Brrrr, my slabs froze together

Daren · December 07, 2005, 11:29:52 AM

I swear it was less than 6 weeks ago I was complaining 'cause it was too hot. Now I am going to start again. It is 2 degrees in central Illinois (at coffee time, it was colder before dawn when I went out). I got lazy and not very smart the other day. I sawed some 24" wide poplar slabs for cabinet backs, drawer bottoms... I don't like using plywood, I know it is stronger, but I am a solid wood kinda guy and some of the guys who stop by want thin stuff too. Anyway I didn't get to sawing until afternoon. I sawed a 5' high deadstack of 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" and 3/4". I got done right at dark and figured they would be o.k., just sticker them later. Now they are one big chunk! Froze solid. That tree was cut the morning I sawed it and water was coming out with the sawdust. They are so thin I will break them if I try to pull them apart and kinda stacked in the way. Of course I didn't put them on a pallet or anything smart like that so I could get under the stack to move it, just right on the slab in the shed. I guess I can tarp them and stick a heater in there if it doesn't warm up before I need to move them.

MP Wall · December 07, 2005, 11:40:06 AM

Use a black tarp and hope for some sunshine to help with the heating? Least with thin stuff freezing it could help reduce checking and warp some. MP Wall

toxedo_2000 · December 07, 2005, 11:42:35 AM

Put a tarpole over it with a hair blower under. Should work. Unless it's minus 40.
Toxedo

DanG · December 07, 2005, 11:44:05 AM

At least it ain't likely to mold. ;D :D :D

Lud · December 07, 2005, 11:50:32 AM

Your picture shows a fairly trim fella..........don't hardly seem big enough for yer slabs to freeze together. :D :D :D :D

If you have the portable halogens, you could rig 'em on eith side of the stack and drape a tarp over- careful around the light itself. Bet you'd be getting the top boards off within a half hour......have you stood close to those things? Put out a lot of radient heat! ;) ;) 's as good as a nod to a blind man..........

beenthere · December 07, 2005, 11:52:43 AM

Daren
Get out the chainsaw, and sacrifice a board here and there, and move a chunk at a time into a warmer place. Kind a like re-sawing the logs

(I assume the pile is too big to get back on the mill. Be a good way to make stickers, just put back on the mill and saw perp. to the old saw lines).

Daren · December 07, 2005, 12:00:36 PM

DanG, that is why I didn't sticker it right away. I figure, shoot as cold as it is it'll keep for a couple days. I never thought they would freeze together. I pushed around on them, I guess they aren't ALL froze together, some had some sawdust between them. But most of them are stuck like glue, I ain't moving them till it warms up probably. I can push the whole pile with the skidsteer if I had to, it would just ruin the bottom one if I put a scrap board between the bucket and the pile to keep from tearing up the side too. I should have know better I guess.