a half hour with spot light and sifting thru chips under the lathe to try to find-to no avail.Grrrrrr😱Gretch
 

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2936 looks like it might be the genuine article. Was the other side of the piece the same? Reaction wood is generally on the lower side of the limb, and features smaller annual ring interval.

When I did some leaning aspen that my neighbor worried might come down on his cows, the curl inside the curve was fantastic. I'll go with the consensus and take fiddleback as close-interval figure in the interest of understanding, rather than strike out alone into confusion.

FWIW, some limb (fire)wood, lower side. Alcohol wipe almost evaporated before I could snap. http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/GoodOnesGone/While-The-Glue-Dries.jpg
 
fiddleback

MichaelMouse said:
2936 looks like it might be the genuine article. Was the other side of the piece the same? Reaction wood is generally on the lower side of the limb, and features smaller annual ring interval.

FWIW, some limb (fire)wood, lower side. Alcohol wipe almost evaporated before I could snap. http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d160/GoodOnesGone/While-The-Glue-Dries.jpg
Click to expand...

The "curl "was in all the logs I cut (1 large the first day was about 14" diameter with pith in middle alto a little hole in it) . The next day when I retrieved the rest ( 6 pieces) that were smaller and some branches, the curl was thruout, and some of the piths were eccentric. The bark showed no tendency to be wavy as some bottom side of branches do.
Odie-guess I'll call them Fiddleback to increase the price!!!, Like chautouency rather than shimmer or figure etc, Gretch
 
odie said:
Just an obscure comment.......

There seems to be no real difference between "curly" and "fiddleback".......at least no prevailing consensus among this group of lathe turners.

It seems to me that the term "fiddleback" may have a certain appeal among potential purchasers of wood art, so using the term "fiddleback" in the description instead of "curly", may influence a sale.......

ooc
Click to expand...

The term "fiddleback" comes from the use curley woods on the back of, what else, fiddles. Luthiers use curly woods for both appearance and sound quality. So, you might be able to use the term in marketing.
 
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