Q.
I have a large apple tree which was blown down in a storm. I would like to use some of the wood for carving; please provide some tips on drying and preparing it.
A.
Usually the grain is quite swirly, which gives it a nice appearance but leads to a lot of warp and difficulty when cutting or machining. The density is quite high as well, meaning that gluing and machining will be difficult (including carving).
It dries much like oak lumber, so use those procedures.
Gene Wengert, forum moderator
| Common Lumber Name | A | B | C |
| Hardwoods | |||
| Alder, Red | 9.9 | 19.2 | 2506 |
| Apple | 10.9 | 31.7 | 4132 |
| Ash, Black | 9.3 | 23.4 | 4132 |
| Ash, Green | 14.3 | 27.6 | 3590 |
| Aspen, Bigtooth | 10.3 | 18.7 | 2439 |
| Aspen, Quaking | 10.3 | 18.2 | 2373 |
| Basswood | 6.2 | 16.6 | 2174 |
| Beech, American | 8.9 | 29.1 | 3793 |
| Birch, Paper | 8.8 | 25.0 | 3260 |
| Birch, Sweet | 11.9 | 31.2 | 4065 |
| Birch, Yellow | 9.2 | 28.6 | 3723 |
| Buckeye | 8.9 | 17.2 | 2235 |
| Butternut | 11.3 | 18.7 | 2440 |
| Cherry | 13.8 | 24.4 | 3184 |
| Chesnut, American | 11.6 | 20.8 | 2708 |
| Cottonwood | 8.5 | 16.1 | 2102 |
| Dogwood | 6.8 | 33.3 | 4331 |
| Elm, American | 10.2 | 23.9 | 3116 |
| Elm, Rock | 12.2 | 29.6 | 3860 |
| Elm, slippery | 11.5 | 25.0 | 3251 |
| Hackberry | 11.8 | 25.5 | 3319 |
| Hickory, Bitternut (Pecan) | 14.7 | 31.2 | 4062 |
| Hickory (True) | |||
| Hickory, Mockernut | 9.1 | 33.3 | 4332 |
| Hickory, Pignut | 9.3 | 34.3 | 4332 |
| Hickory, Shagbark | 10.9 | 33.3 | 4333 |
| Hickory, Shellbark | 6.6 | 32.2 | 4195 |
| Holly, American | 8.3 | 26.0 | 3387 |
| Hophornbeam, Eastern | 7.9 | 32.8 | 4266 |
| Laurel, California | 15.1 | 26.5 | 3456 |
| Locust, Black | 21.2 | 34.3 | 4470 |
| Madrone, Pacific | 7.8 | 30.2 | 3925 |
| Maple (Soft) | |||
| Maple, Bigleaf | 12.8 | 22.9 | 2980 |
| Maple, Red | 13.1 | 25.5 | 3318 |
| Maple, Silver | 12.4 | 22.9 | 2981 |
| Maple (Hard) | |||
| Maple, Black | 12.3 | 27.0 | 3523 |
| Maple, Sugar | 12.3 | 29.1 | 3793 |
| Oak (Red) | |||
| Oak, Black | 11.7 | 29.1 | 3792 |
| Oak, California black | 16.4 | 26.5 | 3455 |
| Oak, Laurel | 6.3 | 29.1 | 3791 |
| Oak, Northern red | 13.6 | 29.1 | 3793 |
| Oak, Pin | 13.0 | 30.2 | 3928 |
| Oak, Scarlet | 13.2 | 31.2 | 4065 |
| Oak, Southern red | 9.6 | 27.0 | 3520 |
| Oak, Water | 10.4 | 29.1 | 3793 |
| Oak, Willow | 6.4 | 29.1 | 3790 |
| Oak (White) | |||
| Oak, Bur | 15.4 | 30.2 | 3928 |
| Oak, Chestnut | 10.1 | 29.6 | 3858 |
| Oak, Live | 17.5 | 41.6 | 5417 |
| Oak, Overcup | 10.7 | 29.6 | 3860 |
| Oak, Post | 11.0 | 31.2 | 4063 |
| Oak, Swamp chestnut | 10.7 | 31.2 | 4063 |
| Oak, White | 10.8 | 31.2 | 4062 |
| Persimmon | 7.0 | 33.3 | 4332 |
| Sweetgum | 8.9 | 23.9 | 3115 |
| Sycamore | 10.7 | 23.9 | 3115 |
| Tanoak | 9.0 | 30.2 | 3926 |
| Tupelo, Black | 10.4 | 23.9 | 3116 |
| Tupelo, Water | 12.4 | 23.9 | 3115 |
| Walnut | 13.4 | 26.5 | 3454 |
| Willow, Black | 8.6 | 18.7 | 2438 |
| Yellow-poplar | 10.6 | 20.8 | 2708 |
| Common Lumber Name | A | B | C |
| Softwoods | |||
| Baldcypress | 13.2 | 21.9 | 2844 |
| Cedar, Alaska | 14.4 | 21.9 | 2844 |
| Cedar, Atlantic white | 10.9 | 16.1 | 2100 |
| Cedar, eastern red | 16.4 | 22.9 | 2981 |
| Cedar, Incense | 13.1 | 18.2 | 2371 |
| Cedar, Northern white | 11.1 | 15.1 | 1964 |
| Cedar, Port-Orford | 12.6 | 20.2 | 2641 |
| Cedar, Western red | 12.2 | 16.1 | 2100 |
| Douglas-fir, Coast type | 12.3 | 23.4 | 3049 |
| Douglas-fir, Interior west | 13.2 | 23.9 | 3116 |
| Douglas-fir, Interior north | 14.0 | 23.4 | 3048 |
| Fir, Balsam | 9.9 | 17.2 | 2236 |
| Fir, California red | 10.6 | 18.7 | 2437 |
| Fir, Grand | 10.7 | 18.2 | 2371 |
| Fir, Noble | 10.1 | 19.2 | 2507 |
| Fir, Pacific silver | 10.4 | 20.8 | 2711 |
| Fir, Subalpine | 10.5 | 16.1 | 2101 |
| Fir, White | 12.2 | 19.2 | 2506 |
| Hemlock, Eastern | 12.6 | 19.8 | 2573 |
| Hemlock, Western | 11.5 | 21.8 | 2847 |
| Larch, Western | 11.3 | 25.0 | 3251 |
| Pine, Eastern white | 12.3 | 17.7 | 2303 |
| Pine, Lodgepole | 11.5 | 19.8 | 2576 |
| Pine, Ponderosa | 12.6 | 19.8 | 2573 |
| Pine, Red | 12.2 | 21.3 | 2777 |
| Southern yellow group | |||
| Pine, Loblolly | 12.9 | 24.4 | 3183 |
| Pine, Longleaf | 15.0 | 28.1 | 3658 |
| Pine, Shortleaf | 12.9 | 24.4 | 3183 |
| Pine, Sugar | 12.6 | 17.7 | 2302 |
| Pine, Western white | 10.0 | 18.2 | 2370 |
| Redwood, Old growth | 14.9 | 19.8 | 2573 |
| Redwood, Second growth | 13.2 | 17.7 | 2302 |
| Spruce, Black | 11.3 | 19.8 | 2575 |
| Spruce, Engelmann | 10.0 | 17.2 | 2234 |
| Spruce, Red | 10.6 | 19.2 | 2506 |
| Spruce, Sitka | 10.8 | 19.2 | 2506 |
| Tamarack | 12.0 | 25.5 | 3318 |
