Replies

1. 
   jonsherryl | Jun 08, 2004 05:58pm | #1

   Eels, holly is a difficult species to air dry. It is very susceptible to sticker stain and it is also very unstable.

   You want to get it milled and get it on stickers as soon as possible, make sure the end grain is thorourghly sealed and then weight down the pile, so the upper layer of boards can't lift. You also want to provide adequate air flow early in the drying process, so that the surface of the boards are brought down to a low enough moisture content that the molds which cause staining find it difficult to get established.

   And one more thing, make sure your stickers are cut from thoroughly seasoned stock.

1. 
   eels | Jun 08, 2004 06:13pm | #2

   Worth the expense of having it kiln dried?

1. 
   jonsherryl | Jun 08, 2004 06:56pm | #3

   I'd get it milled first, Eels. What you have may or may not have good color and it's important to determine that first. If it's nice, stark-white material...and you have enough of it to make it worth the expense of kiln drying...then that's the safest approach.

   Small lot kiln drying can get to be a crapshoot, since kiln operators like to handle these small jobs in mixed species batches to save on time and cost. Problem is, the various species have different kiln shedules for optimizing the quality of the wood...and holly is even tricky to kiln dry. Be sure you can trust your kiln opertator, or you might end up with some pretty stressed out holly. 

1. 
   eels | Jun 08, 2004 07:48pm | #5

   Thanks! Any recommendations on how best to mill it? Flat-sawn? Quarter-sawn? Thickeness? I don't have a particul;ar project in mind. The tree was in my neighbor's yard and was available for free. It looks pretty good from the cuts, clean and white, except for the center of the log that was lower on the tree. Very close annular rings.

2. 
   forestgirl | Jun 08, 2004 07:41pm | #4

   My impression is that holly is used mostly for inlays and such decorative purposes, where small pieces can be used.  Also for small turnings such as chess pieces.  We have several holly trees on our property and I have my eye on one for "when the time comes."

   Here are a couple of links:

   http://www.woodbin.com/ref/wood/holly_american.htm

   http://www.righteouswoods.net/holly.html  [scroll down from top]

   According to the 2nd site, holly is best harvested in the winter and "dried quickly."

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   eels | Jun 08, 2004 07:56pm | #6

   Thanks! This is my first time on Knots, and I really appreciate the responses.

2. 
   jonsherryl | Jun 09, 2004 12:30am | #7

   >>"According to the 2nd site, holly is best harvested in the winter and "dried quickly."<<

   FG, the "dried quickly" part of that advice is absolutely critical. But the "harvest in winter" is debatable. I think the latter advice stems from the fact that if you harvest it in winter, it will have a chance to "surface dry" a little before the humid early months of spring. Stump moisture content is a bit of a myth, in that trees must remain saturated to survive. If they do not maintain their vascular tissue above the Fiber Saturation Point (in other words, if they don't keep free moisture in the cavities of their vascular tissue) they die.

   The problem with holly is that it is pure "fungi fodder" and if you allow it to maintain a moisture content that allows the molds that cause bluestain to get established, they will quickly spalt the wood.  

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 09, 2004 05:04am | #8

   Hi Jon.  They don't say anything about why the winter-harvest is recommended.  I've got to say, "spalted holly" doesn't sound very appealing, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

1. 
   UncleDunc | Jun 09, 2004 05:17am | #9

   Nonresponsive response removed.

   Edited 6/8/2004 10:21 pm ET by Uncle Dunc

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 09, 2004 06:06am | #10

   Thank you, UD.  I get enough of those from my cats, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)