So I had a great tour of a busy sawmill in northern Michigan last week, but that’s another story. At the end I purchased not a Disney-like souvenir photo of me strapped to a log that was about to be debarked, but instead 4 nice maple boards that had been cut during my tour.
I want to use these boards by March, but want to dry them properly, without causing case hardening or other fast-dry ills. My choices are something like:
a) sticker them in the rafters of my 60F forced air heated shop, leaving them open to the warm air from the furnace,
b) sticker and cover them outside for a month and then bring them inside, or
c) make a case for them inside the shop and try to contain some humidity inside it while moving toward the drier shop air.
Do any of you drying-savy folks have words of advice? (About drying the wood, I mean.)
4 boards, 1″ thick by 5″ wide by 8′ long (16 bf)
Replies
You may be very surprised that by March of next year, small boards like that may be very close to dry. Sticker them in your shop, seal the ends (hopefully you did this immediately), and strap them tightly with some come-along straps, and check the straps once a weak, tightening as neccessary. With just 4 boards, probably won't need much. Every month, turn them over.
I've been air drying for 10 years now, with great results.
Jeff
Thank you Jeff,
Yes, I did seal them right away. I will leave them in the shop. It's probably not as dry as I worried. My biggest fear is that they will dry too fast and case harden.
Thanks for taking the time to reply,
Lawrie
I would doubt you could dry them fast enough in a shop to cause case hardening, but I'm no expert at it.
Lawrie
There is an excellent wood drying forum at Woodweb, and several books on the subject. I am no expert, but I airdry almost all the hardwood that I use in my shop, and I'm not a hobbyist. I don't believe wood can become case hardened from air drying. I believe this can only occur through the kiln drying process. Something about drying the cells out too fast, without introducing moisture back in to the system to 'sooothe' the savage beast. Like I said, no expert here, but I've got a lot of experience doing it. Follow previous instructions, and keep them heavily weighted or strapped.
Jeff
BTW Don't use oak or walnut for stickers. Red oak will stain the maple BADLY, and so can the walnut, although not as severe.
Jeff heath,
When I have to force dry maple I use a dehumidifier and try to seal everything..big old plastic baggy. tape the seems with housewrap tape and make a little plastic duct into the front of the dehumifier.
I can force dry maple in three to 4 months that way. I turn off the dehumidifier as soon as I stop getting water and let it simply air dry the rest of the way..
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