when is it safe to plane

[Lynwoo]

I am air drying my sawn lumber now under cover on pallets.

When thinking about  planing what moisture content should I shoot for?  I assume  after air drying and planing the materials can be dead stacked in the dry until I am ready to further process them .

Also should the sanitize stage be done before or after final processing.

This step I am unsure of the particulars.

I have been cutting like crazy getting the drying process started thinking a year + - would give me adequate  time but the materials may well be ready before me.

I understand the materials get harder as the moisture  evaporates but if the materials actually set longer than required to stabilize will that make the planer work harder?

[Ianab]

Moisture content depends more on the intended use. If it's construction use, then get under about 19%. Fungus etc wont grow once the wood is below that level. But the wood will continue to dry (and shrink) down to whatever your equilibrium level is. For wood stored outside, that will probably be 10-15%, depending on where you live. 

If the wood is for indoor use (furniture / flooring etc), then it needs to be dried down to your inside moisture levels. That might be 6 to 12%, again depending on where you live. Go with around 8% for most of the US. Wood won't naturally reach that level outside, needs to be in a climate controlled space (or a kiln) 

So although you can plane your partly air dried wood, if you plane it at 15%, and bring it inside and dry it down to 8, it will shrink and move some more, and probably need planing and jointing again. 

So my advice would be to get it as dry as it's ever going to be, then plane it. Dry wood is harder than green or part dry, but planers are designed for that. Storing the wood for a few years doesn't seem to affect it's hardness, you can work reclaimed wood from a 100 year old building just fine. Wood only dries down to equilibrium, if that's 8% or 12%, that's as dry as it gets, even if you leave it there 100 years. 

[YellowHammer]

Planing partially dry or wet wood is a total hassle for a planer.  The chips are heavy so won't eject well, and the moisture from the wood will cause everything in the planer to rust.  The wood won't even feed well, it will slip.  Total mess.  Been there done that.

I wouldn't put anything though my planer that wasn't less than 20% moisture, 15 percent is better.  

It doesn't take a year for wood to dry to these levels, depending on the climate and wood thickness, it can be be as short as a few months.  

Generally, planing is the finishing and polishing stage of lumber production, so is done last.

[Lynwoo]

thanks guys.  This is a relief for me as I need the extra time and need to source a planer with.enough juice and durability to do the job and as with most things wood related supply is thin or non existant.

[customsawyer]

If you have the room then I would store it on stickers until it is needed. If not then dead stack it once it is as dry as you can get it air drying, probably below 15% for your neck of the woods. You might end up with a little mold or stain if there is a wet spot you missed that can be planed off before you install.

[Lynwoo]

If you have the room then I would store it on stickers until it is needed. If not then dead stack it once it is as dry as you can get it air drying, probably below 15% for your neck of the woods. You might end up with a little mold or stain if there is a wet spot you missed that can be planed off before you install.

That sounds like the plan.as it is on stickers now with some under the drying shed and the rest covered with metal roofing looks like I'll let this sleeping  dog lie till needed.
I really never imagined I would have this much sawn wood on the yard but as word gets around if you build it they will come.
Thanks for everyone's  time.

[Brad_bb]

Is it pine or hardwood?  I can speak to hardwood only.  If it will be used in a conditioned space, then after it has reached ambient moisture content (which is 14% or below in my area) then it needs to be kiln dried to wring it down to 6-8%MC, then you can plane and finish it.  Keep it stored in a conditioned space.  If you store it outside it will absorb moisture again up to ambient MC. You must get it down to 6-8 if you intend to use it in a conditioned space, or it will shrink and move on you.  At the end of the Kiln cycle you sterilize it with heat.  This will kill any PPB larvae inside the wood.  You can dead stack if it's at ambient MC, though if it gets very humid, I don't prefer to do so if not kept inside.  If using a borate, do that right after sawing before you sticker stack.  This just helps keep them from laying eggs in the first place.

IF  you're going to be using the wood in outdoor conditions, like in a barn where it will see humidity and temp changes, then just air dry it down to Ambient, then plane it etc.  If you used borate right off the saw, it will help keep PPB away.  After you plane it, you have to be aware that PPB could lay eggs on your wood and reinfest.  IF you pre-finish the wood with a film finish, then you don't have to worry about it.  They won't lay eggs on wood with a film finish (if they can't taste the starch of the wood).  If you already have PPB larvae in the wood, they will bore their way out within 2 years.