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Woodburner

Cor! I split a tree trunk all on my own!

A just felled, 50+ yo apple tree trunk, approx 4ft long in fact. With a felling axe, a wedge headed hatchet, a log splitting 'bullet' and a sledgehammer. Shocked Laughing
Bodrighy

Be thankful I don't live closer or I'd be scrounging some of it LOL. Apple wood is gorgeous.

Pete
Nick

Does that mean you're interested in a dead, standing apple tree? Say twelve to eighteen inches diameter, twenty feet high?

I pass Devizes often enough.
Mistress Rose

Agree about apple being a lovely wood. I made some spoons out of some, and they were really pretty.

Woodburner, if you want some practice, come and split a few of our ash and beech trees that we want to turn into firewood. The processor won't take the big ones, so we have to split them down first.
Woodburner

Firewood length logs are easy by comparison, I've done a couple nearly 2ft diameter ash. I left the rest for sons to split tho Wink
Start at the edge, not the middle. Smile
How far away are you? I could use a splitter now and then. Laughing
Bodrighy

Does that mean you're interested in a dead, standing apple tree? Say twelve to eighteen inches diameter, twenty feet high?

I pass Devizes often enough.


You will have to excuse me drooling. Apple wood is beautiful and if it is dead standing it would be pretty dry. Long winded way of saying YES. Pretty please.

Pete wav
Nick

Died last year some time, due to an overdose of mistletoe. When I get home I'll grab a photo for you.
Bodrighy

Died last year some time, due to an overdose of mistletoe. When I get home I'll grab a photo for you.



Thanks Nick.

Pete Woodburner

What's it good for? (I've already put spoons on my to do list Wink ) Most of mine has gone on the fire before, but there's not many trees left now so it's more precious as wood. Mistress Rose

Any sort of turning or carving. The contrast between the sapwood and the heartwood is lovely if the sapwood is in good enough condition.

We split the trees in lengths of 8' or more, then put them through the processer. We split firewood length bits by hand or using a splitter that attaches to our little tractor. If you feel fit Woodburner...... We have about 25 loads on order. Very Happy Bodrighy

It is as said a beautiful wood and can have lovely colouring. As it is a safe hard wood it is ideal for my goblets and pretty much anything else depending on the size. Only negative is it can be prone to splitting when drying if you aren't careful.

Pete Woodburner

Splitting when drying . . . I thought that was one of the reasons for splitting the log asap, so it doesn't split of it's own accord, where it wants to rather than where I want it to, but that applies to logs of all woods, so are you saying that apple tends to split even after working? Or that it is still likely to split unpredictably if I leave it to season now? (Or both or more/worse?)
Sadly I don't have the resources for bowl turning. Sad Is it any good for spindle type things?

Mistress Rose, whereabouts are you? If you're not too far away, I could happily come and split some logs for you in return for a couple of lengths of beech Cool Very Happy

eta ahh found you! Sadly hampshire is a bit too far to commute. Sad Bodrighy

Most woods will split along the grain to some extent if just left. Splitting it after cutting can help but basically the heart wood dries at a different rate to the sap wood on the outside so it can split after cutting. I have wood that I cut in Cornwall and assumed it was dry so turned it but when I moved to Wiltshire it dried out a bit more and some pieces split. If you cut it into spindles for turning best is to either just leave it and see what happens or wrap in old newspaper as that retards the drying and helps it to dry evenly.

Apple wood is fine for any food stuffs so any treen, goblets, things like that are fine. It is pretty hard but not sure if it is hard enough for mallets but would be fine for a priest for example.

There are a couple of goblets here that are made of apple wood. Not mine.

Pete Woodburner

Thanks for that. I think I'll split it again, then wrap it in newspaper. I'll try painting the ends too (I found a nice idiot's guide to seasoning wood here ) Smile
The final 'atmosphere', is going to be close to outdoors, in thatched huts, and an insulated but mostly unheated shed, so I don't want to bring it indoors really, although, on second thoughts, next winter, I'm likely to have more heat in the shed than the house . . . Neutral Mistress Rose

Some woods split worse than others. I make spatulas out of sycamore or field maple and not beech because the beech tends to split as I am working them.

If you are going to have whatever you are making in a heated hut, it will need to be fully seasoned to indoor humidity to prevent splitting. You might get away with it, but to be sure, season well. Nick

Died last year some time, due to an overdose of mistletoe. When I get home I'll grab a photo for you.


Thanks Nick.

