Basswood drying?

9shooter · April 16, 2006, 05:36:23 PM

I felled a big basswood for a friend on Sat. There are 5-6 logs 3+ ft to 1 ft. dia. I plan on sawing then into cants at least, and am wondering how to dry them. I have heard that basswood stains and am wondering if there is a way to retard or prevent that. Do you air dry it first? will anchorseal help prevent stain? I know wood carvers like the stuff. How does one make carving blocks and prevent cracking? I will keep some for myself for future boat building plans. I am waiting for some pictures we took. I killed a fox squirrel when the tree dropped. Apparently hit the squirrel when the top brushed an adjacent walnut tree. I wonder if the DNR will confiscate my saw for hunting out of season? :D

SwampDonkey · April 16, 2006, 06:35:26 PM

Stack it in a shed with good air flow and keep it off the floor. If your making turning blanks don't use the pith/juvenile wood and you should have stable wood. I've carved with air dry basswood off the farm and the wood never checked. I think basswood is very stable. My grandma's butter bowl never cracked and it was second hand when she got it. A butterbowl is used to wash and mix salt in your churned butter.

Ga_Boy · April 16, 2006, 06:51:07 PM

I just dried about 800 BF for the local wood carvers club, I mixed it with some 8/4 Yellow Poplar. The Bass Wood and Poplar was all green off the saw. It dried in 14 days using the Poplar schedule.

9shooter · April 16, 2006, 11:19:54 PM

Thanks for the reply's. It sounds like I can cut it into cants and then figure out what to do from there. I guess all I really need is a new Peterson and a kiln. ;D What have you guy's sold basswood for? If I could figure out the marketing end of things, I could justify getting that mill and kiln(s). I've got logs piling up and they're really starting to bug me. I guess I have the disease. I have several potential customers waiting to see if I jump into the logging/lumber business. Marketing is the only thing that bothers me. I would sure hate to make the investment and have to listen to the wife complain if lumber starts pileing up.

Ga_Boy · April 17, 2006, 05:53:30 AM

I know your delimia. It took me a few months to figure out how to do a market survey.

If you are interested in this let me know and I can point you in the direction of doing a survey analyzing and results to guage your market interest.

If you do this you will need about $600 to $700 dollars to buy the envelops, paper, stamps and mailing list. The mailing list is your big ticket item. This is a necessary step to make sure your investment of time and money is sound.