End Sealing and Air Dyring Sweetgum

[E-Tex]

I plan to cut Sweetgum on my property this winter.  I will cut into 1" x 5" for a rail fence.  I've read a number of threads on how Sweetgum can be "difficult to deal with".....but I'm going to try it.

I would like 12 foot boards, so, to allow for checking should I cut the logs 12.5' or would 13' be better?  I will end-seal with Anchor-Seal.

Any advice on sticking and air-drying?.....I plan to sticker every 12 inches and will weight the stack down HEAVY (stickers will be 1" high).  Hope to keep them flat!  I'd rather not have to plane/joint them flat when dry, but I will if needed.  I'm hoping to take them straight of the air-dry stack and onto the rail fence.

It will likely be late December or into January before I saw the lumber.  I'm in East Texas and I'm wondering about how long it may take to air-dry through the winter/spring.   

Any idea what the starting MC will be when fresh cut?  Any idea about how long it would take to reach our EMC here in East Texas....about 12-13% (I think)?

And, once they do "dry".....will they be fairly stable from further warping/twisting?  (I will stain/seal the fence once done).

Thanks for any help.

[pineywoods]

In east Texas, sweet gum gonna rot faster than you can put it up, well maybe not quite that fast. : Quarter saw it, won't twist and warp quite as fast..You need to find some post oak or white oak, better yet, cedar..

[E-Tex]

that ain't good!!!

I planned on using treated or creosoted post.  the sweetgum only for the rails.  you think the rails would not last long even if painted/stained/sealed?

[fishfighter]

Sweet gum that I had sawed, I used it only for blocking up stacks of lumber. 6x6 post that are direct contact to the ground last a little over a year. Just long enough to were the lumber that is stacked on top air dries enough.

I wouldn't used sweet gum for anything else but that. ;D

[ellmoe]

Sweet gum will take pressure treating if that is available to you. Your flat sawn boards will twist , some suitable for firewood only. If you cut them thicker, as we do, 5/4", you can plane to 1", taking out some of the "fried bacon appearance.

[E-Tex]

sounds like I may look at other trees on the property!!!  but i'm determined to find use for the sweetgum on the place.

If I try the sweetgum for my rails (rails only, not the post and no ground contact) I will do like you suggest "ellmoe" and cut it 5/4 and take out the twist when dried.  Again, this is only for a couple of gate entrances on the property so I'm not talking about a lot of boards or work if I have to replace later.  I don't see why they wont last a while if sealed/stained (again, no ground contact).  I will consider other trees on the property (ERC, Elm, SYP, variety of Oaks).......but wanting to try sweetgum for something. 

The wife has found "Shoshigibon" (sorry for spelling) treated wood on line.  Looks pretty cool.  A lot of work but looks nice.  I tried it on some ERC and SYP and it came out nice.  Haven't tried on a Sweetgum board yet but will once I take some down.  Just want to take something from the land and provide something back to the property.  I'm thinning out the property and hate to not find some value in the Sweetgum.

Thanks for the input....keep it coming!

[LeeB]

shou sugi ban

Japanese traditional method of preserving wood by charring.

[ellmoe]

If I try the sweetgum for my rails (rails only, not the post and no ground contact) I will do like you suggest "ellmoe" and cut it 5/4 and take out the twist when dried. 

I wasn't very clear, if you kiln dry sweet gum it will come out looking like fried bacon. We oversize so that when we plane to 3/4" we have a clean board. Planing a twisted board will give you a smooth, twisted board. Over sizing does seen to make the board stronger and less prone to twisting. For your use I'd avoid outside boards and the pith, oversize and nail up green. Good luck.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

In the old days, sweetgum lumber was steamed for 24 hours before drying to remove the stress, supposedly, and then achieve flatter lumber.  It did seem to help some.  Also, 16"sticker spacing helped.  Top weights around 100 pounds per sq.ft. Also helped.  Fast drying also was effective.

Sweetgum lumber is a great species of lumber, when flat. I