Apple Wood

[MelNM]

Has anyone ever carved apple wood, or is it just good for babecueing.

[squbrigg]

Apple wood is a wonderful, dense, hard wood , has a beautiful colour and holds detail very well. It is one of the harder woods to carve, power carving is easier on it to work, and touch up with edged tools. It is a premier wood for ship modelling, especially for the detail stuff where the carvings are very small. It does great for carved: blocks, deadeyes, scroll work and figureheads...the really small stuff, because it doesn't split easily.

So for very small carvings/figures it would do extremely well, but for larger pieces, it's hardness will be a challenge. Good luck with it. If you find it too hard to carve, you could always send it to me. Smile I 'll use all I can get, for some reason, it's hard to find in North America, unless you have a friend who is cutting down an orchard. Not many orchards up our way.

Bob

[Clifford_Parker]

Apple is a beautiful wood. I got a bunch of limbs and a few nice burls last year when a local orchard replaced 50 trees. As with any "harder wood" it will check and crack badly if dried too fast so seal the ends and let it sit.

As Bob said, it is quite a bit harder than basswood, walnut, etc. but the wonderful grain is well worth it IMO.

[wade clark]

A P P L E is my favorite wood! Rick just made me 2 carving knives with apple handles, very pretty! It's gets harder and harder with age, I believe. I have a lot of it that I bought green off ebay. It arrived covered in Anchorseal; some still split, but I recoated all of it with more Anchorseal and it's doing fine. On ebay, look for "carving blank" "carving block" or turning blank. Pay attention to feedback...one guy I bought a lot from has very poor feedback and I really had to stay on him to get my wood...it took months, won't deal with him again even though he sells my favorite wood! He's just too disorganised, not dishonest. Also, know what the shipping will be before bidding! Shipping is high, and some will gouge you if you don't know up front.
I sure got some great A P P L E wood, Basswood, Butternut, Chestnut, Walnut, Sycamore and others off ebay though, and some of it is kiln dried.
I once read that in the early Bavarian Black Forest Coo Coo Clocks, all the springs and gears were carved out of apple wood, not metal. It's a great and beautiful wood!
Wade

[Goody]

Originally Posted by squbrigg

Apple wood is a wonderful, dense, hard wood , has a beautiful colour and holds detail very well. It is one of the harder woods to carve, power carving is easier on it to work, and touch up with edged tools. It is a premier wood for ship modelling, especially for the detail stuff where the carvings are very small. It does great for carved: blocks, deadeyes, scroll work and figureheads...the really small stuff, because it doesn't split easily.

So for very small carvings/figures it would do extremely well, but for larger pieces, it's hardness will be a challenge. Good luck with it. If you find it too hard to carve, you could always send it to me. Smile I 'll use all I can get, for some reason, it's hard to find in North America, unless you have a friend who is cutting down an orchard. Not many orchards up our way.

Bob

Bob,
If its small pieces you are looking for I can probably get some for you if shipping isnt prohibitive. An orchard that we deal with in PA sells tree trimmings for $3.00 a bundle (about 2'x2'x2') It usally consists of apple, peach and cherry. I slice it up for wood chips for my smoker.
Goody

[BobD]

Goody,

Where in PA? I'd love to get some as well!
Bob

[Hugh]

QUOTE=squbrigg]Apple wood is a wonderful, dense, hard wood , has a beautiful colour and holds detail very well. It is one of the harder woods to carve, power carving is easier on it to work, and touch up with edged tools. It is a premier wood for ship modelling, especially for the detail stuff where the carvings are very small. It does great for carved: blocks, deadeyes, scroll work and figureheads...the really small stuff, because it doesn't split easily.

So for very small carvings/figures it would do extremely well, but for larger pieces, it's hardness will be a challenge. Good luck with it. If you find it too hard to carve, you could always send it to me. Smile I 'll use all I can get, for some reason, it's hard to find in North America, unless you have a friend who is cutting down an orchard. Not many orchards up our way.

Bob[/QUOTE]
Hi Bob, if your down this way, stop by, I have a few pieces of apple that I would be pleased to share with you. Limbs mostly. We had an apple tree blow over last winter. I don't use it much, but saved it as It seems like a crime to throw away or burn good carving wood. Wink

[Goody]

Originally Posted by BobD

Goody,

Where in PA? I'd love to get some as well!
Bob

Bob,
Its On route 897 off 340 on the way to ShadY Maple Smorgasbord. Its on welsh mountain across from the Spring Gulch Campground. They sell it to the campers for firewood.
Goody

[squbrigg]

A p p l e wood....for firewood!!!!!!!Sad Head Bange I'm living in the wrong neighbourhood! A p p l e is a prized wood for ship modelling. It is hard carving, but the grain is to scale for models and it has such a lovely colour.I dearly wish I could drop in to pick up some, but I'm afraid my travelling days are over. I'll have to be satisfyed with lesser woods. A model builder I correspond with in Europe is building a complete model from A p p l e wood. I have a little Pear, love carving that!!!

Bob

[Hugh]

Bob. give me your address again, I might see someone going your way.