Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 16, 2004 07:00pm | #1

   I definitely would not power wash -- at least not at any kind of serious pressure that would break down the wood and/or drive the dirt in.  And, I'd be concerned that compressed air would also drive some of the dirt into the pores of the wood.

   Being a woman <g> I'd probably vacuum it.  Or, if I thought I could dry the lumber again without problems, I'd stand it up against a wall and wash from top to bottom with moderate pressure.

   "Return" is looking like an enticing option.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
   Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

2. 
   JohnWW | Jun 16, 2004 10:05pm | #2

   Presumably this is rough sawn wood. 

   Stand each board on end and scrub the wood in a downward direction with a wire brush starting from the top to the bottom.  If the fibers on the board's surface have a direction to them, orient them to point towards the floor.  This technique will remove an amazing amount of grit, even from wood that appears clean.  Don't forget to do the edges. 

   Before planing, I usually just cut off a couple of inches from the ends of rough sawn boards to eliminate grit trapped in the end grain and cracks from end checking.  If the wood has been poorly handled it is worth taking a close look for embedded stones.  

   I always wire brush rough sawn wood before I plane it, the improved blade life is more than worth the effort.

   John W.  

3. 
   Mackwood | Jun 16, 2004 11:16pm | #3

   I'd follow both John W. and Forestgirl's advice on the really dirty boards.  Wire brush and then vacuum.  I hate it when I find a new ding in my planer knives!!

   Regards,

   Mack

   "WISH IN ONE HAND, #### IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"

4. 
   Crunk | Jun 16, 2004 11:55pm | #4

   No water.  Brush them off with a stiff bristled or wire brush as has been mentioned.

5. 
   PeteBradley | Jun 17, 2004 12:09am | #5

   Is this rough sawn? How about a belt sander?

   Pete

1. 
   Telemike | Jun 18, 2004 07:46am | #9

   Every carving book I've read has warned against sanding before carving. The grit that is loosened from the paper and imbedded in the wood just eats sharp edges. If you sand with a block and paper, a belt sander, or a drum sander, you'll leave grit in the wood and eat planer knives.

   I wash dusty wood (like I get on the air dried wood in the barn here in tomatoville) quickly and leave it to dry. The wire brush sounds like a good idea, but I'd vacuum first to avoid brushing grit into the wood. I blow it off, then I wash it using a high pressure "sweeping" nozzle at hose bib pressure). Things dry quickly here in the central valley of the Grand State of Confusion so moisture absorbtion is not a problem.

6. 
   nikkiwood | Jun 17, 2004 03:10am | #6

   It would help if we knew whether the boards were rough or skip planed, and what kind of "dust" you're dealing with.

   Washing them down as FG suggests probably wouldn't hurt anything, but I would avoid that technique unless it was really necessary. And even then, you might want to brush them first, to avoid creating a slurry of dirt that will soak into the wood.

   Embedded dirt is the chief enemy of planer blades, so I would recommend a combination of using a steel brush and compressed air.

   I would break the pile into manageable batches and lightly plane both sides of each board. Once all the batches have been run through, then you can proceed to final planing.

   Some years ago, I came by a huge quantity of clear, old growth cedar. What I describe above is the technique I finally settled on as the most efficient. I tried a belt sander, and gave it up on the first board as way too time consuming.

   You just have to plan on going through a bunch of planer blades, which in my case was justifiable, because the lumber was free.

   Have fun, and don't forget your dust mask -- this stuff may have mold spores, as well as dust.

7. 
   WayneL5 | Jun 17, 2004 04:17am | #7

   I would take them somewhere and have them all sanded in a sanding machine just enough to clean the surfaces.  The grit is hard on planer blades.

1. 
   bobhallsr | Jun 18, 2004 06:58am | #8

   I bought some 'mixed hardwoods' from a local Amish mill.  The Amish don't use rubber tires on their big Russian diesel tractors and those steel wheels stir up a lot of Southern Maryland sand.  I knew I was in trouble when the planer bogged down and the cutterhead wouldn't turn.  By that time, the planer knives looked like they had been installed backwards.  If your wood is very dirty and it is due to the suppliers carelessness,  consider letting him deal with it.

   BJGardening, cooking and woodworking in Southern Maryland