Replies

1. 
   lwj2 | Mar 19, 2005 08:36pm | #1

   Welcome to the Knotheads.

   Get them cut into boards as soon as you can, leaving them in log form will cause checking.

   If you're into turning, you might want to whack a couple of bowl blanks out of them. One of the members of our local woodturning club keeps his blanks in a 30-gallon trashcan filled with water to keep them wet until he can turn them. Other than having to change the water to keep it from going funky, he says it's not a problem.

   Leon Jester

   
   

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   Edited 3/19/2005 1:38 pm ET by Leon Jester

1. 
   Wetlander | Mar 24, 2005 08:38pm | #11

   Thanks Leon and to everyone else who sent along their advice.  Listening to the majority, I am going to go ahead and cut the logs into boards and dry them in that form.  I have borrowed my brother-in-law's chain saw, and will get to work on it this weekend.  I'll let everyone know how it goes.

   Thanks again!

   Wetlander

   P.S. Hey Telemiketoo - I'm located in Champaign, IL.  I go by Wetlander as I'm a wetland scientist for the Illinois State Geological Survey  :-)

2. 
   YesIWood | Mar 20, 2005 09:38am | #2

   Wetlander,

     I just finished reading an article about wood stabilizers.  First, to your first question.  Plank your log and "stick" it to let it air dry.  Sticks should be evenly spaced and some weight on top will help prevent twisting.  Next if you want to slice some of the log for turning or trivets, their is a product called "Pentacryl" wood preservative, sold at Woodcraft.  You can check (no pun intended) it out at http://www.woodcraft.com.

   Good luck,

   Joe

3. 
   Lightman | Mar 20, 2005 01:16pm | #3

   Hey Wetlander,

   I guess everyone has an opinion on this, here's my 2 cents.

    I NEVER slice up my logs until they have had a chance to dry in log form. You have correctly sealed the end of the log to prevent checking and splitting. Paraffin should do nicely as long as it stays stuck to the log. I use latex based caulking right out of the tube. The idea is to stop too fast drying from the end grain.

    I used to cut my boards as soon as I could, and at times will cut them within a month if it is the dead middle of the winter when the sap is down and the wood has less moisture in it. This time of the year the sap is already on the rise, in fact here in the south the trees are already budding out.

   I have lost more lumber by cutting it up too soon than letting it dry in log form. More twisting, cupping and curling.  At best you would only want to slab it in say 4in thick boards as wide as the log is.

   Now after saying all this you cannot leave it in log form too long as it will start to rot from the center out. I'm not familiar with sugar maple. My oak logs I hold about 3 to 4 months. According to the diameter.  Pine, cedar and cypress about 2 to 3 months, according to when the "barks slips".

   Good luck on your new venture in woodworking. Having lumber cut from your own logs is just about as good as it gets. Let us know how it turns out.

   Jimmy

   as always I wish you enough

1. 
   KeithNewton | Mar 20, 2005 03:56pm | #4

   Hey Jimmy and everyone else.
   There are some free downloads at the woodweb site that are Forest Product Lab publications on this subject. Here is the link.
   http://www.woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/sawdry.pl?read=397407I have found that Maple is very prone to insect infestation shortly after it has been cut if the bark is left on. If the bark has been removed, it gives up moisture very fast on the surface after the bark is gone, and is prone to checking if left in the log form. It is also prone to fungal stain if it is not dried shortly after cutting especially in warm weather.

1. 
   Lightman | Mar 20, 2005 04:25pm | #5

   Cool site rootburl. Briefly looked at it. Will thoroughly read it soon.  I have had some stain issues with pine in the past, but hasn't been a big issue. I only cut logs for myself from November thru January. Prefer not to even cut them in Jan. I don't have the bug problems then and the wood dries slower. The stain is not as bad. My grandfather passed some of this to me years ago. If I had a large kiln I wouldn't care when I cut them, but I air dry it about 90% before putting it in a small one I made some years ago.

   Thanks for the info.

   Jimmy

   as always I wish you enough 

2. 
   frenchy | Mar 21, 2005 06:29pm | #7

   Jimmy

     Your advice would be good except that Maple is extremely prone to decay!  It is an absolute must that as soon as warm weather arrives it is sawn and stickard.  leave it in the round round and I can almost guarantee you will have spalted wood on your hands..

     In additon one of the nice things about maple is the white wood that is highly prized. the center will be brown and the older the tree the bigger the heart wood will be..

1. 
   Lightman | Mar 22, 2005 03:49am | #9

   Thanks Frenchy,

    Like I said I don't know sugar maple. We're not blessed with that wonderful wood here in the south. I thought afterwards that there may be an issue with about the maple, spalted maple is famous! I'm sure difference parts of the country have different drying issues.

   So is smaller maple trees better to cut for lumber than large trees? The stuff I get to work with, bigger the better......

   Have a good one

   Jimmy

   as always I wish you enough

1. 
   frenchy | Mar 22, 2005 07:27pm | #10

   Yes Jimmy,

     smaller trees will have more of the all whitewood since fewer branches will have been lost.  Up to about 12 inches you can get mostly all white depending on various things.. big old maples will seldom have much white wood.. and they tend to rot from the inside out..

    As for spalted, please be warnedif you work with it you will get flue like symtoms if you aren't very carefull about wearing a resperator.. Nasty stuff (you are breathing a lot of mold)

1. 
   JeffHeath | Mar 25, 2005 05:23am | #12

   Frenchy,

   What part of the country are you from.  I'd like to ask you about your mill source, if it's in the midwest area.

   Jeff

4. 
   Telemike | Mar 21, 2005 06:59am | #6

   Hi wetlander (where is that, anyway?) My two cents worth:

   At least cut the logs into halves the long way asap. You can cut part way to the center from both sides with a chain saw and then split them with wedges if necessary. If you leave the log whole, the outer layers will dry faster than the inner and you'll get splits. If you've already halved the log, there will be less splits.

   That said, I'd cut boards asap, sticker them, and put weights on top (5 gallon paint pails full of water). You've already done the most important thing: sealing the cut ends immediately.

5. 
   frenchy | Mar 21, 2005 06:40pm | #8

   I've dried probably 20,000 bd.ft. of maple over the years..   maple needs special care!It is extremely prone to decay. A few days of improper handling and you have the start of spalted wood. In addition the white wood which is so highly prized will discolor and turn grey or brown..

     slice it and sticker it. I don't like to weight things for a variety of reasons (most having to do with the grit that gets imbedded in the wood which dulls equipment, but also the difficulty of getting the weight directly on a sticker without causing the top boards to warp). What I do is use those straps they sell.  you know the ratcheting ones.put the strap directly over the stickers and tighten them once a week. After more than a month goes by without any further tightening having effect you are getting close to dry..  take your moisture meter and check..

     Don't quarter saw maple!

    what is really desirable about Maple is the white wood.   If you quatersaw it almost any piece will have a dark brown side and a white side. If you flatsaw it you can get some wonderful wide white boards.