# Apple



## Eric Rorabaugh (May 11, 2020)

Well, went and picked my trailer up today. Now just have to process it into smaller pieces. Probably take the bigger one to a guy I met the other day with a mill. He said if I need anything sawed, he would saw it. I have a big walnut at the farm I need to grab as well. Maybe a cherry too.

Reactions: Like 3 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 4


----------



## Gdurfey (May 11, 2020)

That's a great haul Eric. Wow!!! we don't have any apple trees around here nearly that large. We have some orchards not too far away; been thinking about stopping by and asking what happens to their wood when they lose a tree.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Eric Rorabaugh (May 11, 2020)

A friend of mine that used to make calls that I pretty much bought out when he quit, it was in his family's yard and blew down. He asked me if I wanted it, of course. It was too wet when I went to get it and couldn't get in the yard. I left my trailer at the barn until it dried up. He texted me the other day and they cut it up and loaded it on my trailer with their tractor. Very cool of them. I'll make something to take to them after it dries.

Reactions: Like 1 | +Karma 2


----------



## trc65 (May 11, 2020)

You will enjoy turning that! I've just finished cutting up the last of our standard size Apple that blew down last summer. Got a few years worth of Apple blanks to play with. Don't forget to save scraps for smoking!

@Gdurfey, it's is rare to find a standard size Apple tree in an orchard anymore. They are just too large to manage (prune and pick, spray, etc.) without a large investment in ladders, lifts, and spray equipment. Most orchards are semi-dwarf trees which will be in the 12-15 ft tall range. Less production per tree, but higher economic return per acre.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Informative 2


----------



## Nature Man (May 11, 2020)

What a lovely sight! A trailer full of wood! Chuck

Reactions: Agree 1


----------



## Mr. Peet (May 11, 2020)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> Well, went and picked my trailer up today. Now just have to process it into smaller pieces. Probably take the bigger one to a guy I met the other day with a mill. He said if I need anything sawed, he would saw it. I have a big walnut at the farm I need to grab as well. Maybe a cherry too.
> 
> View attachment 187041



That bigger stem looks to read a bit of a twist. Heart is off center also, so expect boards to twist. Should be fun to read / watch as it dries and walks. Post pics when / after you mill...


----------



## Eric Rorabaugh (May 11, 2020)

It does twist. Would you wait a while before you had it sawed or saw and sticker or?


----------



## Mr. Peet (May 11, 2020)

Eric Rorabaugh said:


> It does twist. Would you wait a while before you had it sawed or saw and sticker or?



Know your desired sizes, thickness & widths and give it a go. Don't wait, the wood will check, mill it soon. Seal the ends before milling, and seal again after. Sure the sawyer will box pith or split it out. Weight the stickered stack, and keep out of sunlight. Keep close eye, for mold or stain. Might need to mist with a bleach fog. I use my gas powered fruit tree sprayer on fog setting if needed.

There are lots of fruit wood schedules. I can't say any one is best. Turner up the road boils most of his apple blanks. As said, many ways to do...

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Informative 1


----------



## Eric Rorabaugh (May 11, 2020)

I was going to cut the smaller stuff up tomorrow and Anchorseal everything. I'll try and get it milled soon. Thanks


----------



## trc65 (May 11, 2020)

When part of my Apple tree fell two years ago, I sealed the entire spindle blanks. A year ago, when the rest of the tree fell, I only sealed the ends. Didn't see any difference in checking between them. 

From the first bunch of Apple, I cut bowl blanks and saw a good deal of cracking when they were left whole. Everything from a year ago, was roughed out the same day the blanks were cut, and then the entire blank sealed. Almost no cracking in the roughed and sealed blanks. 

Last year I was cutting blanks faster than I could get them sealed or roughed, so I just threw them in a barrel of water until I could get to them. Worked well for me as long as I changed the water when it started smelling rank after a few days.

Reactions: Like 2 | Informative 2 | Sincere 1


----------



## Otterhound (May 12, 2020)

If possible , put the stack/s under a fan until your moisture level falls below 20-22% . Mold likes still air . Keep a wary eye out for mold . If it does set in , naphtha will take care of it and do no harm to your wood . The real pain comes from having to tear the stack down to wipe the mold and then restack , but it has to be done . At this time of year one can't check the stack too often . Good luck . That's a nice haul . Have it milled ASAP .


----------



## Eric Rorabaugh (May 12, 2020)

Well we got it milled today. I gave several pieces to the guy that milled it. I love the color of apple. And I want his mill! Woodmizer LT40 wide. Gonna stack and sticker tomorrow and re-Anchorseal.













View attachment 187122

Reactions: Like 2 | EyeCandy! 2 | Way Cool 3


----------



## Otterhound (May 12, 2020)

Beautiful wood . Get it sticker and stacked . A box fan is what I use and it typically takes about 2 weeks , depending on conditions , to get that moisture content down . Hopefully , you have an indoor or out of the elements place to start the process . The old Smokehouse tree that was here was of that size/girth . The exception is that it was hollow except for the outer inch or so . I thought the Keebler Elves were going to run out of it when I felled it .

Reactions: Funny 3


----------



## Byron Barker (May 28, 2020)

I love apple for making bows. If you've got some super straight 3ft pieces in there, let me know!

Reactions: Like 1


----------

