Apple Tree

[Nai84]

Hey Everyone

Just wondering if anyones if apple trees are any good for wood turning as I know a bloke who is gonna to get rid of his and he asked me if I wanted it of course I said yes coz anything free is good so I just wanted to pick your brains and see if it is any good or not

Ian

[underfoot]

Not sure about turning but most fruit woods are great for carving

[mkypenturner]

yep id take it i got some spalted apple from the USA lsdt year looks great so if you do grab it try and get some of it to spalt

[oldiephred]

Slow to dry but very nice to turn.

[rsser]

FWIW I've found fruit and nut woods darn hard to dry without splitting.

But if the apple tree died and sat for a while that's less of a prob but you can expect degrade due to worms, rot etc.

[hughie]

FWIW I've found fruit and nut woods darn hard to dry without splitting.

Yeah, kinda give em a miss as well myself for the same reasons.

[PAH1]

I find that it is the sapwood that causes the problems. It seems better in board form than blanks.

[Nai84]

Hey Guys

Thanks for the feed back I think I will take it anyway as it is free and any thing that is free is good not sure if it alive or dead

Ian

[issatree]

Hi Nai84,
I have not had such a problem of Apple Splitting, maybe I'm just Lucky. Very good, very hard, but beautiful to Turn. Makes great Handles.
So you would like some Spalted Apple.
Find a good Plastic Bag, something that would take about 14in.- 360mm. by 75mm. about 1 1/2 cups of water, close the bag, try to take most of the Air Out, Date the bag, & see what happens in, say 4 months.
One Turner here in Geelong, used to wrap his Wood in wet Newspaper, then keep wrapping, tape it up, dated it & just left it, & some time, much later, when he thought about it, he would take it out. Magnificent in the centre.

Now there is a risk here, when Turning Spalted Wood, as the Flying Dust has Hooks on it, & when you breathe it in the Hooks stick to your Lungs.
This is Hearsay, but supposedly True ?.
Regards,
issatree.

[Nai84]

Hey issatree

Thanks that sounds like fun I will give it ago when I get it, What about making pen will that be possible at all

Ian

[issatree]

Hi Ian,
Yes, but it will have to be dry first.

Here is another way. You will need to take your Microwave outside.
A set of Good Kitchen Scales, that will measure in Grams.
Weigh the piece of wood, write the weight on the wood, with a texta will do.
You use 1 minute for every 100grams. I've always left the M/wave on High.
A couple sheets of Kitchen Paper to sit the Wood on as it will absorb the water from the wood.
Let it stand for a while ( Cool Off ). Weigh it again, & write the weight again.
Just keep doing this, until the weight is Stable.
You do lose the colour, by doing it this way, you can't have everything.
This is not my idea, but somebody else's. Have used it many times.
Keep a eye on the M/wave at all times, just in case.
Regards,
issatree.

[Paul39]

By splitting the block in half or quarters some of the tension is released and lets the sap wood shrink. Making the blocks twice as long as wide lets you cut off the end grain splitting.

Cut blocks of the size you want, wait overnight or until a split begins in the end grain, drive a wedge in the split. Paint the end grain and put in cool dry place, or wrap in several layers of newspaper and put in a cool dry place, or boil in water and let surface dry and put in newspapers and cool dry place, or soak in 1 /2 dish detergent and 1/2 water for a couple of months surface dry and wrap in newspapers and put in cool dry place, or microwave, or rough turn wet and wrap in newspapers and put in cool dry place.

My experience with any or all the above, some crack and some don't.

For spalting, bug holes, etc. throw a few pieces of split block on the ground behind the shed and try turning after a month or two or four. If you are over run with termites, maybe not such a good idea.

[QC Inspector]

Hi Nai84,

Now there is a risk here, when Turning Spalted Wood, as the Flying Dust has Hooks on it, & when you breathe it in the Hooks stick to your Lungs.
This is Hearsay, but supposedly True ?.
Regards,
issatree.

Protect yourself by hanging the loop side of velcro across the bottom of your safety glasses in front of your nose. Grabs them all!!!

Pete

[Nai84]

Hey Guys

Thanks for all the info that is gonna help me heaps

Hey issatree

What do you me by balanced and how do know if its can you give an example of what you are talking about. When I get this tree would you like some issatree

Ian

[issatree]

Hi Ian,
Thanks for the wood offer, but no thanks, as I have more timber than I will ever turn.

I'm sorry, but I never used the word " balanced " so now, I don't know what you mean.
Maybe it was some one else.
Regards,
issatree.