Peach wood

Steve B

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Sep 30, 2012, 11:01:24 AM9/30/12

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A local religious group decided to bulldoze an old orchard of peach trees.
Free firewood.

The stuff is hard, but I have never seen anything made of peach. Other than
small decorative items and boxes, is it used to make any furniture or larger
stuff?

I'm going to cut it up in small chunks for barbecue smoking.

Steve

Leon

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Sep 30, 2012, 11:13:35 AM9/30/12

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IIRC the stuff stinks when burning. Might want to burn a chunk before
going to the trouble of cutting up a bunch in case IRC. ;~)

cedar...@aol.com

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Sep 30, 2012, 12:14:04 PM9/30/12

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On Sunday, September 30, 2012 10:01:14 AM UTC-5, Steve B wrote:
> A local religious group decided to bulldoze an old orchard of peach trees. Free firewood. The stuff is hard, but I have never seen anything made of peach. Other than small decorative items and boxes, is it used to make any furniture or larger stuff? I'm going to cut it up in small chunks for barbecue smoking. Steve

The fruit tree peach is prunus persica, which is closely related to plum and cherry. Here's a reference, http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/peach.htm , but don't know if it's helpful. Here's another: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach

Like other fruit trees, it is a tough lumber, excellent for making projects, though I've never used peach. The reason one doesn't see peach (or plum)lumber, often, is because the trees aren't large enough to mill commercially, as is the case with cherry. Any milling, for lumber use, is done individually.

If you have some potential projects in mind, then grab what you can. If you end up not using it, then discard it. Get it while the getting is good, especially if you have space to store it... like in an empty attic, if not in a dedicated barn or shed space. Whatever logs you'd get can't be too terribly large, so square them while still green, if possible, for easier storage/air drying.

I would think peach trees would have some noce crooked limbs, appropriate for unique legs and such, for log benchs, etc., similar to my cedar benchs and other projects, if you're interested in those types of projects.

I vote you get, while the getting is good.

Sonny

rbj...@wightman.ca

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Sep 30, 2012, 12:23:25 PM9/30/12

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> I'm going to cut it up in small chunks for barbecue smoking.
>
>
>
> Steve

Steve, peach should be from the same family as apple and pear and cherry. Pear is often used for handles of planes and chisels. Does it have a nice colour or grain? Small turned items come to mind and if you can resaw it, small boxes would be a nice project.

Fire wood is final. If you put it aside or saw it into sizes suitable for future use then you can always burn it, if you cannot find something to use it for.

Bob

Larry Blanchard

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Sep 30, 2012, 1:13:42 PM9/30/12

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On Sun, 30 Sep 2012 08:01:24 -0700, Steve B wrote:

> The stuff is hard, but I have never seen anything made of peach. Other
> than small decorative items and boxes, is it used to make any furniture
> or larger stuff?

Like most fruit woods, it has a tendency to crack when drying. But if
you're a turner it can make some beautiful bowls.

--
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and
carrying a cross.

Pilgrim

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Sep 30, 2012, 2:33:19 PM9/30/12

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In article <oPudncJyZbM2_PXN...@giganews.com>,

Best smelling fire wood I ever burned.

CP

Steve B

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Sep 30, 2012, 8:44:14 PM9/30/12

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<rbj...@wightman.ca> wrote

Steve, peach should be from the same family as apple and pear and cherry.
Pear is often used for handles of planes and chisels. Does it have a nice
colour or grain? Small turned items come to mind and if you can resaw it,
small boxes would be a nice project.

It does have some beautiful brown throughout with some very dark to black
streaks. Wish I was a better woodworker or had some more tools.

Steve

Steve B

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Sep 30, 2012, 8:48:18 PM9/30/12

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<cedar...@aol.com> wrote

>If you have some potential projects in mind, then grab what you can.

I could get fifty cords.

>I would think peach trees would have some noce crooked limbs, appropriate
>for unique legs and such, for log benchs, etc., similar to my cedar benchs
>and other projects, if you're interested in those types of projects.

Darn fine idea, and they are leaving all the stuff that is about 3" and
less.

I vote you get, while the getting is good. I'm gonna make another trip,
just to get a nice stockpile for future stuff, as you suggest.

>I did get a good bunch of almond lately, too. Nice coloration. Hard on
>the chainsaws. tho. The main trunk was stubby, and a combination of like
>four trees that grew together. It was right at 36" in diameter, and about
>eight feet long. I bet it weighed 1,000#. If I had a much larger
>chainsaw, it would have been perfect for coffee table material.

Sonny

Casper

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Oct 1, 2012, 12:01:29 PM10/1/12

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>Steve, peach should be from the same family as apple and pear and cherry.
>Pear is often used for handles of planes and chisels. Does it have a nice
>colour or grain? Small turned items come to mind and if you can resaw it,
>small boxes would be a nice project.

Pear is used in making woodwing instruments, especially recorders. If
peach is like pear, it will work and look great. I've handcarved
several items from pear with very good results. Turns well too.
`Casper