Got a apple tree today and milled some of it

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looks like it’s been down a while becuase the bark falls off easy and bugs are in it. It’s mostly fire wood for cooking but I did save the trunk and cut it in half. Luckily I bought a metal detector this week and found a strong signal that there’s metal in here so I had to trim it a little. D21ED9A1-75FB-4506-B0B9-EEF74AB7035E.jpegThat’s my new 171 I bought this year. First saw I bought new and I really like it besides seems to be running little lean feels like since it’s cold and the fuel is maxed outF1C2172E-C05D-4F4F-8738-152290033FF4.jpegdidnt take it all yet because I wasn’t stoked about the bugs since I use this wood fir cooking. I’m going back tomorrow tho if it’s not snowing to badB7C69FBB-80F7-4DE4-933E-B89C1BB59D3D.jpeg the signal was right under the knot on the right. This tool is very handy for 40$ after coupon 74922A62-96E0-4BA2-B71B-AF6A5CF7B3B7.jpegit’s super hard wood. I tried to split the piece I cut off and only got 1 chunk off. Very hard and curvey where I cut it because it grew into 3 branches right there
 
Well i new it was a bad idea to bring them in the warm house after being in the freezing weather and my theory was right. I put glue on 1 side last night and seen a couple of huge new cracks. The glue doesn’t work in the garage when it’s this cold tho so I was gambling. 3487F507-7D79-4A02-A4F2-5C06937515AD.jpegE2319657-FBAD-4E75-B23D-2BDDD68309CB.jpeg
 
Im planning them and sanding them down. Selling 13 to a guy for 6$ a piece. Little cheap for sure but he bought one of my plum slabs. Going to try and crack that tough apple cluster round with a custom maul im building. It’s going to be about 25 pounds +582C013C-6909-46E0-8BB4-A54D4388451A.jpegCAEC2991-B75A-4B5E-B493-218D6CC833C0.jpeg
 
Use edge seal on the slabs, dry in an outside shed with no heat. I re-apply edge seal every month. Takes years for a good drying.
 
oh yeah you use anchor seal too?


Yep. Buy it by the gallon from Amazon.

A moisture meter is handy. I live in a wet marine environment, 11 to 12 percent is as low as the wood cures. Kiln drying will destroy a nice gun stock blank.

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Anchor Seal only on the ends, not on the sides or edges.

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Does that moisture meter have prongs? Mine only gets the outside reading on the wood I think. So I’m not sure what my slabs are in the middle. Same here for me. Seems 10-16 percent is what my outdoor wood splits cure to also. I’ve got a feeling this apple wood is dry now becuase The tree was on the ground couple years and seems light weight. My cut offs weight almost nothing.
 
Does that moisture meter have prongs? Mine only gets the outside reading on the wood I think. So I’m not sure what my slabs are in the middle. Same here for me. Seems 10-16 percent is what my outdoor wood splits cure to also. I’ve got a feeling this apple wood is dry now becuase The tree was on the ground couple years and seems light weight. My cut offs weight almost nothing.


Yep two prongs. And you can buy a set of long prongs that you drive in with a hammer.

I bought a walnut blank a few years ago from Idaho. It was 4 per cent when I measured it! Pretty dry in the summer there.
 
Blanks shown in the photos have been air curing since 1994, tucked away in the barn loft. Took about 4 years to get them down to acceptable gunstock levels. The longer cure time the better the blanks are as to stability. I have way too many, finally have a potential buyer.
 
Im planning them and sanding them down. Selling 13 to a guy for 6$ a piece. Little cheap for sure but he bought one of my plum slabs. Going to try and crack that tough apple cluster round with a custom maul im building. It’s going to be about 25 pounds +View attachment 721114View attachment 721115


25 pounds is heavy. Below are some of my mauls:

Left, a 6 pounder. Next, it is marked 8 but weighs 10 pounds. Then a 12 pound "Monster maul" I bought from Bailey's about 25 years ago. Handle is too short. Then a 18 pounder I made, handle is also too short. Last is a 20 pounder. Handle is the correct length. Note the larger short section of heavy pipe to reinforce the handle. The 20 pounder is about all I can handle for a few splits, I only use for a real tough piece of wood. Both the 18 and the 20 pounder have solid heads.

If I have a piece too knarly and knotty to split, I noodle split it with the chainsaw.

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Got a few more, used to have tons of firewood tools. But as I age I give more and more to the son in law. He is an active logger, has a small farm, heats with wood, runs chainsaws, drops big trees in the Coast Range and all the good stuff we all want to do. And he & my daughter are avid horse owners, have a pack string including mules and spend time in the High Country above the Snake River Elk hunting every year. More stuff we want to do!!

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30 miles from the trailhead:

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They even got married on horseback:

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