Step 2: Staining the wood

Not surprising, apple is a beautiful wood to work with but it is very unstable and like to move, twist, check etc. Not surprising since most apple wood come from old orchard trees. All that pruning and grafting thru the years is what give us wonderful swirl figure and etc…including all these problems.
And now you know why it is rarely available commercially.
Wild crab apple trees are more tame in figure and don’t twist and crack as much.
I still love to play with orchard trees chunks and carve in it, it hold a very small detail and carve very well (with absolute sharp tool of course).

Let it finish its stupid wood tricks, like Ralph would say and then fill the cracks with epoxy.
I made saw handle and various other tool handles with it, I love this wood, but you have to be prepared to cry as you see your small stock twist like a madmen and be left with a much smaller piece to play with, oh well, still worth it in my opinion.

Bob, from the Annapolis valley in Nova Scotia Canada, which was long the nation largest exporter of apples to the Dominion. Currently more and more orchard are switching to vineyard and are producing some fine wines.

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