# Applewood



## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

Hello,
Does anyone have any experience with Applewood?
I live in Kelowna and there's orchards everywhere you look. I was talking to my father who works for the city and he said they chip or burn the trees. I think that's a waste of perfectly good lumber.
I've read that it is very prone to warping when it's drying, more than other wood species.

I think if I were to sell the furniture, it would be very desirable as environmentalism is the new cool nowadays.

What's your opinions on Applewood?


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## interpim (Dec 6, 2008)

Apple is usually very prone to warping as you mentioned… but as a wood turner, I would love to get ahold of applewood on a fairly consistent basis. I've seen some projects turned from it, and the grain is absolutely beautiful. I'm sure there are plenty of folks that would be interested in some bowl blanks, or something.


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

Great for restoring old saw handles!


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## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

Is it prone to warping even after it's been dried or is that just during the drying process? I had furniture in mind rather than turnings, but I have always wanted to learn wood turning.


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## Chuckthewoodchuck (Feb 9, 2012)

I've made a bandsaw box from some apple wood i had in the firewood pile. It's beautiful wood.
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/61187


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## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

Chuck, that wood is beautiful. I really like the grain and how it has a nice red tint and the lighter colours. I think I'm going to get the Applewood after seeing your box.
That's a very nice box by the way.

I'll probably leave the wood to dry for 1 1/2 years just to be safe.


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

Don't know about woodworking but if you try to split it with an axe it's very difficult. The grain is often twisted. Sort of like a licorice stick. Maybe that's why it's prone to warping.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

I like it. Part of the reason it warps is because if you look at the trees only about 1 in 20 seem to grow straight; most seem to grow twisted and leaning. I'll be getting a bunch of it this spring and hope to use it for wood turning to make handles especially. I've also used it to make bracelets and cutting boards. I don't know about the continuing to warp after dry though. I did have a thicker piece I tried to use to make a shoulder plane from that warped slightly after cutting but I don't know that it was 100% dry.


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## HamS (Nov 10, 2011)

I have never used apple for a wood working project, but I burn a lot of it in my smoker. Apple smoke does wonderful things to pig shoulder. I use the prunings from my trees and the orchard up the road. Apple and Walnut are the best flavored smoke. It is hard to watch the walnut burn though.


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## KevinWelp (Feb 6, 2012)

I have used some applewood for a couple of turnings and only had some minor checks and cracks, they were small pieces though. They turned well and have beautiful grain.


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## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

Dear god Applewood is beautiful!
It has straight grain and looks like Sapele but lighter and reddish.
I think I may be in love with Applewood, is that weird?


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

Nope. Despite the annoyances and inconvenience of having to mill my own due to the smaller size trunks that no one will show up to do and the risk of warping and twisting it is one of my favorites due to the mixes of color it contains.


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## EPJartisan (Nov 4, 2009)

I was lucky to have grabbed a good stock of Applewood with my uncle and father. Back in wisconsin, a apple farmer died and the family forgot the apple orchard until a grandchild came along and sold the land. We went up to cut down as many trees as possible. The trees were very old, many of them spalted. I absolutely love this wood. I carves really well, it turns really well.. the grain is dense but not fragile.



















This is a horn i made out of a piece of applewood








it is slightly thinner than 1/8"


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## peterrum (Jan 24, 2011)

Hello Tyrone, I live just down the road from you in Kaleden. Here is some apple I milled up a year and a half ago, 6/4 slabs. They all twisted and warped during the drying. At the end of the day only about half the wood in each slab could be used and only smaller pieces. Nothing would be furniture sized lumber. I wouldnt spend alot of time milling any more of this in the future unless i had a specific order.


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## timbit2006 (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks for the input on the applewood.
I'm going to check out the orchard sometime this week.
If I can't use the wood for furniture, I'll use it on boxes.

If the applewood thing doesn't work out, I have a good lead on a large amount of Mahogany pallets.

What's the average diameter of an apple tree? I was thinking I might be able to mill it on my bandsaw. If a portable mill is too much money to rent, I can always use the old two man saw from my Grandfathers old farm. I'll just need to sharpen it and give it an electrolysis bath.


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## peterrum (Jan 24, 2011)

The size really varies here in the valley. Of course the older orchards have some of the bigger trees, up to 18" diameter would not be uncommon. Personally i wouldnt waste my time with anything smaller. You have to be careful with some of the older trees as splits near the crotch would be repaired with concrete and ready rod, then the tree grows around it. If you have an old timer still living at the orchard site, talk to them about that.

I'll pm you


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

wood from appletrees is great for wooden planes 
and other tools like handles etc. 
its very strong do to the bending in the wind with the fruit on them 
and the weight from the apples

Dennis


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