This post is about working with wet cedar. My sister wants an outdoor cabinet for her patio TV. I’m using cedar and I bought some 3/4″ boards – I’m assuming I got western red cedar. It is very wet – I was trimming pieces and the SawStop brake activated. I have not checked moisture content but the SS brake tells the tale.
I stickered the boards which are now sitting on my driveway. I live in central Texas, where we have high humidity in the summer. One website said that WRC has a tangential shrinkage of 5%. That’s 1/4″ on a 5 1/2″ board. If I use it now, I expect gaps between boards to develop as it dries.
My question is how long should it let it dry before using it?
Any other recommendations? Cut tongue and grooves?
Replies
Cut a foot off the end of a board to see if it is wet through & through or was just stored in the rain. You'll have to let it dry in either case, but if it is truly green lumber you'll need to paint the end grain, sticker, cover and weight it. The "rule of thumb" is air dry for a year for every inch of thickness.
Thanks, MJ. I am aware of the one year per inch rule and, while it certainly applies, I did not consider it in this case since I don't have a year or even six months to let this wood dry. Sis has the TV and wants to get it installed soon.
I was hoping someone could suggest some tactics to get this job completed quickly while avoiding unsightly gaps in the doors.
Find some dry lumber. The damp won't help the 'lectronics inside the cabinet.
You could find someplace that has a kiln. Or wait. It you try to rush things, it will get $%&#@ up. Wood doesn't care if someone's in a hurry.
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