# Can this Crab Apple wood really be drying this fast?



## sawzall (Aug 5, 2011)

So I scored a pretty good amount of fresh, green Crab Apple wood last week.  I actually had to remove the little green apples off it so I know it was healthy.  I cut some up last week and finished tonight.  I was stacking it and splitting it to let it season when I noticed the chunks I cut last week are really  showing cracking like seasoned wood.  Having never dealt with Crab Apple wood -green or otherwise- is it possible that it's drying out this quick? here are pictures of 2 pieces. The fatter one is one I cut tonight and the slimmer one is a week old.  They are about 3 1/2" long and the fat one is 3 3/4" long and the skinny one is 4" long.
	

		
			
		

		
	














Pictures from both ends.  There was no cracking of the wood when it was cut.  Is this not abnormally fast?  It's been pretty warm and dry here, but still...


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## alblancher (Aug 6, 2011)

The only way to tell if it is dry is by weight and sound.  Those may be just surface cracks, if you can split it without to much trouble and when you smack them together you get a ring instead of a thud they are dry.   I'd be surprised that they are dry a week after cutting.


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## meateater (Aug 6, 2011)

I don't think there dry that fast. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_drying


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## mick johnson (Jun 24, 2012)

The cracks are from the ends drying very fast.  As a wood turner I have years of experience with this.  The wood dries at different rates causing cracks.  It can happen in minutes.  That is why we wax the ends to even out the drying time.  Often we also split the wood into quarters to make wedges and remove pith to give it some flex room.  Make friends with someone with a lathe.  they can take a piece of apple wood and turn it into shavings in 5 minutes.  They will be dry as a bone the very next day.  You can also do what we bodgers do to make pins and spit each piece until you get a bundle of sticks the size of pencils.  These will dry out in no time at all.


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## southernsausage (Jun 24, 2012)

A digital moisture reader will tell ya for sure but its prolly drying.


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## cliffcarter (Jun 24, 2012)

Before this morning the last post in this thread is dated August 2011, I think it's dry by now.


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## dakota don (Aug 7, 2012)

I have a decorative crab apple tree I am going to remove.  Will this wood be suitable for smoking?  I have heard it may be stronger.  My neighbor will start noticing limbs missing from his apple tree soon,  HELP!!


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## cliffcarter (Aug 16, 2012)

Dakota Don said:


> I have a decorative crab apple tree I am going to remove.  Will this wood be suitable for smoking?  I have heard it may be stronger.  My neighbor will start noticing limbs missing from his apple tree soon,  HELP!!


Yes, I am using flowering crab apple a lot, got some from a pruning earlier this year.


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