This weekend I bandsawed a few cherry logs that recently went down in a windstorm. I am thrilled to have this lumber. I sliced them into 1 1/4″ boards. Gave me about 10 boards. Bought some Anchor Seal to paint the ends with. Stacked in a flitch-style like I’ve seen so many times in FW. This is the first time I’ve done this. So far so good.
Here’re my questions:
1. How long until I can use these boards. They are about 5 ft x 6″-8″
1. I currently have them outside on a porch, under cover with good air circulation. Do I need to worry about cold air or too much air circulation (the cherry was pretty wet). I live in Kentucky and today its was between 35-40 degrees.
2. The other option is inside my a barn that gets pretty hot in the summer with no air flow. I can put upstairs in a loft. I have read about drying “too fast” as a negative.
3.If they stay outside, even though they are covered by a roof overhang, should I cover with a tarp to protect from sun discoloration?
Thanks in advance for any info that will ensure I can use this wood in the future.
Replies
The old rule was one year per inch of thickness plus a year. I leave them on the porch. How big was the log? What are you using for stickers?
A few logs They were approx 8"-9" diameter. I'm using strips of cut up 2 x 4 for stickers.
So are your stickers short 2x4s or stock cut out of 2x4s? 3/4" thick stickers are ideal, in my books. They offer enough air flow without making the pile too high and unstable.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
If wood dries too fast, it will crack. That's because the outside will dry at a faster rate than the inside. It's a good idea to keep the sun off the wood, but don't restrict the airflow.
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Got it. thanks.
If you leave them on the porch with good air circulation over the winter, I suspect they will have reached equilibrium moisture content by next spring. In my experience in New England (a lot colder in winter than KY), 6 months is usually adequate for 1" thick cherry.
So I think I'm OK as-is. Appreciate the input.
I dry ALL my lumber inside (UNDER fairly controlled conditions).
7" off concrete floor, industrial fan when needed, garage door for adequate air circulation, 10-15 foot ceiling, properly stickered and WEIGHTED heavily.
I would MOVE the BOARDS to the BARN if you can get a LEVEL BASE.
You will not need air circulation over the WINTER as long as you are NOT on the LOWER level inside a barn where it will be more than LIKELY too humid.
AT 1 1/4 you wont be using those boards til VERY late 09 at the earliest.
I have a moisture meter and KNOW about how long it takes to get them to 7-8 % equilibrium (@ a heavy inch).
I appreciate the information. Thanks a lot.
Heu (hope you don't mind that),
Much of the cherry I have was bandsawn @ 5/4 like yours. For the past 3 years I've been building up a stash of maple, cherry & birch and what I've been doing is purchase the logs in late winter <when the wood is the driest>, sawn, stickered and stacked outside in early spring and let is air dry til Oct./Nov. By then it's usually around 12-14% MC.
I then bring it home and it goes upstairs over the garage, again stacked/stickered where it stays til I'm ready to use it. Right now I'm using wood from 3 years ago and it's around 7%.
The garage has a metal roof not insulated and in summer I keep a window open at each end to allow for air circulation. It turns out to be a great slow solar kiln of sorts.
I've not lost one board to any problems - yet. If you put wood in a place where the air can become stagnant I think you will most likely have problems. I suspect dry rot.
As for the discoloration caused by the sun; well, that is what most folks want, especially with cherry. The thing is, you are talking about rough sawn boards which will in most cases be milled, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about the discoloration/tan.
Also, the tan will provide you with a clear distinction of what is sap wood and what is heart wood. Most folks don't want the sap wood but then again Ethan Allen uses a lot of it - but what do I know. :-)
Regards,
As long as the air can circulate freely the moisture given off from the wood has a place to dissipate and won't just hang about the wood which I find is a bad thing. If you do this you should have some fine wood to work with.
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Great info. Thanks. Sounds like if done properly, a little hard work can pay off. One question:The loft in my barn has windows on each end that do not open, But there is a cupola in the roof center that has vents to the outside. Think that will be enough "air flow"?
I bet I could open those windows for you!
I think that your barn would be ideal for storing dried lumber, but I'm not so sure about drying lumber. Maybe along side the barn you could build a big overhang to dry lumber in. How would you get the wood into the loft? Carry it up a ladder?Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I think your suggestion is the right direction. I too felt that the loft was good for storage but not for drying. I needed to hear it from someone else. After all the posts on this, I have a pretty good feel about what I should do for my own situation. Thanks for the advice.
The ideal is to have air flowing as much as possible without the wood getting wet. The cupola might create a chimney effect on really hot days but you need a source of incoming air.
If you can get the windows to operate, i.e. open/close then you can get the air flowing through and warm/hot air can escape thru the cupola as well.
My windows are really simple in that they just sit in the casings with wedges on the sides; kinda like a French cleat on the sides. Remove the wedges and they tilt in from the top affording air flow but still keep the rain out.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I figured as much. There's just no air flow up there. The windows are permamnently shut, from the factory. Didn't know that's what the barn builder was going to use. My own fault. Its a small workshop barn. The loft is a bonus but not of much use except for storage. I think I'll just keep the boards outside on the front porch, which is covered. Great place to drink a few on rainy days! And look at my boards.Thanks for the advice.
Wow, what a great space!
Is that a metal roof? If so it must get mighty hot up there at times. Man, with some air flow could be a great spot for kiln drying action.
Whole house fan in the cupola pulling the air out up top, operating windows to let in fresh air. Uh oh, dreamin again.
Could also make a shavehorse, bring up some wood and........
:-)
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
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