Replies

1. 
   SgianDubh | Oct 27, 2007 01:56pm | #1

   It could be. It depends on a bunch of variables, such as:

   • What are the typical seasonal weather conditions, ie, temperature and RH cycles during the year along with the wind patterns?
   • Where do you plan to set up your pile, eg, uncovered externally, inside an enclosed but ventilated shed, under an open barn, etc?
   • What size stickers do you intend to use?
   • What season do you plan to sticker up your pile?
   • What is your target MC?
   • What species are you drying, and what is it's current moisture content?
   • Are the planks quarter sawn or tangentially sawn, or a bit of both?

   Here in the UK we can dry 1" thick tangentially and radially sawn ash to about 18- 20%MC in three to six months in stickered piles fully exposed to the elements. The pile would be set up around January when it's cooler and damper than the drier and warmer spring and summer. Stickers used would be 1" square. Ash is an easy to dry wood.

   European oak on the other hand would be likely to suffer all sorts of problems if dried this fast, such as severe surface checking and possibly some case hardening and/or honeycombing. Neither the ash nor the oak at 18%- 20% would be suitable for interior furniture and further drying would be necessary.

   Without a good knowledge of Utah weather conditions at my end, but a suspicion that it's mostly hot and very dry for most of the year, I'd guess you could dry your wood to about 10% or 12%MC in the six months you mention, but without some careful thought, and possibly strategies to slow the drying down you could end up drying too fast leading to case hardening and surface checking problems, etc, also all rather depending on the species you're drying, eg, refractory or easy drying. Slainte.

   Richard Jones Furniture

1. 
   wiskytango | Oct 30, 2007 06:18am | #5

   SgainDubh
   I am mostly drying local stuff that an arborist friend is cutting down, I have about 60 BF of 6/4 Norwegian maple now, I just have it stickerd and stacked in the garage.
   I was reading on another web site that In order to get wood to 6%, you need to get the air to 35% RH.
   Since you sound smart I will ask you
   Now how come the wood will get dryer that the air surrounding it?

1. 
   saschafer | Oct 30, 2007 07:53am | #6

   "Now how come the wood will get dryer that the air surrounding it?"

   Apples and oranges. The two scales are not directly compatible. Both are relative to the amount of water that the stuff (air or wood) is capable of holding. And the wood can hold a lot more water than the air can.

   This isn't a perfect analogy, but: Consider a shot glass and a 12-oz tumbler. The shot glass represents the air, and the 12-oz tumbler represents the wood. Now put a tablespoon of water in each one. They both have the same amount of water in them, so they are in some sense "in balance." But the shot glass is about 33% full of water, while the tumbler is only about 4% full of water.

   -Steve

    

1. 
   wiskytango | Oct 30, 2007 04:04pm | #8

   Saschafer
   That makes perfect sense, I am all to familiar with shot glasses and tumblers. thanks for the info.

1. 
   SgianDubh | Oct 30, 2007 06:18pm | #9

   Steve has explained it well. Here's a useful guideline. The EMC of wood is about 20%  ±~1-2% of air's RH, eg:

   90% RH =  ±18%

   60% RH =  ±12%

   30% RH =  ±6%

   However, to reach EMC the wood has to remain in that specific RH for long enough, which might be days or weeks, or even months. RH changes all the time except in laboratory like conditions, and maybe places like museums. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture

2. 
   JohnWW | Oct 31, 2007 06:50pm | #11

   There is no need to get the wood to a specific MC like 6%.  You do need to get it to a level where it is no longer gaining and losing moisture with the air in your shop. 

   Air dry the stock outdoors until it is at equilibrium with the outdoor humidity and then bring it into your shop, sticker it, and allow it to restabilize in there, which will take a few days to a few months depending on conditions.

   John White 

   Yestermorrow School, Waitsfield, Vermont

   Contributor, FWW experts column

3. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Oct 31, 2007 10:16pm | #12

   I just have it stickerd and stacked in the garage.

   This may not be the best place to stack it for drying.  The wood need to be stacked where air/breazes can pass through the stack as this is what effects drying, as does many other factors.  Stacked in the garage, especially when closed most of the time, could lead to rotting.

   Stacking it outside would be better but it must be up off the ground and flat.  If you have access to the rest of the site there are several articles on air drying wood for suggestions.

