Caring for Fresh Apple Log

[Jim Foster]

I just picked up a fresh cut apple log, 16" long x 16" in diameter, hoping to use it for several hollow and round wood planes in the future. I'm assuming I should cut it to rough size and allow for shrinkage. I am planning on quarter sawing it. Not sure about storage. Any advice would be appreciated.

[David Weaver]

even air drying, it will probably crack fast. cut it into oversize billets and seal the ends. Check the billets from time to time and do what you need to do to stop side cracks. As ridiculous as it sounds, the last apple I got sopping wet, I followed it around for the first month putting CA glue in every forming crack. It seemed to have worked OK, though a couple of cracks got past me.

[george wilson]

You need to saw it up into slabs ASAP,or it will begin to crack on the ends, Then,coat the ends of the slabs thickly with old,thick paint,or better yet,dip the ends in beeswax or something that won't dry out and crack open. The paint will crack open,too,so best use several coats.
Don't leave the apple wood out of doors on the ground or it will spalt. It could be kept in a shed,but keep it away from the ground.

[Isaac Smith]

I did something similar about a year ago, but with beech. They were about the same size as your log.

If you want the maximum yield from your log, I would strongly consider cutting it radially. This ensures that every piece you get is nearly perfectly quartersawn. As an added bonus, stability of the billets as they dry will be maximized. It's quite a bit of added effort, but apple logs of that size don't fall off the back of a truck every day.

Here are a few thoughts based on my limited experience.

With 16" to work with, I would cut off any checks from the ends after you have your billets, and then IMMEDIATELY seal it. I used AnchorSeal, and had very little checking. I did try canning wax, but had problems with it. Any bumps, and it flaked off. And as the wood dried and shrank, it cracked and sloughed off. Perhaps I applied it too thickly?

I quartered some of my logs by splitting them, and some with a chainsaw. The chainsaw yielded a little more, as there was some tendency to run out when splitting. Apple might be even more prone to running out than beech.

I used a 30" docking saw that I resharpened to a rip profile. While it was still a workout, I had fun doing it. I did a little bit every day, and ended up with enough billets for about 80 hollows and rounds. I have no idea when I will get around to making them, but it sure is fun to think about. I'm not sure if you could do this safely on a bandsaw or not - I've never really used one much.

Finally, when you build an igloo to sleep in, make sure the base diameter is large enough to stretch out in when you lie down, or your knees will feel a little cramped in the morning.


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[Carl Beckett]

Thanks for posting Jim, I will be watching/learning from this thread.

[george wilson]

Cracking and falling off is why I suggested bees' wax. Canning paraffin will just fall off like you said. When I made the giant wooden screw for the cider press,I coated it with bees' wax for the same reason. They used to stock it in big slabs in the museum's main warehouse.

An apple log that large is to be treasured and looked after. Today's trees are mostly about 6" max. diameter,so you're very lucky to have it. Do care for it.

[Jim Matthews]

Finally, when you build an igloo to sleep in, make sure the base diameter is large enough to stretch out in when you lie down, or your knees will feel a little cramped in the morning.

Pennsylvania must be bigger than I remember. Which part of traditional planecraft requires seal hunting/ice fishing/Ski-joring?

[Frank Drew]

Jim

The weather is on your side right now, but still the first thing you want to do, ASAP -- like tonight or tomorrow morning if possible -- is to end coat the log then at least split or cut it right down the middle, as near as possible right through the pith, if not break it down further into billets as others have recommended. Both will help minimize splitting and cracking, the end coating because most moisture in a fresh log is lost through the end grain and you want to slow that down, and splitting in half the long way to mitigate the radial stresses a drying log goes through. Apple can be a bear to split neatly by hand, so ripping with a chain saw or big band saw might be the easiest method.

For end coating I've had excellent results with the Green Wood Sealer that Craft USA sells, but I think it's probably the same thing as the maybe more widely available Anchorseal, a waxy emulsion.

Many years ago, when I didn't know any better, I burned as firewood a lot of apple wood from a local orchard that was being replanted, with the old trees bulldozed over; many of the 3 or so foot long logs from the base of the trees before branching were easily up to twenty+ inches in diameter. The logs had old poison ivy vines all over them and it's the only time I've gotten a poison ivy rash, from carrying the logs to my truck with the vines rubbing against my bare forearms. Anyway, a big waste, and I wish I'd known then what I know now, but it'll make you crazy thinking about all the wonderful wood lost every year, even just around where most of us live.

[Jim Foster]

Update, I cut up one log, I have three in total to cut. Plan on sealing the end grain of what I cut tonight and stickering it in the next several days. I'll get some pictures tomorrow. The applewood is really beautiful, hopefully it will won't check too much. I've read using a 1:1 Titebond/ water mixture is a good end grain sealer, any opinions? I also have some old latex paint, might have some oil base paint also. no beeswax or paraffin in the quantities I need.

[Isaac Smith]

George, good to know that beeswax works for this.

Jim, I use seal blubber to lubricate my planes and saws. It's also great at preventing rust.

[Frank Drew]

Jim

I think you can find Anchorseal at some of the big box stores like Lowes or Home Depot, if there are any near you; you can certainly get some in a day or two by mail order (Anchorseal or Green Wood Sealer).

[george wilson]

Where are you getting seal blubber??? Or is that a joke? Actually,rendered deer fat was an excellent preservative in the 18th.C.,apparently. A large collection of fine guns was kept from rusting in a poorly heated estate in England for over 200 years. The only grease they had was from deer that were hunted on the large estate property. I'd be concerned about any salt that might be in animal fat,but apparently not.

[Isaac Smith]

That was written with my tongue firmly in my cheek, George. Plain old past wax or paraffin works for me, so that's all I've ever tried.

[george wilson]

Paraffin is too rigid a wax,and will crack and get loose as the wood dries and shrinks. Bees wax remains flexible. I've noticed that some German blank guitar tops,violin woods,etc. were dipped in bees wax on their ends. The wood blanks are amply long enough to entirely cut away any wax. You do not want it on your project!!