I just finished making a couple of small objects out of apple, and
it is really nifty stuff. Beautiful color, and the wood polishes
by itself. Anyway, I have an apple I was going to cut for firewood, but
part of the trunk is quite straight (i.e., you could saw it). However,
there is noticeable spiral grain, probably because the tree leaned for
most of its life. Would it be hopeless to try to cut boards out of it?
My suspicion is that the boards would come off the saw like potato
chips. What do you all think?
I would expect the boards to twist. If I remember my reading right, one
way to put it is that the grain lines try to straighten themselves out.
That's one reason quartersawn wood is stable; the lines of the grain
are pretty straight to begin with.
But I bet you could minimize it by drying it with a lot of weight on it
so it didn't have a chance to twist, and by cutting it thick enough
that you could flatten it without making it paper thin. And by cutting
it into shorter boards.
I'd go for it, just to see what happened. :-)
In article <[email protected]>, RM MS
<[email protected]> wrote:
> you people read too much and carve too little. It will be a revelation
> for each of you to see how few tools you need when you actually get down
> and do this stuff every day. Stay IN your shop and OUT of the magazines
Bite me, you arrogant pedant.
On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 21:40:44 -0700, "Frank Drackman"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>
>"RM MS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> you people read too much and carve too little. It will be a revelation
>> for each of you to see how few tools you need when you actually get down
>> and do this stuff every day. Stay IN your shop and OUT of the magazines
>>
>
>
>There are many ways to be a woodworker. Some people focus on the tool
>collection side of things and are perfectly happy. Others talk about how
>much money they make, how many hours a day they cut wood, and give advice
>about the correct way to be a woodworker...
>
>
Nicely said. My language would have been more pointed.
"RM MS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> you people read too much and carve too little. It will be a revelation
> for each of you to see how few tools you need when you actually get down
> and do this stuff every day. Stay IN your shop and OUT of the magazines
>
There are many ways to be a woodworker. Some people focus on the tool
collection side of things and are perfectly happy. Others talk about how
much money they make, how many hours a day they cut wood, and give advice
about the correct way to be a woodworker...
> In article <[email protected]>, RM MS
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> you people read too much and carve too little. It will be a revelation
>> for each of you to see how few tools you need when you actually get down
>> and do this stuff every day. Stay IN your shop and OUT of the magazines
Are you promoting illiteracy??
In article <[email protected]>, Scott
Lurndal <[email protected]> wrote:
> Do be careful to wax or paint the ends, apple tends to check
> when dried.
Apple starts to check pretty much the moment it's cut, and it twists
like a greased squid on glass.
Dave Balderstone wrote:
> Apple starts to check pretty much the moment it's cut, and it twists
> like a greased squid on glass.
Is that a Dan Ratherism?
Squid - I can visualize that.
Greased - also familiar.
Everyone knows what glass looks like.
Greased squid on glass?
I have a head ache.
But back to apple wood - makes great carver's mallets
and probably nice handles for chisels and turning tools.
Definitely keep it, burn the scraps, but keep it.
charlie b
"RonB" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> After saying that it is probably blasphemous to suggest that it makes good
> firewood. It lights easily, burns kind of fast but leaves a great aroma.
Think barbecue, smoked ribs or chicken, bacon, etc.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/
"[email protected]" <[email protected]> writes:
>I would expect the boards to twist. If I remember my reading right, one
>way to put it is that the grain lines try to straighten themselves out.
>That's one reason quartersawn wood is stable; the lines of the grain
>are pretty straight to begin with.
>
>But I bet you could minimize it by drying it with a lot of weight on it
>so it didn't have a chance to twist, and by cutting it thick enough
>that you could flatten it without making it paper thin. And by cutting
>it into shorter boards.
>
>I'd go for it, just to see what happened. :-)
>
Do be careful to wax or paint the ends, apple tends to check
when dried.
scott
It smells good too. I have turned apple but have not done any other
woodwork with it. It turns well and some of the stock near the roots and
crotches can be quite pretty. I suspect it is a little soft for some
woodworking projects other than decorative.
After saying that it is probably blasphemous to suggest that it makes good
firewood. It lights easily, burns kind of fast but leaves a great aroma.
It makes GREAT smoking wood (cf "firewood") too.
And applewood is well known for use as the backs (fronts?) for
fiddles.
My counsel:
1. Keep the trunk, dry it out, hope for the best. What you got to
lose?
2. Dry out the branches, &tc. Cut them into "chunks" and use them to
bbq (check out the barbeque newsgroup, they'll know what to do, eh'
Edwin?).
-Zz
On Wed, 19 Apr 2006 20:09:10 -0500, "RonB" <[email protected]> wrote:
>It smells good too. I have turned apple but have not done any other
>woodwork with it. It turns well and some of the stock near the roots and
>crotches can be quite pretty. I suspect it is a little soft for some
>woodworking projects other than decorative.
>
>After saying that it is probably blasphemous to suggest that it makes good
>firewood. It lights easily, burns kind of fast but leaves a great aroma.
>
>