I just got a great deal on 120 bf of 4/4 and 120 bf 6/4 cherry that was cut this last summer. The MC in th 4/4 is about 30 and the 6/4 is about 30-35. The temperature and humidity in my shop is about 50. Any ideas on how long I’ll have to wait? I’m trying to plan some projects. I usually by kiln dried lumber so I have never gone through this.
Thanks,
Tim
Replies
Probably about another year on the 4/4 and 1 1/2 years on the 6/4. Maybe a little less but not much.
Steve
Let me say that the wood should be stacked and stickered outdoors until its EMC is at about 12-15%. The stack should be in a place where air can freely flow through it and it should be 8 - 12 inches above the ground to the first course. Have some sort of top to keep the rain off but don't impair the air circulation.
Once the EMC is at 12-15% you can bring it indoors and let it finish drying to whatever is your normal humidity EMC. All told a very rough rule-of-thumb is one year for each inch of thickness. This presumes that it is stacked and aerated properly. You don't want to bring wet wood into your shop. First, it will not be subject to air movement and, as important, it will raise the humidity in your shop which can cause rusting of your equipment and problems with wood movement in your other lumber.
Drying time
That's a good question. Keep in mind the wood drying rate will be much slower at the end when the MC is reaching equilibrium with the air in the shop. Also, at 50% humidity in the shop, you will never dry to the same level as kiln dried which is about 8%. Nothing wrong with that but its something you need to take into account when you build your joinery.
Another thing, the wood may be 30% on the surface but much higher inside the lumber. Bruce Hoadley's book, "Understanding Wood" has a great chapter on wood and moisture content. I think you have at least until next summer until the 4/4 is ready. It would be infomative to resaw part of one of the boards to see the internal MC.
Good luck.
Wood is dry when it's dry
I've read all the post to this topic and have a little to share. I acquired roughly 400 bf of cherry in May stacked it the way everyone said to, stickered with a top to keep it dry in an area where it would get a lot of moving air around it. This summer was particulary hot and dry, many days in a row in the 90's. I also painted the ends to keep moisture out and to prevent checking. Most of the wood was cut 5/4 some thicker and some 8 and 12 quater.
I talked with another friend who works in the lumber business and he told me that I couldn't expect the wood to air dry past 18% mc because of the local humidity levels.
I left the wood outside until late november because I read a article by Garrett Hack that said that when the temp reaches 32 or lower wood pretty much stops drying. When I moved the wood indoors it had a mc of 12%. I spot checked boards from every level in the stack they were all 12% or very close.
I have a very dry shop with a radient heat system and plenty of sunlight, the shop stays at about 65 to 68 degrees. I checked the mc around Christmas and was suprised to find that it was at 8%. I thought for sure I was wrong so I asked someone I know who has a lot more knowledge about wood than I do. As a matter of fact he is a college professor that teaches cabinet making and has run his own shop for 25 years. He said the moisture meter can't be that far off.
So if I accept that wood is dry when it's dry my wood dryed to 8 % in roughy 8 months. Having said that I probably won't use the majority of this wood for several years.
dry wood
No reason I have a lot of the wood almost 400 bf of cherry I just don't have any projects that call for cherry right now.
...
time it takes to come down to 8%
My experience with drying lumber:
My rough cut lumber is stickered and stored under cover and after a year (I'm in central Minnesota) the material typically tests at about 20%, and even after another year or two will seldom be lower than 18%. when I'm ready to use some of the material, it's moved into a dehumidification kiln. The temperature in the kiln is increased about 5 degrees C per day, and it takes about a week to come up to 50 C (112 F). With the blower running continuously and the compressor set to run 50% of the time, the 4/4 material typically takes three to four weeks in the kiln to come down to 8%
If anyone's interested, I have an Ebac LD800 dehumidifier for sale for $750.It's in very good condition except for needing a new blower motor, which Ebac says would cost about $400. I was going to replace the blower motor until I came across a new LD800 at a very attractive price and decided to go that route instead.
Do you still have the Ebac for sale? I have one now but the controller final gave out (over 20 yrs old). It already has a new blower in it that I can use.
WesAllen
After one month in the shop all of the boards are between 11 and 13 % MC. The drying rate has slowed but it shouldn't be much longer.
patience is a virtue!
just be patient grasshopper, it will come to you soon enough.
you have been given a lot of good advise above, heed it
there seems to be a couple ogf items that you do not have yet; understanding and patience.
ron
Are you trying to be arrogant and condescending or does it just come natural?
You no nothing about me. I'm sure I do have a lot to learn and I could always try to have more patience (even though patience is on of my stronger qualities). I wonder what you need to work on?? By looking at your other posts it becomes quite clear.
The only reason I posted the update of the mc of the wood was so people could see how it was going. Even if the wood was completely dry I wouldn't be able to use it yet. I have other projects that I'm working on.
I post things on here to get advice from people, not comments like yours.
Letting the wood sit outside and finish drying the traditional way wasn't possible for me to do so I could have cut it up and used it for fire wood or put it in my shop to finish drying. I didn't pay very much for it so it was worth the risk to me. If the wood turns out to be ruined I'll let everyone know, but from the looks of things I think that it will be just fine.
just comes naturally
"Are you sure that's correct?" "I understand about drying wood and I have b.hoadley's book.' I was just wondering if anyone had a good guess on how long I would have to wait, other than the standard 1" per year answer". "after 1 month in the shop, it shouldn't be much longer".
well it seems that you doubt all of the reponses that you have gotten, which were all honest responses, so I think that you shpould perhaps look inthe mirror when you are tossing out the term arrogant.
cheers
ron
I just tell it how it is, and some just don't like it. to bad
There are reasons why no one comes to this forum anymore. Soon you will be left giving advice to yourself. Maybe that is how you want it.
pretty defensive
for a grasshopper
ron
Be careful!
There is a lot of published data on drying times, especially by the forest service. Commercial kilns require 5-10 days at high temperature. In air, just getting to 20% from green can be a 4-6 month issue, depending on climate. (see http://www.extension.iastate.edu/forestry/publications/F-328.pdf and http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr121.pdf)
While your moisture meter is a good guide, the real test is in the use. Take a short length of 4/4 or 5/4 which you think is dry. Then resaw it into two thin sections. Let them sit in your shop for a week or two and see if they stay flat.
BTW, I have had resawn cherry that is air/barn dried for 40 years still move after resawing, if not acclimated to my shop.
Jerry
dusty,
I appreciate your comments and even though I didn’t respond to them I am following your advice. Most of the lumber in my shop is between 8 and 9 % mc but it has all been kiln dried. I have pushed back my project to whenever the wood is ready. I didn’t appreciate Ron’s comment and I just was calling a spade a spade.
patience grasshopper,patience.
how long have you had it insde?. great deals on lumber are not usually good deals. there is usually a reason why you got a good deal
ron
Ebac LD800
Hello,
I have a used LD800 for sale, 1994 model. Needs compressor recharged, blower & control (STC1) work perfectly.
Frankovich
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