North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Andrew Bell <acbell@iastate.edu>]

At 06:15 PM 2/19/2004, you wrote:

>    The point of all this is to ask if there are any woodworkers/carvers who
> have used apple, and if you have noted, as I did, variations according to
> the variety of apple.

Fruit wood isn't really commonly used for woodworking, but people use it on 
occasion.  Mostly, it is hard to get, and it is small.  If the tree dies or 
is replaced when it is 8" in diameter, you aren't going to get a lot of 
lumber out of it.  Also, most trees grown for fruit are pruned and spread 
to allow for good light penetration, etc.  Most are dwarf with low 
limbs.  This doesn't tend to yield much lumber.

All this being said, Mario Rodriguez, one of the woodworking handtool 
gurus, did a beautiful clock out of pear wood in an article a few years 
ago.  Had me looking for pear wood, but it's not easy to find in hardwood 
lumber stores.

Didn't really answer your question, did I :)


-- Andrew Bell
acbell@iastate.edu