I am making some pieces for our church out of 2″ kiln dried red oak and I have been having terrible luck with interior kiln checks( are they called shakes?) . I get the lumber sized , shaped and sometimes profiled before it shows up. At over $4 a ft I can’t be throwing too much away. Can I treat this as a surface defect or is there a good chance it will worsen?
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Replies
Thick oak has to be very carefully kiln dried to prevent checks from forming but it can be done. When the damage is extensive it is also called honeycombing.
A shake is a crack that formed in the log from stress caused by frost or wind while the tree was still standing and looks different from kiln damage and is typically one single crack, not numerous small ones throughout the board.
Checking is a flaw created by the kiln operator and the wood is defective. I would go back to whoever sold it to you and ask for either a refund or additional wood to make up for the stock that can't be used.
I wouldn't use the wood, the cracks will probably get worse with time, new ones may yet appear, and they will become more visible when finish is applied. If the cracking is extensive you are wasting your time trying to work with the wood and should start over with a good batch.
John White, Shop Manager, Fine Woodworking Magazine
Edited 6/13/2007 9:57 am ET by JohnWW
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