Sylvester-- or something else?

[Okrafarmer]

So we harvested an apple tree, and my boss asks if I want to keep the log. I say, sure.  ???Never milled one before.  So, he brings it back, and I look at it, and it sure is a beauty, around 16" diameter or so, 10' long, with a tight crotch top and all. So, after I finished cleaning up after milling lumber for the little cube barn, I got to looking at the sylvester log, and just couldn't help myself, I had to pop it on the mill.

What I found was some of the most amazing wood I've ever opened up. The log was nice and straight, with this gorgeous orange sapwood and cherry-like red heartwood. I never knew apple would be so nice! I'm sorry, I only got three pictures before dark, and finished up milling in the dark. I made live-edge slabs and boards, very very nice.

 

  

  

  

[Okrafarmer]

If I manage to take some more pictures, you will see the perfect Y of the heartwood in the crotch. I didn't get a picture of that before dark.

[5quarter]

Oh lucky you... That is really a nice sized log. get the ends sealed up before the boards start splitting. The real challenge will be drying it...

You're sure it's apple? The bark doesn't seem right. also, most apple I've cut has a white sapwood with light reddish-brown heart. occasionally, the heart can be very dark and dark brown sap pockets are very common. But Apple lumber can vary widely in its appearance. The log actually looks more like bradford Pear, which of course is another beautiful fruitwood. Bradford pear is always pale orange sapwood fading into reddish-orange in the heart like the boards in the pic.

   Hopefully you will post a few more pics tomorrow?

Nice score.   

[VT_Forestry]

Awesome looking lumber.  I, too, will be interested in how it dries

You're sure it's apple? . The log actually looks more like bradford Pear, which of course is another beautiful fruitwood. Bradford pear is always pale orange sapwood fading into reddish-orange in the heart like the boards in the pic.

I was thinking the same thing when I saw the bark.  Those tight crotches are pretty typical of pear as well.  Either way it's pretty!

[Magicman]

As excited as you were when we talked, I am not surprised that it got sawed yesterday...even in the dark.   

It will be interesting to see pictures of the lumber.

[Okrafarmer]

I'll see what I can do. The bark does look like bradford pear, I'll have to double check. I don't have any leaves or fruit in hand, unfortunately, but I need to check with those who were on site. They normally know a Bradford when they see one. There's no mistaking those little fruity pebbles that grow on them.

Unfortunately I have to hurry off and load up the robertcat and go load trash into somebody's dumpsters today, and so I don't know what else I'll manage to accomplish. At least the trash-loading is a paying job.

[Okrafarmer]

By the way, they weren't all as crooked as that board in the bottom picture. That was one of the preliminary cuts. The cant ended up a lot straighter, as seen in the picture of the cant on the mill.

[pineywoods]

Beautiful lumber. Okra, I sure hope you aren't running that mill with the bandwheel cover off. Broken band wrapped around your neck could ruin your whole day..

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Jim thats another one for the list looks good Mate     

Regards Chris

[mikeb1079]

looks beautiful.  tho i must say it doesn't look anything like the apple around here...
 
course that doesn't mean it's not apple.  i'm also very jealous of your new sawmil!

[drobertson]

If it is an apple tree log it is a mighty straight one.  be sure and save the slabs for smoking your fall deer meat, and anything else you might be cooking,

[hackberry jake]

Dang, that sure is purdy. Now I need to find me an apple tree.

[Okrafarmer]

I'm wondering if it is a quince-- probably grew up from the quince root stock of an apple tree. That's my guess. Would that make a difference in the color?

[Okrafarmer]

Beautiful lumber. Okra, I sure hope you aren't running that mill with the bandwheel cover off. Broken band wrapped around your neck could ruin your whole day..

Uh. . . .    I guess I should put the other guard on, shouldn't I? I'm more worried about hitting my head (or hand) on the alternator, though.

[SwampDonkey]

Doesn't look like apple bark. I've cut a whack of'm in the orchard. Burnt them all, rotten centers the chipmunks used for storage.

Nice looking wood there, hope it behaves when drying.

[Okrafarmer]

Well, maybe it wasn't a sylvester after all, but a pyrus communis tree. We're still not sure. I was hoping WDH or somebody else with experience figuring out the difference would chime in...

Today I asked Profdan if the tree had any fruit on it, and he said yes, little fruits that were bigger than a bradford pear's fruits, and kind of looked like a cross between a pear and an apple. Maybe a crabapple? Or some kind of quince, or something like that?

Anyway, more pictures today, from one of the inner slabs. I counted about 140 bf out of this log.

 

  

 

[profdan]

We can go get some bits of twigs, fruit, etc from the job site to verify for sure what kind of tree that was. Samples of all are there under the edge of the chip pile. Lots of walnut trees at the neighbor's there too, so if you see anyone around maybe we can get another job! But as soon as I saw the stump after we cut it down, I knew Okra would love it!

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum,    profdan.   

[Okrafarmer]

  I know him. 

[5quarter]

Okra...much better pictures. Definitely not Bradford pear. The demarcation between sap and heart in BP is not discernable. your slabs show a clearly defined difference between heartwood and sapwood. Not apple. not B pear. Off the top of my head...no idea.