Behr Appleby (Grampz) - Taper Technique, anybody still have pics?

[BrianBay9]

Only some of you old-timers here will remember Behr Appleby (Grampz)...great, creative bonsai artist and super nice guy who passed away several years ago. His signature line (usually referring to himself) was "I thought he would never leave".

Grampz once described and photographed a technique for creating taper in some collected species, demonstrated on bald cypress I think. On a flat top trunk cut, he bored out the heartwood in the center, made cuts to create segments of the trunk retaining the live bark, then brought them together using ring clamps and glue to form an inverted cone at the top of the tree. Eash segment retained a live branch, cambium and bark. They would grow back together, rapidly forming a tapered top.

Grampz posted pics of this process here at one time, and sent them independently to some of us. I lost mine in a computer crash. I can't find them in the archives of this site. I was wondering if anyone here,

1) still has those pics they could share?
2) used this technique and could show some long term results?

Cheers
Brian

 

[crust]

This sounds interesting but I have never heard of it being done.

 

[johng]

I remember Behr...mainly on BonsaiTalk. I think I even remember the project but I was thinking it was an elm tree but I could certainly be wrong...sorry I am not more help.


Honestly though I am not sure such a project could ever achieve a satisfying result...perhaps if there was a way to twist as well as pull together the sections, maybe.

However, I can certainly appreciate the desire to give it a shot.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Hi Brian;

I remember this exactly. Let me see if I can dig it up.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I think this is the thread you are referring to...

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?1004-Hornbeam-yamadori

I have not used the technique... but I am tempted to on a couple of trunk chops that aren't going anywhere fast.

 

[edprocoat]

Brian I remember this being done by Dario (Poink) on one of his collected trees. It was so wide he had to use a turnbuckle and a large bolt to bring it together. I also seem to remember that Al (Smoke) did this on a Trident Maple of his, at least I think All did this too. I am certain about Dario's having done this and he is a pretty affable guy so I am sure if you PM him he will give you the details.

ed

 

[BrianBay9]

Thanks so much for digging that up. I'm so happy we haven't lost it.

I was thinking of trying it with an American larch.....seems to heal very well, like the BC

Brian

 

[Gene Deci]

Thanks so much for digging that up. I'm so happy we haven't lost it.

I was thinking of trying it with an American larch.....seems to heal very well, like the BC

Brian

I have tried this twice, once with a pine (strobus) and once with an am. larch. I made three cuts to form the "cone" each time. In spite of trying to be very careful to match cambium layers none of the cuts healed together on the pine and only one took on the larch. The result was large knobby scars that defeated the purpose.

So, I am trying a new technique. Chop flat and bore it out like before but then put the hose clamps on with out making any cuts. You can still tighten the clamps to draw in the bored out area easily enough. In fact I wasn't sure when to stop. I put popcicle sticks in between the hose clamps and the bark to protect the bark. That pretty much hides whatever is gong on from view. I plan to let it be for this upcoming growing season, so I won't know how it works for a while.