Good morning. I just had a 50 year old white pine dropped in my front yard. The tree guys cut it into about 8 ft. logs and I found someone with a WoodMizer to cut it up into 2in. thick slabs. I plan to stack and sticker it in my garage and build something with it someday. What I really need to know is how long I should expect to wait before is seasoned enough to work with and what will happen with if I start making stuff (rustic table tops, etc.)sooner rather than later. Thanks for any info.
Edited 6/29/2008 10:44 am ET by revtlang
Replies
If you didn't do it when in the log, you should seal the ends of the boards. There are special sealing product, some just use up old paint, anything is better than nothing. This will help prevent the ends from checking and splitting back. Ideally, you should have a moisture meter, air drying isn't an exact time thing.
http://www.aloghomestore.com/anchor-seal.html
Make sure you sticker it well and that all the stickers line up with each other. 2" stock will take a lot longer than 1" to dry. Air dried lumber moves more than KD. The cells haven't been as damaged. Things like a picnic table will require less drying than indoor furniture and cabinets. Local pine mills that air dry their lumber allow a minimum of a year for 1", it's not dry enough for interior use on furniture.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I've been air drying various species of locally sourced wood for a few years now. I've had lots of success and some failure in that time. The best thing to do is to stack the wood outside for at least the initial drying. Air movement is the key to successful drying. Without adequate air movement you'll end up with problems such as fungus, stain and rot. As the moisture leaves the wood it is carried away by circulating air. I usually sticker my wood in nice neat piles with the stickers aligned vertically and then cover the pile with a tarp tied down in such a way that the ends of the pile and much of the sides are exposed but protected from direct sunlight and rain and snow from above. An open ended shed also works if you have such a thing. I'll eventually build a dedicated drying shed; basically a roof to stack wood under. As for the amount of time I generally follow the 1 year per inch of thickness rule for air drying and then bring the wood into the heated shop for as long as possible before using(at least a couple months). There are always variables to consider (pine dries relatively quickly, for example) but following these general rules and adjusting as necessary has worked for me.
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