DH & thick hardwood

WoodChucker · April 15, 2004, 09:57:28 AM

Thanks Don,

appreciate the info and like DanG, I'm curios as to why 8/4 red oak needs to be dried from green and if the same rule would apply to 4/4?

Ninety days is not that long for 8/4 if drying it from green, maybe a little harder on the pocket book to operate the kiln for that long. But not having to wait the extra few months air-drying would really be nice. Anyone else doing it this way? Thanks!

R.T.

Don_Lewis · April 15, 2004, 03:54:29 PM

8/4 must always be dried from green. 4/4 can be air dried and then finished in a kiln but that is not as good as drying from green. One mistake many people make drying Oak after air drying is to dry too slowly. People say, "I want to be careful and not rush it.' Big mistake. The key to drying green Oak is to be sure that the EMC at the beginning is at or below the MC of the outside surface of the lumber. Slow drying can do lots of damage and it just the opposite of what most beginners think.

Brian_Bailey · April 15, 2004, 10:14:14 PM

I think that a lot of problems encountered in air drying lumber esp. oak is that not enough attention is paid to monitering and controlling the air flow thru the pile.

The folks that seem to have the most problems just stack and forget about the pile until its time to put it in the kiln.

A warm afternoon and a sudden increase in wind speed will spell doom on your freshly cut oak.

Another factor in air drying to watch out for is how much dust is blowing around your lumber stacks.
Dust, small as it is, can act as a wedge in those small surface checks that should close up in the later stages of drying.

I don't saw enough 8/4 to justify tying my kiln up for 3 mos., so I'm forced to AD and then finish in the kiln.
With a little care up front I get a decent product on the other end, but not always. DanG, white oak anyways!

Certainly the controlled enviroment of a kiln would be best.

WoodChucker · April 15, 2004, 11:45:46 PM

Don, thanks again! Unless you have a pretty big operation with several kilns or at least a very large kiln, I would think most of us would be forced to air-dry lumber just because of the time factor, or we wouldn't be milling much lumber.

So, if I had a load of red oak drying in my kiln and another load waiting to go in, is there anything I could do that would help to preserve the lumber waiting to go into the kiln? Is it better to try and slow down the air-drying process or dry it as fast as possible?

Sorry for all the stupid questions, I'm sure one day it will all click and I'll understand this stuff a little better, but I'm not there yet and really appreciate being able to, not only pick your brain, but the other forum members as well. Thanks guys!

Brian_Bailey, what you say makes a lot of sense, thanks for your input!

R.T.

Don_Lewis · April 16, 2004, 05:15:29 AM

If you have to air dry 8/4 Oak, just do it in the winter. Not during warm weather. Make sure it is protected from sun and rain and use something like Shade Dry

WoodChucker · April 16, 2004, 08:12:22 AM

Thanks Don, I should have been more clear, I wasn't talking about 8/4, I meant to say 4/4. But I guess it would be treated the same, right? Anyway, thanks!

Oh, I do have one other question in regards to insulation,if you don't mind? Is it OK to use the fiberglass rolls of insulation between the studs if you cover it with the rigid foam insulation and a VB? And would I want to have the rigid foam on both sides of the studs (inside & out)? Thanks!

R.T.

Tom · April 16, 2004, 10:00:03 AM

It's a AuNatural-Cylindrically-Supported-Open-Tin-Shed

Jeff · April 16, 2004, 10:31:14 AM

Tom, whats an Ancsots kiln? ;)

Tom · April 16, 2004, 10:43:10 AM

I'm glad you asked that Jeff :D

In anticipation, the explanation above. ;)

The delay must have something to do with our being so far back in the woods. It takes two days for electricity to reach us here. It makes it kind of hard to keep a thread in order ;D :D

Jeff · April 16, 2004, 10:55:54 AM

I need to know more. I'll take this off of here and ask you in a personal message if the roof is tin. Sorry! Back to topic fellers.

Now Tom, is.... ;)

WoodChucker · April 16, 2004, 11:09:50 AM

Tom, I'm sure I'll be sorry I asked this, but why is it round? Are you trying to dry the whole tree at one time ? ;D

R.T.

Jeff · April 16, 2004, 11:15:16 AM

WoodChucker yer off topic! :D

old3dogg · April 16, 2004, 11:17:42 AM

well darn it! Now you got me wondering!

Tom · April 16, 2004, 11:34:44 AM

Naw, Man!! the supports are round, The roof are square. Kinda like Pi. You know Pi are round. :-/

WoodChucker · April 16, 2004, 02:41:52 PM

Yeper, I can cipher that. ;D

R.T.

Den Socling · April 16, 2004, 03:47:46 PM

gee I had a reply to make but I guess it's time for a new thread ;)

Tom · April 16, 2004, 04:09:18 PM

Naw, there's room, Den. Jump in. The water's fine. :D A reply here would make it fun trying to figure out what it went to. :D :D

Den Socling · April 16, 2004, 04:25:48 PM

Ok.

Mike,
Your DH kilns are pretty old, aren't they. What were they? Anklesocks?

Den

Den Socling · April 16, 2004, 05:28:43 PM

Oh yeah. I was going to say that we should build a vacuum predryer for 8/4 RO. We should be able to get down to 28% in about 4 days. :D :D :D :D :D

Tom · April 16, 2004, 07:19:34 PM

8) :D :D

old3dogg · April 17, 2004, 02:49:18 AM

Den.
I have no idea how old the DH kilns are.You know?Its kinda weird but all of this time at BWP and Ive never been up to see those kilns.
I dont think its so much the kilns that give the bad 8/4 RO results but more the person they have operating them.
I have 3 vacuum predryers!You guys can have them!
Mike.