Plugs for horns

[Glenn Hurley Jr.]

I recently trimmed a few fallen branches from an apple tree in the orchard and I would like to keep some of the wood for fashioning butt plugs for horns.   Some of them are about six inches in diameter and were still live when cut.  What is the best way to cut the branches so it will dry without checking?  Should  they be cut into five inch lengths to facilitate drying?  Thanks in advance.

[Black Hand]

I'm afraid that some checking will occur anyway.  Paint the cut ends with wood-glue (can dilute it with some water) to slow evaporation, store in a cool place and allow to dry (I think it takes a year or so for each inch in diameter, but don't quote me).

I would NOT cut them into shorter lengths.  This works pretty well with bow wood.

[Daryl]

I wouldn't skin them - dry too fast.  As Hugh said - need to dry slowly or they'll crack deeply.  Many people would paint them, or perhaps roofing tar, something to stop or slow the moisture coming out the ends quickly. The tar might be too much of a barrier, I don't know- doubt it, though.

[Habu]

Putting on my sawyer hat for a moment. . . .

Apple is a real pain to dry, and apple branches are worse because they grew under tension.  Not saying it can't be done, but that you may not have much luck. 

For my own use, I saw them into 5/4" (no thicker) boards with the band mill or on my bandsaw.  As Black Hand has said, coat the ends of the boards with glue (I use Titebond II, because I buy it by the gallon anyhow).  Once dry, place the boards in your freezer, with spacers in between.  Leave them in there as long as you can--a year is not too much. 

When you cut them to length for projects etc, expect some loss due to checking and tensions in the wood being released.  Cut oversize--maybe an inch or so long at each end. 

Good luck.
Jim

[smylee grouch]

I wonder if placing hose clamps around them on the ends and keeping them tight untill the wood is real dry would help?

[Ky-Flinter]

I got some fairly straight pieces of apple limbs about 4" diameter this spring.  Painted the cut ends with house paint as soon as I got home....  they still checked. 

-Ron

[The Original Griz]

you are going to be very hard pressed to have them not check, even painted and even if you do keep them for a year or two, after you cut them and expose new wood, it will more than likely check then. I may be wrong, but if I were a betting man......

[Habu]

If you keep the stuff in the round, or course it is going to crack.  The outer wood is more exposed to air.  It dries faster.  When wood dries, it shrinks.  It cannot shrink much in diameter due to the wood in the middle, so it cracks to relieve tension.  Hose clamps will do nothing to slow this down because they apply pressure in the wrong direction--they tighten the wood around the core, but as the wood shrinks, the core is over-sized, causing the cracks. 

If at some point you are going to want the wood converted into boards of some sort, the time to do it is when the wood is still wet.  If you want to dry it in as large a piece as possible, at least split the stuff into halves or quarters.