Apple/Cherry wood Harvest.

[gfugal]

Here's the apple that I talked about harvesting in this thread (http://www.primitivearcher.com/smf/index.php/topic,63259.0.html). This is what it looks like after it's been debarked and split once. I think the right is the better half for sure. Not sure if I could get a bow out of the left with all those knots. Should I just chuck it or do any of you have Ideas. There are both about 60" or slightly less, so I might have to split the right again and use them as billets for a splice. Unfortunately I found that the grain is spiral, and doesn't like to split clean, so I may have to cut it in half with a bandsaw. 


Here's The cherry shoot that I cut down. The right was the bottom of the shoot, and the left was the top. The right is mostly knot free, but the left had several branches coming off it. I'm not sure if I could make a bow out of it. Both are about 74" long.


However, the right has a bend in it higher up as pictured here. But I figure I could reshape it with heat after I shape it out.

[Springbuck]

Apple almost always spirals, just like plum, serviceberry, hawthorn, and flowering pear.   Bu, on smaller diameter staves, I literally just ignore it and chop, rather than split out my staves.

   Woods that spiral LOVE to warp, and love to twist as they dry, especially.   So if you do break it down further in width,  Thin it down as well, and restrain it, OR leave it as wide and thick as possible, and be prepared to trim around the twist.    Haven't worked with large diameter apple, but it is pretty dense wood, and pretty springy.  If you leave it big, seal the rest so it doesn't check where you peeled the bark.

  I think there is a pair of billets in each of those apple chunks, but you will

[bjrogg]

I've never used Apple or cherry but it sure seems like there gotta be some bows in there. Good Luck looks like you did real nice job harvesting and prepping them.
Bjrogg

[upstatenybowyer]

Apple makes an awesome bow if you can get it seasoned without too much checking. Best of luck!

[Hamish]

+1 careful seasoning of apple. I wouldn't let it sit around without at least 2 coats PVA on the back. It also doesn't like being left in large sections.

[gfugal]

+1 careful seasoning of apple. I wouldn't let it sit around without at least 2 coats PVA on the back.

PVA? I'm unfamiliar with this. I'm also worried about checking. I sprayed it with some scrap water resistant spraypaint on the belly of the split apple and coated the ends of both the apple and the cherry with latex paint. Seems most are suggesting to coat the backs as well? What do you guys use to seal your wood? I've heard of Titebond 3 and latex paint, but that would be a lot of both to coat the entire thing. With latex, you would completely cover up the wood so you couldn't see what it was so I don't know how I feel about that. I've also heard of Shellac and now PVA.

I would like to use the cheapest stuff that still works, so hit me with your recommendations.

It also doesn't like being left in large sections.

I was planning on splitting into fourth at first but discovered the spiral grain that leads to real messy splitting. So I'm worried about reducing it down more unless I either 1) spent a lot of time with a hatchet (which I sadly don't have yet), or 2) use my bandsaw, which is not at my parents place where I store the wood. Alas, I guess I'll just hope for the best.

[DC]

Coat the back and the ends, not the belly. You want the water to leave from the split side. Most checking is caused when the sapwood dries and shrinks faster than the inside.

My experience with cherry has been limited but unsuccessful.

[gfugal]

Do you guys suggest splitting the cherry? I wonder if leaving them round causes them to check more since they essentially riveted on all sides when they dry which keeps them from shrinking, so it cracks. Springbuck, unfortunately, I left the mulberry you gave me round, and when I was storing this in the rafters I noticed that it already started to get some good check cracks in the back. Alas, maybe I should have split it, in addition to sealing the ends. I worry about splitting them though because they are pretty small diameter, so if I were to split it (rather than cut it with a band saw) I might have too much residual waste removed that makes it so I can't get a bow, or at least use the sections I want to use for the bow (I'm not a very good spliter yet).

[DC]

Yes, split or saw it at least in half. Seal the back and ends.

[gfugal]

Coat the back and the ends, not the belly. You want the water to leave from the split side. Most checking is caused when the sapwood dries and shrinks faster than the inside.

My experience with cherry has been limited but unsuccessful.

shoot, well I wish I wasn't so ignorant at the time. Thanks for the knowledge though. I guess I could try to coat the back with something that is more sealant than the belly.

[bjrogg]

Gfugal if you already sealed  a belly you can just remove some wood from it to expose it again. We seal the Ends and Back to slow the drying in those areas. We want the wood to dry through the belly so it shrinks faster than the back or ends to avoid the cracks. It's also best to dry it slow at first. Your rafters probably get pretty hot up there. I'd wait a few weeks before putting them up there.
Bjrogg