# bing cherry tree



## jimmyjames (Aug 28, 2013)

I've been trying to find information on bing cherry tree wood, we have a large 20"+ diameter tree , has anybody worked with this wood? Is it one of those fruit trees where the wood wrecks itself when you try to dry it?


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## BarbS (Aug 28, 2013)

I work fruitwood cherry; there is always lots of degrade (twist, warp, crack) with any fruitwood. I'm careful to eliminate the pith and bark, then air dry it a long time before working it. Knots and cracks make it more useful for small items, but it polishes up nicely and is dense enough to turn well. I've done several pens in what you're calling Bing Cherry. Our orchard is Bings, Queen Anne and Vans as cross pollinators. It's beautiful wood and well worth saving!

[attachment=29915]

[attachment=29916]


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## Darkmoorwoods (Aug 28, 2013)

I am about to harvest two wild cherries, one was old growth and died of old age and fell on our homesite.. can't wait to see what's inside, the base will be slabbed and turned into my wet bar for our pool hall/games room/bar


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## jimmyjames (Aug 28, 2013)

BarbS said:


> I work fruitwood cherry; there is always lots of degrade (twist, warp, crack) with any fruitwood. I'm careful to eliminate the pith and bark, then air dry it a long time before working it. Knots and cracks make it more useful for small items, but it polishes up nicely and is dense enough to turn well. I've done several pens in what you're calling Bing Cherry. Our orchard is Bings, Queen Anne and Vans as cross pollinators. It's beautiful wood and well worth saving!


I figured there would be high degrade , do you fully seal your fruit wood blanks? Too make matters worse straight grain fruit wood is prone to degrade, this tree shows a lot of curl and knarly grain patterns in the bark, some spots are the start of burls but not sure if it shows any type of burl eyes. This tree is over 70 years old, it was there before my grandpa lived there when he was a kid. I've never seen a fruit cherry this big before, I'm sure there's some bad spots in the tree but we will see. The tree doesn't produce fruit anymore and is showing its age, it probably only has a year or 2 left in it before it completely dies, I remember eating cherries off this tree when I was really little, hopefully I can get some descent blanks out of it so I can trade some of it to have some things made for my family, I was hoping for Christmas but the drying time will probably put an axe in those plans.


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## Treecycle Hardwoods (Aug 28, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> This tree is over 70 years old, it was there before my grandpa lived there when he was a kid.... I remember eating cherries off this tree when I was really little, hopefully I can get some descent blanks out of it so I can trade some of it to have some things made for my family, I was hoping for Christmas but the drying time will probably put an axe in those plans.



I would give it a shot for this reason alone. I once had a lady crying when I was picking up a log from a tree she had removed. She was recalling all the memories from the tree with her boys climbing it and such... I always offer to make something for the person giving me their trees to help remember the tree and all the memories that come with it. Sounds like you have some memories to preserve. Given the nature of fruit wood I would cut, seal, and keep it all till you have your projects made.


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## BarbS (Aug 28, 2013)

jimmyjames said:


> BarbS said:
> 
> 
> > I work fruitwood cherry; there is always lots of degrade (twist, warp, crack) with any fruitwood. I'm careful to eliminate the pith and bark, then air dry it a long time before working it. Knots and cracks make it more useful for small items, but it polishes up nicely and is dense enough to turn well. I've done several pens in what you're calling Bing Cherry. Our orchard is Bings, Queen Anne and Vans as cross pollinators. It's beautiful wood and well worth saving!
> ...



I've not seen one that big, either. Definitely save as much as you can, well sealed, with as many knots and defects cut out as possible. When I start to use a piece, I rough it out on the bandsaw and re-seal it, toss it in a paper bag surrounded with wood chips and let it dry for another two weeks or so, then do the turning. If it's large, you could re-seal it and let it sit in the open air. Fruit wood is always iffy, but well worth it when it works well! Good luck with it.


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## Darkmoorwoods (Aug 28, 2013)

This old growth WC is likely 90 + years old but was in a deep forest with no one to lament it.. gorgeous 90 foot tall behemoth, 2 + foot diameter base, at least 9 feet long before it massively branched off. Will be offering some of it for sale and barter here, also using much of it for Darkmoor products.. canes, staffs, urns, mugs, bowls. etc

It is very solid, chopped at it a bit to determine that. will have an excavator contractor at the site, going to dig out the root system and part it out.. should be amazing stuff


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