   Regards,

    Bob @ Kidderville Acres

    

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

1. 
   wiskytango | Oct 31, 2007 10:22pm | #13

   Yeah i have to walk a line between putting it where the wife will see it and think it looks trashy or hiding it away.I was thinking about putting up a small fan

1. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Oct 31, 2007 10:30pm | #14

   Ah just stack it in the gazebo.  You won't be using it this winter anyway! :-)

   Actually, why not build a nice lean-to shed off the back of tha garage outa site.  Just a simple pole type with slats all around horizontally with a metal roof.

   Better yet, tell her it's a new art form you just discovered!

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

    

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

2. 
   wiskytango | Oct 31, 2007 11:51pm | #15

   I am not listing to you. Your going to get me killed.

3. 
   KiddervilleAcres | Nov 01, 2007 02:58pm | #17

   What!?

   I was just trying to help. :-)  I've got another idea for you.............. 

   Just send the wood to Mel and he'll get his Washington Woodworking Guild to stack it for you in D.C.  What with all the hot air coming outa there, you should be able to use it in 3 months!

   Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres

    

   A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!

2. 
   PheasantHunter | Oct 27, 2007 11:22pm | #2

   The rule of thumb is 1 year per 1" of thickness.  However, this is just a rule of thumb.  Moisture meters have gotten very inexpensive ($70-100).  That is the only way to know for sure.  Check some 'dry' wood in your shop and compare it to the wood you are drying to know for sure.   There is lots of info. on the web and elsewhere about drying wood.   If you buy kiln dried wood from the east coast that has been out of the kiln for a while and bring it to Utah it will need to dry before using it.  Wood in my Montana shop gets to 4-6% moisture content when air dried.  I suspect yours will get drier yet in Utah.   If you build something with wood that is not dry, you will regret it. 

    

1. 
   dherzig | Oct 29, 2007 06:01am | #3

   Your response reminded me that when my brother was stationed in Tainan Taiwan he had a solid teak breakfront made. It was incredibly cheap (1974). When he was re-assigned to Texas, he had to have the whole thing reglued due to the tremendous reduction in humidity.

   Edited 10/28/2007 11:03 pm ET by dherzig

3. 
   Drew1house | Oct 29, 2007 07:08am | #4

   Call Richard with Timberline Woodworking Supply in Orem... If he does not know he will know someone who does...

   Drew in Pleasant Grove

1. 
   lamadriver | Oct 30, 2007 08:44am | #7

   Drew,

   Glad to see a fellow Utahan into woodworking. Formerly of Orem, used to beat the pants off PG in high school football back in 61', [ooh, showing my age] Alaska since 94. Little shy up here on hardwoods but plenty of Birch for turning and resawing. I scavage oak from pallets. I always check on supplies when visiting family in Orem. Where is Timberline, I'll check em' out when down there next week

   "The older I get the better I was"

    

1. 
   JohnG | Oct 31, 2007 05:08pm | #10

   Timberline is located on Center street in Orem, just a couple of blocks west of the

   I-15 freeway

4. 
   danmart | Nov 01, 2007 05:23am | #16

   One year for one inch is a good rule of thumb as most have indicated. I lived in New Mexico and dried wood in the open. My biggest challenge was keeping the rate slowed down. I got to 7 percent in 6 months. The wood was inside and out of the sun.

   While at Hill AFB, the results were very close. My guess is the one year/one inch is an east coast estimate. Its your call and a moisture meter will give you the final read.

   I'm in NC now and the drying time is slow. My best results come when I fell the tree in February and dry till July. After that its not doing much. The wood is soooo much drier when the sap is down in winter the dry time is cut down quite a bit.

   Take the guess work out and take a few basic steps:

   1. stack the wood carefully with plenty of stickers between boards

   2. keep it out of direct sun light

   3. flip the boards and don't just forget about them for a year.

   4. In Utah, I sealed the ends of the 4/4 boards with wax that I poured in a boiler and dipped the ends in before stacking. This helped a bunch with checking.

   good luck - its fun.

5. 
   WillGeorge | Nov 02, 2007 01:41pm | #18

   Air drying in Utah ..

   OK so it's about 6000 feet give or take a few miles!

   WOOD NEEDS TO BREATH!