Replies

1. 
   JeffHeath | Jan 02, 2005 03:43am | #1

   Ron

   Black walnut air dries wonderfully, and with a much fuller color than the kiln dried version.  Personally, I only work (98% of the time) with wood that I've milled and air dried myself.  Once you've found someone to mill it, you will want to stack it with stickers to allow air flow throughout the pile.  It's always best to seal the end grain with a sealer as soon as the log is cut, but it sounds like you're past that point.  You'll probably have to deal with some end checking, but I'd still seal it now if I were you.  After you stack and sticker it (making sure it's all level)  I'd weigh it down on top to help restrict movement in the boards on the top of the stack.  I use about 500 lbs of cement block on the top of all of my stacks.  Then, cover the top with some sort of roof (plywood works fine, I use metal sheeting left over from my pole barn building) and let mother nature do her thing.  Make sure that it doesn't get wet, or come into contact with the ground.  I start all my stacks about 15 inches off the ground with railroad ties.  I could probably write a book here to you, so I'd highly recommend you get a good book on this subject.  Hoadley's book on Understanding Wood has an entire chapter on air drying.  Once the moisture content (MC) gets under 20%, you no longer have to worry about mold, and then, if you have the space, you can move it inside a shed and let it slowly get down to about 10-12% MC, depending on where you live.  At that point, I bring whatever amount I need out of my wood shed into the shop where I keep the relative humidity at 35%, which equates to a MC of about 8%, perfect for working wood.  Let it get acclimated to your shop for at least a couple of weeks, and check it with a moisture meter.  In over a decade, I've never had a problem doing it this way.  You just can't rush the process.  You won't be able to use it for at least a year, but it will be worth the wait.

   Jeff

1. 
   beginneron | Jan 02, 2005 07:12am | #3

        HI, Jeff - thanks for the speedy reply and all the good info.  It's reassuring to know that you have had such good success with your method over the years and that black walnut lends itself well to air-drying.  If you have any more helpful hints, I'm all ears.  Thanks again for your help.  Happy woodworking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Ron

1. 
   JeffHeath | Jan 02, 2005 10:18pm | #7

   Ron

   When I receive logs from my sources that have been felled for a while, I do not cut off the checked ends.  A lot of that wood is still good , if you work around and in between the checks.  I've made entire jewelry boxes, door frames, etc... from the wood I consider cutoffs at the end of the boards.  You should seal the ends of the log immediately.  Latex house paint works great, or, if you have a Rockler or Woodcraft near by, they sell a product for this purpose.  Lay it on heavy, several coats.  It is key with Walnut not to let it dry too quickly.  Like cherry, it likes to dry almost too fast sometimes, which can lead to case hardening and honeycombing (collapse of the interior cell structure).  Both of these are bad, bad, bad, for the wood.  Make sure you use dry stickers, and don't use red oak.  The acid in the oak will cause severe staining, sometimes all the way through the board.  If it's too windy out, cover the sides of your pile with plywood, to control the pile from drying too quickly.  Check the MC frequently.  Ask all the questions you have, I'll try to answer them for you.  The woodweb site is a great site for info, as well.  The guys over there are extremely knowledgeable, and have a forum dedicated to this process.

   Jeff

   Edited 1/2/2005 5:39 pm ET by JHeath

1. 
   beginneron | Jan 04, 2005 06:05am | #9

   Hi Jeff - thanks again for all your help.  You may regret your offer to answer all questions!  I will try to keep them to a minimum.  I found a sawyer today through the Boise Woodcraft store and will drop off the log tomorrow to be milled.  Is it advantageous to have all the boards milled to the same thickness for drying purposes?  I was going to have them one inch thick to plane down to 3/4 inch.  If I have them cut thicker, is there any potential drying problems that I should be aware of?  I have two places to air-dry the lumber.  One is an unheated barn (our highs are around freezing and lows in the teens).  The other is a dry basement that stays between 50 - 55 degrees with 40 % humidity.  I wondered if the basement might be a better choice until the weather starts warming up late winter-early spring - also for applying the latex paint.  I have some pine to use for stickers if that would work ok.  I really appreciate your time and help.       Ron

1. 
   JeffHeath | Jan 04, 2005 07:03am | #10

   Ron

   1st of all, no problem with the questions.  2nd of all, I'm no expert at this, so I won't have all the answers.  I'd choose the barn over the basement, because it's what I use here.  On decent days, open the doors, and let some breeze get at it.  Some guys use a fan to get the air across the boards inside the barn, but I never have tried that.  Always afraid of drying it out too quickly.  Can't answer you on the pine, I always use KD poplar stickers, or same species sticker if I run out.  So, I don't know that one.

   There's nothing wrong with stacking it outside, either, as long as it's covered (top only from rain and snow, and not with a tarp) and kept out of the sun.  You are gonna want to re sticker it a couple of times, and turn the boards over every so often to aid in the process.

   Jeff

2. 
   DavidxDoud | Jan 04, 2005 08:26am | #11

   Is it advantageous to have all the boards milled to the same thickness for drying purposes?

   if they are of different thickness,  they will take varying amounts of time to dry - but I think your question should be 'do I need different thicknesses for the projects I have in mind for this wood?'

    I was going to have them one inch thick to plane down to 3/4 inch.

   you should then request that they be cut 4/4 (four quarter) - ask for 'one inch' and you may well get a saw cut on the inch with the resulting boards starting out at 1" minus the kerf...

