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| Home Painting Skills and Basics Paperhanging Home Decorating Interior Decorating Wood Identification |
Apple woodBetter known and commercially far more important for its fruit than for its timber, apple is a tree of Europe  and western Asia nowadays cultivated in many parts of the world. At best it is a small tree, 8 to 10m high, often with a misshapen stem. There is little difference between the wood of wild and crab apple trees and that produced by the many cultivated varieties.Apple is a pale to medium pinkishbrown wood, with a very fine and even texture, though not quite so fine as that of pear; in misshapen trees the grain is often spiral and distorted. Apple is a moderately heavy wood, about the same weight as beech. Apple is slow to dry and in drying tends to warp badly and to split. Once dry, it is said to be stable in use. It is a hard and strong wood with a reputation for toughness, and it is difficult to split. It saws well and can be machined to give a good finish, though it is somewhat hard to work; care is needed to avoid tearing the surface if the grain is irregular. It takes stains and polishes well. It is perishable in conditions favouring decay. Its limited supply and small size combine to make apple a wood for craft rather than industrial use. It turns extremely well and, with a fine texture, can be carved to show intricate detail. It has been used for cog wheels, wooden screws, shuttles, golf-club heads, and for carpenters' tools, such as planes, mallets and the handles of saws. It makes an attractive decorative inlay. Extract from 'The International book of WOOD' curtesy Michael Beazley Publishers Limited 1979. |
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