I have been buying my red oak from the same supplier here in the northeast for years. I always buy it rough. It’s always been nice stock. However, I recently bought a load from a more local mill. When I got it to the shop I tested it with the moisture meter and it read 6%. When I started to mill it , it twisted up pretty bad—kept jamming up in the table saw. I was wondering if this might be that the mill is “pushing” their stock through the kiln too fast. Any thoughts?
Thanksall
Replies
Sounds like the material is case hardened. There are some others on this forum that can probably explain the cause better than I can, however I believe your thinking is correct. Sounds as if it was dryed too fast or an incorrect drying schedule was used.
Ron
Depends what you mean by "twisted up pretty bad---kept jamming up in the table saw."
If it pinched the blade as you cut it then it's case hardened, which is-- as you speculate- a drying fault.
If the wood bowed outwards from the kerf as you cut it, and your long fence-- if that's what you use-- caused the piece being dimensioned to the right of the sawblade to be pushed tight against the rear of the sawblade, it's reverse case hardened, another form of drying fault.
The second described occurrence is where the short rip fence style of working on a table saw can pay dividends, and the first described pinching on the blade is where those European style saws with their crown guards are a real boon.
In either case the material as sold is 'not fit for purpose' and could legitimately be returned to your supplier. Slainte.
Richard Jones Furniture
Much thanks for your thoughts. However, I'm a little confused on the term "case hardened". Would I be right to assume that this refers to the exterior portionns of a board being dried too fast to the point where the inside does not dry properly?
Thanksall
See attached. Slainte.Richard Jones Furniture
Thank you much for your help. I believe I'll go back to my original supplier. Although they are considerably further away and their delivery is a bit fickle, their product seems to be a lot better.
I appreciate your time,
Thanksall
it sounds to me like they failed to condition it. This is a process where they add some steam back to it at the very end to reduce the problem that you have described. Here is a link where it was discussed.
http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Dehumidification_Kiln_Conditioning_Without_Steam.html
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