How fast does wood split...

[Kevin McPeek]

Well yesterday I got a mini score of Acacia that someone had cut down from their yard. There was about 5-6 pieces about 12-14 diameter and 4 crotches and a few other smaller pieces I grabbed. It was cut over the weekend and already had some mild end checks. When I got home I piled it up on the tailgate of my truck and started sealing. As I was painting the ends I could HEAR it crack a few times. So yeah wood splits pretty quick down hear in AZ. I thought it was strange that I was hearing it though, I guess it doesn't help that it was in the upper 90's yesterday.

[Ron Ainge]

Kevin

I have been to your part of the world and I would guess if the tree hits the ground in the temps. that you have there it is already begining to check and spliting is not far behind. I hope you saved the wood you have.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Depending on the wood ... real fast.

Between our school and church over the sidewalk hung a 40 year old crab apple. The mess it created lasted all year. Past threats to remove it brought rath from family that may have donated it in memory of a loved one. Well the pastor finally had enough and got some volunteers to take it down. They cut it at 9:00 in the morning and saved me the trunk for turning. It was a rainy cold day. I picked it up at 3:00 that afternoon and imedaitely slabed it into 4 bowl blanks. The blanks on one side opened cracks as fast as I could turn them away. 2 for 4 ain't bad in odd fruit trees.

There is a reason you don't see crab apple furniture for sale anywhere.

Frank

[Kevin McPeek]

From what I understand, fruit trees are really bad about cracking. I guess you could call crab apple a fruit tree, not that you'd eat the nasty little boogers.