Pete

Who would like an email or two with a photo to post for me? Smile I'm not near a PC currently. sean

I can do them if you like. Nick

Ta. I think I've guessed your email right. sean

Yep. Got to go to work now though. Back in a couple of hours or so. Nick

The suspense will kill him. sean

The moment you've all been waiting for is here...It's...photos of Nick's dead tree time.

sean

 Nick

They were taken in bright sunlight so I couldn't see the screen. I thought I'd better put something tangible there as a scale. I happened to have a wheel barrow in my hands. It's wheelbarrow-size. sean

I was expecting more general excitement on the forum tbh. Bodrighy

Just got in and seen this. There should be plenty of good wood in that lot as long as it isn't cut up into small rings as some do. If those are burrs at the top of the trunk than they are definitely interesting. Plenty of straight branches as well which should be good for the spooners

Pete Nick

Its dead, and standing.

You want bits of it, highlight them, and when I get bored with a chainsaw, they're yours. Smile Mistress Rose

Nice tree and as Bodrighy says, some lovely wood in that. A wheelbarrow is as good as anything to give an idea of scale, just unusual. Very Happy arvo

Nice wood.

By the way what's a priest bodrighty? Bodrighy

Nice wood.

By the way what's a priest bodrighty?

A priest (apart from the obvious) is a club used by fishermen for delivering the last rites to the catch.

I would be interested in any part of the trunk in particular the area with the burrs. I will be going over to Wales early September if it can be stored 'til then but can't collect before though.

Pete Nick

No sweat. I'm busy as anything, so it'll stay in the ground a while yet. Woodburner

I hereby declare this thread well and truly hijacked! Laughing Nick

Not at all, we're just building up to asking you to pop round with your axe. Wink Woodburner

Razz
If you were closer, I'd've nabbed it already. Laughing anoia

Bodgrighy, do you use yew? There is a live stump/trunk waiting to be taken out in the garden. It would be about 3 or 4 feet long, depending on where the saw can reach, about 5-6 inches diameter for most of the length and slightly branched at the top. If you would like it, we are hoping to be at Folk-by-the-Oak on Sunday - which I think you are too? - and I can bully a husband or son to do something about it, and bring it along. It seems a shame to burn it, which we do with most of the wood we get from the garden. Bodrighy

Bodgrighy, do you use yew? There is a live stump/trunk waiting to be taken out in the garden. It would be about 3 or 4 feet long, depending on where the saw can reach, about 5-6 inches diameter for most of the length and slightly branched at the top. If you would like it, we are hoping to be at Folk-by-the-Oak on Sunday - which I think you are too? - and I can bully a husband or son to do something about it, and bring it along. It seems a shame to burn it, which we do with most of the wood we get from the garden.

Oh *** sod's law LOL I love yew, it's a beautiful wood but unfortunately the car will be loaded including the roof rack as I am demonstrating at the fair so I wouldn't have room for anything that size. I really appreciate the offer though thanks.

pete anoia

Never mind, it was worth a try, and I'll try and find it a nearer home. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow anyway! Very Happy Bodrighy

Never mind, it was worth a try, and I'll try and find it a nearer home. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow anyway! Very Happy

It is a pity as yew really is a beautiful wood. I will have my mini lathe boxes of goods, wood, tools, work bench etc so unless I sell a lot of stuff I will be really strapped for space. Looking to buy a trailer when I can afford both it and the connections......

Be nice to see you and any other DS'ers who are there.

Pete Woodburner

Is that at Hatfield house? I was thinking ooh that's not too far, then I saw the ticket prices. Surprised Shocked Surprised Shocked Someone pick me up off the floor!

I think I'll stick to the Woodfest at Hatfield Forest. (Always a good day out ime. ) Cool anoia

Woodfest sounds a good event; I hadn't heard of it. What sort of music is it?
Mind you, I reckon that tomorrow's £35 each isn't bad value for 8 hours of entertainment that will suit the whole family. Not as good as free though, I will admit. Very Happy Woodburner

All sorts, folksy, tribute, pop or whatever they call the songs everyone plays at disco's these days, good family entertainment but no-one big afaict. It's quite a small affair, you can have a picnic without worrying about it getting walked on, no pushing crowds. A good number of stalls mainly wood related in some way but some just craft, there's usually a smith too. (With working forge. Cool )

eta it's not til September though Sad anoia

I'll put it in the calendar, but I'm expecting to have an op sometime at the end of August/start of September, so I'm not sure whether I'll make it or not (to Woodfest, I mean, I'm optimistic about the operation!)
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