Pear wood. Should I steam it?

[isaac3d]

The question of how to steam pear wood (at home) was asked by member PAC back in 2008. Whilst there was some discussion on how nice Pear wood is, there was no answer to the question.
I am about to lay my grubby mitts on a freshly felled pear tree. Not sure of the exact subspecies but the tree is maybe 10m tall and "looks mature". It has ovate shiny leaves rather thick and slightly waxy to the feel. There is currently fruit on it. They are small; about 4 or 5 cm long and 3cm in diameter, however, they may not have reached their mature size.

So, my question is should I steam it to kill any boring insects or is that not a major problem?
If I do need to steam it, any suggestions as to how (at home) would be welcome.

 

[sawtooth-9]

The question of how to steam pear wood (at home) was asked by member PAC back in 2008. Whilst there was some discussion on how nice Pear wood is, there was no answer to the question.
I am about to lay my grubby mitts on a freshly felled pear tree. Not sure of the exact subspecies but the tree is maybe 10m tall and "looks mature". It has ovate shiny leaves rather thick and slightly waxy to the feel. There is currently fruit on it. They are small; about 4 or 5 cm long and 3cm in diameter, however, they may not have reached their mature size.

So, my question is should I steam it to kill any boring insects or is that not a major problem?
If I do need to steam it, any suggestions as to how (at home) would be welcome.

I assume you will cut the timber from the log into a suitable size - ready to stack and season.
When you have done that, you should see if there is any evidence of boring insects.
If you really need to steam it, the you can obtain a length of metal downpipe and a 90 deg elbow.
We used to use an old washing copper, but any container that you can find to boil water - if it needs a lid, just cut one from plywood and cut a hole to fit the elbow.
The downpipe pushes into the elbow, and tilt the downpipe back towards the container of boiling water. As steam condenses, it will flow back and therefore reduce the water usage and prevent boiling the wood.
Then place your sawn wood into the downpipe and "stuff" some rags at the open end of the downpipe.
This was the method we used to use for steaming timber for bending ribs in boat construction

 

[isaac3d]

Thanks for the advice.
The tree is due to come down shortly. I had a closer look at it and actually it is taller than I first thought; maybe 15m. Further, the top shows that the upper limbs were trimmed some time ago; they end whilst still about 15 to 20cm in diameter. So I think the tree was much taller. The trunk is about 40cm in diameter. The owner thinks that the tree is 100 plus years old. Sadly, it's causing damage and has to go. I'll have to arrange for a new one to be planted somewhere more appropriate. (Of course, in 100 years that place may no longer be appropriate, as is the case here.)
I will be busy slicing and "stickering" for a few days. Fortunately, I have a 5L can of end sealer handy.
I have read that pear has a strong tendency to twist whilst drying. Any advice on this, other than dry it slowly?
I am debating whether to stick to my usual strategy of cutting 1.5 inch thick boards or go to 2 inch.