What to do with apple to get best result.

[Roger Chandler]

I have a neighbor who had a fairly small apple tree cut down yesterday to make room for a deck. It is about 9 inches diameter, and the trunk will have 3 sections about 3 feet long. He told me he would bring it over today or tomorrow.

My question is this............should I go ahead and cut it down the middle and take out the pith and then seal it with anchor seal, or would just sealing the ends be fine? I expect to get some cracking either way, but which will minimize it the most?

I would like to keep a couple of pieces full round so I could possibly do a hollow form or two, but I am concerned about the cracking issue.

[bob svoboda]

Roger, I would keep in in log form with well sealed ends until you are ready to work with it.

[Scott Lux]

I think you should probably de-pith two of the three. Apple is notorious for splitting, and removing the pith will help, but it will still probably split. Be sure to seal it all as well as you can and leave some length to cut off when your ready to use it.

[Tony De Masi]

If it were me, I would leave it in log form and just cut off what you need when you need it. Of course sealing the ends too.

[Roland Martin]

Baxter's done a lot of apple turning, I would think he will also chime in on the thread with his thoughts. As for me, sorry, I'm no help:)

[Greg Bolton22]

If it is anything like the peach tree I got, you will need to split it. Even then, you will get some checks in the sap wood. I lost all of the bowls that I rough turned due to LARGE cracks. The only thing I could salvage was the stuff I turned thin and let it warp. Good Luck!

Greg

[Baxter Smith]

Baxter's done a lot of apple turning, I would think he will also chime in on the thread with his thoughts. As for me, sorry, I'm no help:)

Thats true to some extent Roland;), but I'm too new to have anything more than a few thoughts of questionable worth.
I keep all my green wood in as long a length as I can transport with the ends sealed. Then cut off a piece to use and seal the cut end back up. If the piece has to be cut to within a few inches of the finished length I would use, I do cut the pith out for relatively short term storage. I try to store any wood that doesn't go onto the concrete floor of my woodshed out of the sun and under a tarp. Not on the ground but close enough so that with the tarp there would be little air movement.

The last apple I brought back from Maine was large enough so that it had to be split and the pith removed so I could pick tthe pieces up. I still placed it in plastic tubs with a garbage bag stretched over the top. Every time I took out a piece to turn it was pretty wet, but hadn't developed any cracks. During the winter I don't think that will present a problem. I have never tried to cut blanks round on the bandsaw, anchorseal, then try to store and dry.

So with that said, my reccomendations would be to leave it long with the ends sealed, out of the sun and wind, close to the ground and covered. If you see cracks developing from the pith as
you turn it, you probaly should consider cutting the pith out of the remaining pieces but still leaving things as long as possible. Good luck with it. I find it nice to turn and almost every piece has a unique color or pattern.

[Scott Lux]

I guess I chimed in without much knowledge. :o
You shouldn't listen to me anyway, my primary strategy has been to let it do what it wants and work with what's left.

Kind of like trying to catch a knuckleball: "The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up." - Bob Uecker