New to the forum - Advice please

[ppj690]

The tree is question has a nice straight trunk of about 6 ft high until it get to the first branch - about 18"-20" dia....
Would this be suitble for small table top or similar.
You guys seem to think it is hard to keep from moving/warping..

Thanks
James

 

[BlueRider]

I milled a large olive just over a year ago and it too is a wood that is prone to movement and cracking. I miled it at 2 1/4" thick and sealed the ends stickered the pile and then covered it with a tarp to slow the drying. even so I planed on losing 30% or more due to drying defects. I restacked the pile recently and it looks like I might be just under 30% loss. Now is a good time of year to mill while the weather is cool and before the sap starts to run. Slow the drying as much as possible for the first three or four months, but becarful of mold. mill into thicker boards to minimize movement and you will be fine.

As a bit of a side note the tap root on apple was the traditional wood used for stone carvers mauls before plastics took over.

 

[woodshop]

...You guys seem to think it is hard to keep from moving/warping...

I get some apple logs/pieces from time to time. Beautiful wood, often with interesting colorful grain depending on the minerals in the soil where it grew. But yes, of all the woods I mill and air dry, apple twists up like a pretzel more than any other species. I've given up milling anything less than 6 or 8 quarter with it because that's what it takes to get boards 3/4 thick after you plane away the cupping and twisting. Actually, I usually mill it 12/4 chunks, and then when it's dry resaw it to thinner pieces as needed. It works and machines a lot like maple in the woodshop, and even can have some of that ray fleck that maple, sycamore and sometimes cherry has.