[kitaye]

We're pruning the apple and crabapple trees this weekend. Some of these branches are pretty large, 3 or 4 " in diameter, but most as much smaller.

Does this kind of wood carve well? Should I dry it or carve it green? What else do I need to know before I try carving this wood?

[squbrigg]

A pplewood is a beautiful wood for carving, but very hard when dry. It has a gorgeous colour and grain, and holds detail extremely well. It is a premium wood for ship modelling, but other folks carve it for other things too, including kitchen utenisls (spoons, forks, etc.)

Bob

[pallin]

This topic is very timely for me too. I cut down a dead apple tree and thought I would try carving the trunk - about 6" in diameter. I seems very hard, but the wood color is beautiful. I haven't chosen a project yet.

[Canopener]

I am in the same boat, with several pear and apple trees. I have never attempted a major project because it is so hard, but have done some little projects and made some tool handles. I prefer to work with it green.
I did make about an 8'' pitchfork for a caricature I did and was amazed at how strong the wood was. I also read somewhere that way back in the day; clockmakers cut gears from wood like this. Try and get that image out of your head when carving a piece.
Jim

[Clifford_Parker]

Most fruit wood is fairly hard and dense so is easier to carve green but tends to split and crack if it is dried too fast. The grain and depth of colors make them some of my favorite woods anyway.

[stickman]

I've had a peice of apple drying in the basement for about three or four years. and just today I started to carve on it a bit and I must say its as hard as can be.but it seems to get a little softer the deeper you go.I think carving it green would be much eaiser.

[kitaye]

I like the idea of using this scrap wood for kitchen spoons. IF I carve it now, while it is still green, how should I go about drying the utensil so it doesn't split, crack, or fall apart?

[Thomp]

i have a peach sapplin that was cut because it was dead, i just coated the ends and set it on the porch, well whatever small black ant looking bug that lives in them came alive and i had a trail of them through the house..

give the dead standing trees a good shot of bug killer before you store it,,

after peeling the bark, theres lots of bug trails along the sap line, great peach smell hard wood with no apparent damage to the main stick just in sap and bark///

[stickman]

You can try to seal it with wax after each carving session .But I think when you carve green wood its more of a luck thing weather or not it cracks or splits.