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Best southern wood to use when you don't have time to let it dry!

Started by brdmkr, November 28, 2005, 12:56:20 PM

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brdmkr

Hi all.  I am thinking of building a solar kiln sooner rather than later and would like to use lap siding on the outside.  I don't have any dry lumber and would prefer to start construction within a month.  So, what would be the best thing for me to use given it will have to dry in place?  We are talking southern species that are readily available. 

Or.... Am I just out of luck :(
Lucas 618  Mahindra 4110, FEL and pallet forks, some cant hooks, and a dose of want-to

DanG

Good ol' pine dries pretty quick, but maybe not enough for ya in a month.  You could put it up as board and batten and get away with it, though.  Juniper would be your best bet, if you can find some logs.  I haven't been able to get any lately, though.
"I don't feel like an old man.  I feel like a young man who has something wrong with him."  Dick Cavett
"Beat not thy sword into a plowshare, rather beat the sword of thine enemy into a plowshare."

Rockn H

If your going to use it for lap siding, I think southern pine would work fine.  It'll shrink some, but it shouldn't be a problem with the siding.

solodan

yeah, I was thinking board and batten as well. this is the way the pioniers built most of their buildings while moving west, as they were only building structures for a temporary stay and did not have time to dry the lumber. also, attach the batten to only one of the two boards, this will give the boards free movement while shrinking.

Bro. Noble

milking and logging and sawing and milking

Don P

As long as you think about the wood shrinking and don't pin both edges down any of the above. I usually nail the batten to the purlins only and nail in the middle 1/3 of boards to let the edges of boards float. I've seen plenty of people nail about everywhere else and it usually works, a few have split boards and nails torn out of the sides of battens. I think Noble is right, cedar is the driest on the hoof. None of them even start to shrink till they're down to around 30% and at this time of year a month probably isn't going to get you to that point. 
I've been kinda toying with the idea of a kiln wall like an old corncrib sidewall. Studs covered with ratwire and skip sheathed in 1x2's. Stuff the studbay with fiberglass insulation and solid sheath with a vapor barrier on the inside. I'm thinking this would keep the wall cavity and (cheaper) insulation drier  ???.

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