I'm in desperate need of some dry stickers (for ash) and just remembered I have a couple sheets of 3/4" OSB in the barn loft. It won't be going to a Kiln - is for air drying only. Figure I should be able to get about 90 4' strips per sheet. I'll be able to keep the stack pretty dry except for a little blowing rain or snow but I'm a little worried about the glue staining the ash. Anyone use it before or forsee any issues?
Seems like it should be fine but I have never tried osb before.
Around here I would be concerned that 3/4" would not provide enough air flow, but we are quite humid so perhaps it's not such an issue where you are.
It will leave sticker stain and it can run deep mainly in the out side boards because it can draw in moister
It will mold too I think, and if it gets wet, will probably come apart. If you're desperate, go down to the box store and get furring strips. Then the first thing you should mill is Ash stickers. It won't take too long for them to dry enough to use. I use Ash stickers for most everything.
I would use Advantec osb stickers. Has held up great in all the homes I've built and got rained on before we got the roof on...all the books on drying say 3/4" stickers, so I'd go for it. Post your results so we can see how it turns out. In other words just try a little bit and see how it does...use what you got, my Granddad always said, it don't hert to try something new
Thanks guys. Sounds like it's probably too risky. I think I'll go ahead and cut a firewood grade ash into stickers here pretty soon and that will give me a feel for the ash before I get into the good stuff anyway. Heating season will be here in a couple of weeks so I can move them into my shop with a fan and radiator to dry out quicker.
I'll probably give the OSB a try on my next palette of pine roof decking or something that won't really matter if it stains as an experiment but I don't want to take any chances with the ash.
I would love to see the results of this. I have thought about it but since all my piles are sitting outside in the weather I chose not to use it.
What I found myself doing is starting at the top of the tree, taking all the limbs off, then chopping the firewood diameter logs into 16" lengths for the wood stove, then when I got to about 8" diameter I cut them into 42" long pieces to make stickers, when I got into 12" size I started cutting saw logs the rest of the tree.
If you cut the stickers from real wood, (not OSB, I would avoid it) and put them on the hot concrete or asphalt, assuming there's still a hot day or two left, then they will dry out in a couple days. Just spread them out and let them cook. Some will move bit when drying unconstrained, but as soon as you put them in the stacks of boards, they will get pressed flat, some will be too bad to use, just throw them out. I've done it a few times when I was hurting for stickers.
That stuff is junk, It will fall apart. I wouldn't build a dog house with it.