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I lost a couple of apple and a peach tree during the derecho last week. While the trees were all dwarf varieties and the trunks and branches are small, I can get some use out of the wood. I am saving the larger trunks and some of the branches. Most of the branches that I am saving are about 4 inches in diameter as these are the larger ones. I know that that is really too small to do much with but figured they could be used to practice turning with or even some pen blanks. I know that I need to seal the ends of the wood. Can I use any latex paint for that or should I look for a something else?

thunderbirdbat wrote:I lost a couple of apple and a peach tree during the derecho last week. While the trees were all dwarf varieties and the trunks and branches are small, I can get some use out of the wood. I am saving the larger trunks and some of the branches. Most of the branches that I am saving are about 4 inches in diameter as these are the larger ones. I know that that is really too small to do much with but figured they could be used to practice turning with or even some pen blanks. I know that I need to seal the ends of the wood. Can I use any latex paint for that or should I look for a something else?

Brenda,

I just started getting more serious with lathe work in the last year, so I am no expert but have also started trying to seal some logs I am drying. It is my understanding that any paint can be used for this, assuming it doesn't penetrate too deep into the wood through a crack and cause a problem for your finished turning. I have seen and heard a lot of experienced turners recommend AnchorSeal (link below), but it can be expensive. I can't say how much better, if any, it works compared to latex paint. Hopefully others will comment on what products they use and what works well for them.

https://www.amazon.com/ANCHORSEAL-Log-L ... B07ST4SQDG

Brenda, I recently had the same question as you which led me to a web search where I stumbled on a number of posts and videos that recommended painting the end grain with wood glue. In fact, many posters said that they had better luck with wood glue than using a dedicated end-grain sealant. So that is what I did. I sealed as I stacked the lumber and then came back at the end of stickering and hit the ends with another pass of glue. I couldn¹t be happier with the result: the glue formed a thick, ductile covering while at the same time preserving the look of the grain (which will help with planing). It only took about a pint of glue to do the job so my total cost was in the neighborhood of $2 (as opposed to $35 for a gallon of end-grain sealant).

... one other thing. Stickering is super important. Make sure that you use good dry stickers and that they are vertically aligned. Also, make sure your stack has good air circulation around it so that the wood dries uniformly. This particular pile of Cherry, Oak and Hickory has been curing since early June. I re-stacked the pile about 4 weeks into the process to ensure that it was uniformly drying. It started with a moisture content of about 44% and is now sitting at about 14%. With a little luck it will be ready to use in the spring at about 9% MC.

Dwarf trees are normally grafted so the area above is the apple or what ever and the lower part is another wood, possibly cherry or ??.

Branches are not good for much but if I do save them I cut them into disks which I can then turn or maybe even re cut and make things like coasters our of. To dry them I just but them in brown paper bags or buckets or what ever filled with saw dust. This lets them dry slowly and almost eliminates checking and or cracking. Never use sealed plastic bags.

But one of the things I like to do most is to turn them wet. I make weed pots and then let them crack as nature allows. Some where here on the forum I have posted some pictures and examples of these. Web is full of how-to videos as well.

A good source for latex paint on the cheap is returns, often only a few $ a gallon and I personally like lighter colors, but I have no particular reason for that, just a preference.

Ed

Thanks for the info on using glue. I am only keeping a couple of the larger branches from where the apple tree trunk splits into branches. I have only turned a couple of times in the past and figured the branches would make a cheap practice wood. From what I can tell looking at the larger apple tree trunk, it sheared off at the graft point to the root ball. When it fell into the smaller apple tree, it pushed the tree over pulling up the roots. The larger trunk is just big enough to make a few bowl blanks from. I may be able to use the smaller apple for some small spindle items, maybe a couple of tool handles. The peach tree was snapped close to the ground and looking at it after getting all the branches off it is not worth keeping as the wood split before or as it snapped.

When it comes to grafting trees, they need to be grafted on compatible rootstock. Apple goes on some kind of apple. It won't work on any of the stone fruit roots like cherry, plum, apricot, or peach.
Likewise, the stone fruits will be grafted onto some kind of stone fruit. Never on apple or pear.

I have my best luck splitting branches like that down the middle. Drying them in the round has always left me with lots of splits no matter how I seal the ends. As a half circle, they can warp around the circumference as they dry and that prevents lots of splitting and cracking.

Thanks Garys. I was planning on splitting all of the wood I am saving for turning. I have left all the branches I am saving on the tree trunk for the moment. I will cut them into sections and split them after I finish the rest of the clean up.

As Ed said above, twig pot are a great use for the smaller branches,

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Hi Brenda,

Sorry about the trees, but sounds like some will get put to good use. Let me know if my son and I can help with any cleanup or hauling anything away in the pickup. Our house in Cedar Rapids got lucky, but lots of work out at the farmstead by Belle Plaine for us.