What shall I do with two apple trees?

[Roland]

My neighbour is taking down two Bramley apple trees. They are decent size trees, with no disease. Trunks are around 15” diameter, and about 5 ft from ground level to the first branch.

I’m planning to:
1. Rip the trunks into 2” or 3” slabs with a chain saw, and store them horizontally in my wood store for a couple of years.
2. Cut the branches into 3 ft lengths, and leave them to dry for a year or so before cutting for firewood.
3. Select a few choice pieces to turn while they’re fresh.

Does anyone have a better idea?

 

[gog64]

Branches make nice coasters on your bandsaw. Make a jig of course!

 

[Suffolkboy]

Keep any shavings/smaller offcuts for smoking food. Apple smoke has a lovely sweet flavour.

 

[Bm101]

Fruitwood is often used for tool handles.

 

[marcros]

Any chance of a small box of shavings/chips when you do your turning for smoking?

 

[Steve Maskery]

You could also salvage some scions, keep them in the fridge, moist, over the winter, and come the spring, graft them onto a young, compatible tree. I'm planning to do that with some Red William pears, and I have just planted out an apple tree that has Bramley, Christmas Pippin and Scrumptious on it.
I've never grafted before, but I'm really looking forward to doing it.

 

[Roland]

Any chance of a small box of shavings/chips when you do your turning for smoking?

Yes, also quince, cedar and holly. I guess you won’t want the yew.

 

[marcros]

quince would be worth researching, the other two aren't suitable (to the best of my knowledge) for smoking food

 

[Trainee neophyte]

You could also salvage some scions, keep them in the fridge, moist, over the winter, and come the spring, graft them onto a young, compatible tree. I'm planning to do that with some Red William pears, and I have just planted out an apple tree that has Bramley, Christmas Pippin and Scrumptious on it.
I've never grafted before, but I'm really looking forward to doing it.

Apologies for off-topicness, but most houses around me have a circus tree with 4 or 5 different kinds of fruit: lemon, orange, tangerine and bergamot would be common. I believe the Italians call this a "family tree". The trick to grafting is to make sure that the new and old bark join up, so the cambium from one feeds the other. The woody part isn't nearly as important. And just to be annoying, all the citrus grafting I have done is not with scions, but placing individual buds into the bark. I don't know if this technique works for apple trees, but it can be less daunting than cutting entire trees down to graft with sticks. https://www.treehelp.com/grafting-or-bu ... rus-trees/

Apologies to the OP, back to apple tree wood.

 

[Suffolkboy]

quince would be worth researching, the other two aren't suitable (to the best of my knowledge) for smoking food

I would think you are right.

I imagine anything smoked in Cedar smoke would taste like an air freshner!

 

[stuckinthemud]

Its the best wood-carving wood of all, just thought I'd mention it. Makes the most amazing flat-bows and long-bows. If you were closer I'd be round there quick-sharp...........

 

[Roland]

Trees are down. One has a rotten core, so there won’t be as much useful timber as as I hoped.

Boughs are cut and stacked. Some will get turned, some will get burned, and I might even try my hand at carving. Wood shreds from ripping a bough are in an envelope, and a wet blank is ready for the lathe. Time for a cup of tea.

 

[Trainee neophyte]

About ripping planks with your chainsaw: I have just seen a YouTube video by some American who says using just the tip of the saw is more efficient than trying to cut with the whole thing. Make sense, as fewer teeth in contact will stop it bogging down. His claim is it will use one third of the fuel, compared to Alaskan mills or similar techniques, so you would think also significantly faster.

[youtube]8qz64ELkxdA[/youtube]

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Get some pVA, paint or something on the ends PDQ.

 

[Bm101]

Get some pVA, paint or something on the ends PDQ.

What to cover the normal natural bright white internal fresh cut faces of apple?