Apple Tree logs..

[Dennis McGarry]

Ok, I have a question for the masters here.

Last year I had to remove a old apple tree that was in the way of some progress here. :)

I saved a lot of the large stumps and limbs, and also cut a lot into roughly 2-3In dia 2 foot long logs. (I love the apple smoke when bbqing..

Now for the heck of it today, I brought one inside and put her on the lathe to see if I could turn in down. Well once I removed the bark, some beautiful wood grain was waiting underneath.

Now for the question, what is the best way to finish drying this wood so I could use it in pens? It has been outside for about 9-10 months now. The ends are cut, but the bark is still on them..

Thanks for the help in advance.

[Ryan Baker]

Cut it down into oversized balnks, say 1" square or so. Get it sealed well (Anchorseal or something), wrap it up in brown paper and put it away to dry. You need it to dry very slowly if you want it to stay useable. There are other methods that attempt to speed the process with varying degrees of success.

[Burt Alcantara]

If the wood has weathered for 10 months outside and you still have something that resembles a log, you must be blessed by the Gods of the Apple Trees. I have logs slowly drying in a dark dry place sealed with thick layers of AnchorSeal and they have split like they were buried with C4.

If you want to speed up drying, especially for pens, I'd say cut them to size then give them a bath in DNA. Won't take but an hour or so. Let them dry out and you should be ready to turn within a week.

Just my TARP cents,
Burt

[Dennis McGarry]

If the wood has weathered for 10 months outside and you still have something that resembles a log, you must be blessed by the Gods of the Apple Trees. I have logs slowly drying in a dark dry place sealed with thick layers of AnchorSeal and they have split like they were buried with C4.

If you want to speed up drying, especially for pens, I'd say cut them to size then give them a bath in DNA. Won't take but an hour or so. Let them dry out and you should be ready to turn within a week.

Just my TARP cents,
Burt

Here are a few of the logs/stumps I have left from the tree, I think one of the stumps in the back is pine, but I thought I mulched all the pine. It has been at least 9 months they have been out there.

Maybe I will go pick up some DNA this week and cut one down..
http://content1.myyearbook.com/thumb_userimages/large/2009/05/05/10/thm_thm_phpLHJvTv.jpg
http://content1.myyearbook.com/thumb_userimages/large/2009/05/05/10/thm_thm_phpOihKhj.jpg

[Jerry Rhoads]

Dennis
All the Apple that I have had checks very easy. Very slow drying is best. I did not have very good luck drying in the microwave, like I do with other wood for pen blanks.

Jerry

[Allen Neighbors]

Just my two cents worth... I would Anchor Seal about 4" of each end of a couple of the little logs, and then I'd cut the others up into blanks the size I wanted, and seal the ends of them, and sticker them in a place where they'll get good air circulation. And I would take some of the pen blanks and use the DNA, so I wouldn't have to wait so long for them to dry.
Having too many pen blanks of one type of wood can get boring, but having them over a long period of time is great!

[Dennis McGarry]

Just my two cents worth... I would Anchor Seal about 4" of each end of a couple of the little logs, and then I'd cut the others up into blanks the size I wanted, and seal the ends of them, and sticker them in a place where they'll get good air circulation. And I would take some of the pen blanks and use the DNA, so I wouldn't have to wait so long for them to dry.
Having too many pen blanks of one type of wood can get boring, but having them over a long period of time is great!

Ok thanks for the input. Couple of questions What do you mean by anchor seal 4" also when I cut the others in pen blank size, only seal the ends? I take it then that the wood under the bark stays unsealed?

[Burt Alcantara]

All of my logs under 5" in diameter are doing well. The ones over 5" are useless. Cracked thru and thru like a spider web.