Replies

1. 
   Jfrostjr | Nov 26, 2006 04:55pm | #1

   I don't know about the 'burnishing' and the differences in drying - but I have a different suggestion. A friend gave me about 800 bd. ft. of Walnut a few years back. (That is truly a friend!) It had been kiln dried and sanded but it was ALL 4/4. If you ever want to build something with legs you will probably need some 8/4 and even 12/4.

   Frosty

2. 
   joinerswork | Nov 26, 2006 07:44pm | #2

   bufun,

   poplar (yellow poplar, tulip poplar) will be pretty stable in drying, unless there is something unusual about the tree that you saw (burls, or if it grew out the side of a bluff, for instance).  It is important that the lumber be stacked flat and that it be stickered carefully, to maintain straightness as it dries.  Weighting, strapping, or re-stacking periodically to move the boards around will keep the topmost boards from being "drawn by the sun", out of straightness.

   I like "4/4" lumber if it is custom sawn, to be sawn a little plump, 1 1/8" or so.  This gives a little more slack for surfacing, if there is some warpage during drying, without being as wasteful of stock as full 5/4" will be.

   Regards,

   Ray Pine

3. 
   terrylee86 | Nov 27, 2006 01:35am | #3

   Saw it the thickness that works for you and your furniture needs.  I like to mill 4/4 a little heavy just for the reasons mentioned.  Don't worry about bandsawing the lumber.  Most commercial mills are all bandsaws by now and they seem to have no problems.  Yellow poplar is very stable in drying anyway.  That is why you will see YP boards up to 24" wide on occasion and very flat.  Follow the advice of the posts and it will be just fine.

4. 
   frenchy | Nov 27, 2006 10:33am | #4

   bufun

   The burnishing you mentioned often comes from cutting wood with a too dull blade.  You can also burnish wood with a circular saw.

    As to how thick to ensure stability during drying, you are asking the question wrong!

    stability has much more to do with how you stack the wood and methods used to keep it flat (such as wiegths or straps) and where you dry the wood than how thick it is..

   Thin boards dry much faster than thick boards. I can airdry 1/4 inch thick boards in as little as three weeks whereas 4/4 boards will often take a year or more to air dry, The length of time it takes to dry wood is dependant on a lot of variables.  If instability is present during the drying period the boards will be affected.

      Make sure your stickers are straight flat and true.  That you build your pile on flat ground or ground that is made flat. Make sure that the stickers line up directly with the sticker underneath it.  If you use straps instead of weights you strap over the stickers not next to them.. If you use weights make sure the weight is also distributed directly over the stickers and not in between them.

1. 
   bufun | Nov 27, 2006 01:39pm | #5

   All(on frenchys ticket) I want to thank everyone who has responded to this question for thier suggestions and insight. The resonse time was unreal, since we are planning to mill today its very helpfull. This web-site is so cool, Thanks again everyone-GoodWorkings-bufun

1. 
   RickL | Nov 27, 2006 05:36pm | #6

   The burnishing from bandsawn isn't true with the proper set on the blade and the blade isn't dull as someone else mentioned. Most folks with bandmills have blades with different sets for different woods. We do a lot of antique heart pine and the set is different from oak or hemlock for best results.  http://www.woodweb.com has a dedicated sawmill forum and there are other sawmill forums out there as well if you google it.