Thread: Former apple orchard timber

Congratulations on a good score. Last year I obtained some banksia about the same size. Banksia is a notoriously unstable timber and I dried it in a similar way to yours for about a year. It did warp a little, but no splitting, and after a year it seems pretty stable, so I reckon you should work on about the same for your apple.
Fruit woods typically have excellent figure, and some types are in demand by carvers, and by potters for their tools.

You do realize that this has now caused a problem or two dont you?... I mean the bloody great pine is comin down the camphor laurel is coming down the elm is coming down the pear tree is coming down the nectarine tree is coming down... and she thought the apple tree was safe!!

Great score

Cheers

G'day Ed

The general rule with racking timber is to have you racking sticks start and end on the very ends of the timber and spaced about 5" to 6" apart and to make sure that all the racking sticks are line.
As for drying 1" per year plus one year, so you would be looking at being able to use it in about two years time

Cheers DJ

The one inch per year is a pretty conservative rule of thumb. If you follow it, your wood WILL be dry. But depending on species / climate it may be much faster.

If you dont have a moisture meter then you can use digital scales to judge how dry your wood is.

Weigh a board and note down the weight, the more accurate the better. Weigh it again after a week, it should be lighter as it has lost water. Carry on weighing and putting it back in the stack, eventually it will stop loosing weight and then just fluctuate depending on the weather. At this point it's basically as dry as it's going to get in that environment.

At a guess I would say it will probably be fine to use in 6-9 months (fastest drying is in the summer warmth)

Placing the sticks right at the end of the boards is recommended as the pressure on the end of the plank + the stick covering that area of the board and slowing drying there can reduce the end splitting that may happen.

Cheers

Ian

Thanks for the advice fellas, I reckon I'll re-stack it when I get some time to eliminate the overhang. While I'm at it I might paint the ends, too.

I know what you mean about trees being in danger, Dingo! There's an eighty year old deodar cedar with a ten-metre, dead straight, 3' diameter limbless trunk that I've been ogling for years, but I could never bring myself to chop down such a beautiful tree (did manage to get a few nice boxes out of some limbs that came down, though!).

Hi edwin,

Welcome to the forums, In case they didn't tell you at Otto's the ends of the timber need to be sealed as well. I believe that MIK International have green wood sealer. This will reduce the liklyhood of "end checking" as the timber dries.

Stickering right upto the ends is recomended, also weights on top to stop the thing from warping especially on thinner stuff.

Have a look at the photos in the following to see how these blokes do it.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=34947

Himzo.

Absolutely definantly sticker and weight it!! No matter how big it is do it!!

Ive got some 10ftx 8in x 6in Kapur that Id left in trust to my son to sticker and weight while I was away dumb idea that as hes a typical 19 year old and was to busy with his car and chickybabe to remember... and its now got the sweetest bow to it :eek:

But not to let the side down I cut down a mock orange the other month... nope no tree is sacred when I have a chainsaw in my hands! and it was kinda winkin at me and its leaves were sayin in a real sexy voice "you know you need me you know you want me" and I caved in sigh... that flamin Wendy and her woodlistenin an talkin!! ... and so I took some inside and ripped it down on the bandsaw... then got sorta kinda busy with something else then buggared of back to the mine and well sorta forgot the stack of pieces of mock orange sitting on the bench Ive noticed some sweet bows there to by gar

Im tempted to walk around like the old traveling minstrals used to... instead of a lyre or guitar strapped to my back havin me trusty chainsaw ready for any tree that needs serinadin!! Id be sure to travel down one particular road that I just know theres a whole bunch of REALLY old Olive trees that do some SERIOUS whisperin every time I wander past

Originally Posted by Edwin

Thanks for the advice fellas, I reckon I'll re-stack it when I get some time to eliminate the overhang. While I'm at it I might paint the ends, too.

YES! Fruitwoods are lovely stuff, but in general they're extremely susceptible to checking. Definitely paint the ends before stickering and restack on a fairly regular basis, say every 2 - 4 weeks... and while yer at it weigh and visually inspect for mould & splits. It will be worth the effort.

BTW, almost all fruitwoods are considered "food safe," so even if the wood splits too badly to make larger items from, it's great stuff for making salad servers, etc. from. Waste not, want not.

Sorry Edwin, bad news!

They are no good to you..... to problematic.

Look, I'll do ya a favour, if ya send them to me I'll look after them for ya...... Honest!!!