Replies

1. 
   Armin_ | Mar 16, 2002 04:51am | #1

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   Frenchy, I have had the same trouble with some really nice curly maple I had. The guy at the kiln told me to soak it in water for about a week and bring it back so he could put it on the bottom of my next pile to dry. It didn't come out perfect but it straightened it out enough so I could use it.
   Another time I cut the crooked stuff into short lengths and made drawer sides out of it.

1. 
   Frenchy_Dampier | Mar 16, 2002 05:30am | #2

   *Armin, That's an idea. I'm so cheap that I want to save the stuff I pay 17 cents a bd. ft. for. I can weight it down and put it in the lake for a while. I know I've got a lot of wood to set on top of it.

1. 
   Scott_Braun | Mar 16, 2002 06:25am | #3

   *Frenchy, you are an extremely interesting character. I hope some day I have a chance to meet you.For a short period of time.sb

1. 
   Frank_H._Biscardi | Mar 16, 2002 06:32am | #4

   *Frenchy,An older farmer here abouts told me once that in the old days they would soak walnut in creaks for a few weeks prior to taking them out and drying them for lumber. This makes no sense to me. Have you heard of such a thing?You really have to photograph this new house of yours and get someone to post it for you. It must be amazing. I hope your footers are 36 inches deep. The structure must be really heavy.Good luckFrank

1. 
   Mike_Taylor1 | Mar 16, 2002 07:05am | #5

   *Frank -When the corp of engineers built Texoma lake on the border of Texas and Okla, there were lots of walnut trees sawed down and left to lay. After the lake filled up, many of these walnut logs floated to the shore. My uncle salvaged some 30 years later and the heart wood was still good as new.

2. 
   Frenchy_Dampier | Mar 16, 2002 07:15am | #6

   *Frank, My footers are 50 inches deep by 24 inches wide. Yeh it's heavy alright. I have more steel in em' then the titanic ;) (OK maybe a pound or two less) My sister took some pictures a while back and when they are developed I'll figure out how to post them. I would suspect the reason he soaked them is to stain the sap wood.

3. 
   Frank_H._Biscardi | Mar 16, 2002 01:43pm | #7

   *Frenchy,Grandad was a mason from the old country. He loved big concrete. he overbuilt everything. He poured a lovely garden bench top once. It had beautiful mouldings and stamped flowers. It also had enough steel in it to build a Sherman tank.It took 3 of us to lift it. He would have appreciated your footers. Bravo!Frank

4. 
   Armin_ | Mar 16, 2002 02:45pm | #8

   *Frank, i An older farmer here abouts told me once that in the old days they would soak walnut in creaks for a few weeks prior to taking them out and drying them for lumber. This makes no sense to me. Have you heard of such a thing? It is a low tech. attempt to help blend the light color of sap wood with the the darker heart wood. Today it done with live steam in the kiln instead.