Replies

1. 
   Talma | Sep 21, 2007 06:57pm | #1

   I find air dried lumber far superior to kiln dried for the reasons you mentioned. I only buy kiln dried when I have to. I have never had a piece of air dried wood cause any probelms either. But I have had problems with kiln dried.

   I believe because air drying is a slow process, that any tension is relieved while drying. In talking to people who know more than me I have heard that when a piece is air dried the moisture leaves the wood cells, and they are intact, when kiln dried the cells burst. I don't have a microscope so I don't know if that's true or not.

   If you are looking for air dried wood check to see if thier are any Menonite or Amish comunities near you, the ones in my area all cut thier own lumber and air dry it. They are usually willing to sell, and at better prices than the local lumber yards.

   The big problem is you have to plan ahead at least a year.

2. 
   BobSmalser | Sep 21, 2007 09:46pm | #2

   I air dry thousands of bf annually.  For house frames, some flooring and stairwell stock, boats, occasionally musical instuments, and lots of cedar siding and trim stock, to include replication for vintage homes.   All boatwood should be airdried and 100% heartwood, as should wood for musical instruments.  Exterior wood shouldn't be kilned any drier than around 19%, and as softwoods dry quickly, airdrying is a good option.

   The up side is the color and texture are usually better, and it's cheap.  The down sides are much of the sapwood is lost to mold and sometimes ambrosia.....and moisture content.  House frame stock should be sprayed with bleach and allowed to dry before the dry wall phase. My airdried hardwoods at 12-18% EMC need to be brought into the house to get down to 9% or lower before it can be used for interior work.  In thick stock that can take a while in the denser woods.  Pinned meters are required for find the moisture differential that causes banana peel ripping and resawing.

   And there's kilning and then there's kilning.  Woods dried to the minimum of KD19 retain the same color and texture as airdried wood, and vacuum kilns also do a superior job to finish dry sensitive woods like those used on musical instruments.

   
   

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   Edited 9/21/2007 2:49 pm by BobSmalser

3. 
   BoardmanWI | Sep 22, 2007 05:25pm | #3

   I'm no expert on wood drying but air-dried is definitely the way to go one some species, especially those where color is the main attraction.  I never get kiln dried walnut or cherry - the colors are just dull.  And steaming either species should be a Capital Crime.  Steamed/kilned walnut is an abomination of grayish, homogenous crap.

   Red elm and hickory are a couple others that seem better air-dried.  In the past I've gotten air-dried red oak and it looks pretty awful comapred to kild dried.  At least mine had these red, black, and sickly yellow tones.

   I think the differences in working characteristics are basically a moot point in that they would be so minor the average person coukd never differentiate.

   The best lumber I've gotten was air-dried to ambient moisture content and then expertly kiln dried down to 6-8%.

4. 
   frenchy | Sep 22, 2007 06:36pm | #4

   Samson,

    It's air drying, the cheap me likes the cost and the artist in me likes the beauty..  Kiln dried stuff is all over the map too.. some is kiln dried just long enough to have the stamp applied to it. Whil  some is over dried.   Some is case hardened and/or  honeycombed.. air drying never produces any of those problems.

    Finally bending kiln dried wood can be an exercise in futility!

     Aor Dry it and enjoy!

    besides it forces you to think in advance.. At least a year per inch..