   I have two places to air-dry the lumber....

   if you want to use them this spring,  seal the ends,  put them in the basement,  sticker them carefully (flat stack with stickers directly on top of each other - be careful with this aspect no matter where you end up drying it),  with a fair amount of weight on the top of the pile (concrete blocks or a couple-three hundred pounds of other lumber) and a box fan to stir the air - walnut is well behaved,  generally...

   'bout any specie of sticker will be fine,  as long as they are dry and of consistant dimension...

    "there's enough for everyone"

3. 
   LeeGrindinger | Jan 04, 2005 05:35pm | #12

   4/4 lumber is sawn at one and one eighth inches thick. Shrinkage will cause a loss of that eighth.8/4 should be sawn at 2 1/4".Lee

4. 
   DavidxDoud | Jan 04, 2005 06:08pm | #13

   4/4 lumber is sawn at one and one eighth inches thick.

   I'll check later,  but I believe the 4/4 scale on the wood-mizer results in a board thickness right at 1 full inch as you take it off the saw...

   I think this reinforces that Don should acertain just what the sawyer means by 'one inch'...

   personally,  for furniture work,  I prefer to end up with 7/8" or so, so I cut a lot of 5/4 - -  but it's a personal taste issue more than anything else...

    

    "there's enough for everyone"

5. 
   VomSorb | Jan 04, 2005 10:21pm | #15

   four quarter rough is about an inch and an eighth.

2. 
   VomSorb | Jan 04, 2005 10:17pm | #14

   Do you have any pics of your stacks?  Would love to see them.

1. 
   JeffHeath | Jan 05, 2005 05:08am | #17

   Ask and you shall receive.  I had to move them inside today, we're expecting a huge snow storm.  I took the pictures before putting the concrete blocks back on top.  My bobcat with forks can only lift so much weight.

   Jeff

   Edited 1/4/2005 10:53 pm ET by JHeath

   
1. 
   frenchy | Jan 05, 2005 09:49pm | #19

   A suggestion for the next time,  don't use cement blocks!   They play heck with your planer blades. The cement/sand etc. comes off the blocks and no matter how careful you are about cleaning prior to planning they get in and nick your blades!

     What I do is strap them together,  buy some of those inexpensive straps with a ratchet on them and make certain that you strap over the stickers.  tighten everything up real snug and come back a week later and retighten..  then about once a month from then on retighten.. (weekly if it's indoors during the winter)  when the straps no longer need retightening you are real close to dry! 

2. 
   JohnWW | Jan 02, 2005 03:49am | #2

   Ron,

   If it was cut to length more than a week or two ago, the rapid drying of the ends will probably have caused extensive checking that penetrates some distance into the log.  The checked portions are useless for wood working. 

   Start cutting off the checked ends a few inches at a time until you reach solid wood.  Test each round that you cut off from the log by trying to crack it, this will show up cracks that aren't yet visible. 

   When you get done, you may find that you don't have enough of the log left to be worth salvaging.  Once you reach the part of the log without checking, paint the ends with a couple of coats of latex house paint to prevent new checks from forming while you figure out what to do with the remaining log.

   John W.

    

1. 
   beginneron | Jan 02, 2005 07:24am | #4

   Hi, John - Thanks for your speedy reply and the information.  I'm new to the forum and didn't expect such a quick response.  Happy woodworking!!!!!!!!!!!  Ron

2. 
   ron61 | Jan 03, 2005 03:49am | #8

   Why? 

    

3. 
   KeithNewton | Jan 02, 2005 02:09pm | #5

   Hi Ron. The info which you are after can be found in the archives at woodweb. Go to http://www.woodweb.com/ and in the right hand column go down to sawing and drying. You may even be able to find a sawyer over there.

4. 
   LeeGrindinger | Jan 02, 2005 08:30pm | #6

   Taunton has begun selling past articles individually. Here's a way to get the information you need. http://www.taunton.com/store/fwarchive/index.asp Go to the page and enter "Air Drying Lumber". Buy the article, I know the clown that wrote it and it's pretty complete as far as magazine articles go.

   Walnut is easy to dry and living in Boise, a high desert, you'll get the MC down quite quickly, perhaps too quickly for the wood's good. Do not trim the ends as someone suggests, just slow moisture loss through the ends by blocking air flow. There can be plenty of usable lumber inspite of end checking so just minimize it at this point if you can.

   I don't get a penny for the sale of that article, I'm just trying to give you more information.

   Lee

5. 
   frenchy | Jan 05, 2005 02:49am | #16

   ahhhh! Black walnut!

      as far as I'm concerned it's the king of all woods!

     I've dried black walnut by tossing it on a stack and a few times a year rotaing the stack.  you'll never ever get away with that with any other wood (well, maybe white oak)  it's naural decay resistance is the reason.. Hard maple needs to be treated like a baby and sticker,kept dry and moving air flowing thru it and you'll still get some decay and rotting in portion  of the boards.

         

6. 
   AndyE | Jan 05, 2005 06:54pm | #18

   Ron,

   I posted a similar thread here a few weeks back looking for advice on having some Black Walnut logs cut. My advice from my experience is not to cut any of it less than 4/4, and perhaps even 5/4 if you want to be really safe. I have a stack of red and white oak that is stickered and dried and as I have pulled boards out I have seen that even with stickering on 16" centers and rachet strapping the pile, most of the 4/4 boards (mostly quartersawn) have a good bit of wavy-ness to them. The thicker boards, though they take longer to dry, are much more stable and yield more usable long lengths.

   The consensus on the walnut was to have it flat sawn to yield the characteristic grain pattern it is famous for.

   I used 1x2 firring strips from my local big box to sticker with. just cut them to length, they are dry and straight and reusable. Just try to align them vertically as best you can.

   Good luck and happy cutting

   Andy