To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Apple wood
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 11:34:51 -0600
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.