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stacking and stickering boards on edges instead of flat

Started by ethanbrush, March 11, 2020, 11:00:30 PM

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ethanbrush

So I saw a guy do this, and starting thinking about it, and I think it makes sense for certain cuts.  I cant find a single thing on this.  Anyone ever tried stacking and stickering boards on edge instead of flat? The idea is that for some situations where you have boards such as long rafters or joists, crook is the main thing you want to minimize.  Bow and twist dont matter much as they can be forced out without much trouble by the various attachments.  Cup also typically doesnt matter much in a joist.  I would perhaps screw on a spacer board  into the ends (maybe with  holes drilled in it so as not to impede airflow)  to keep each joist vertical and spacing equal - maybe one vertical sticker in the middle to keep them mostly straight.  Any thoughts on this strategy?
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Don P

I remember seeing racks a company tried one time for doing that. I've never heard more so I'm guessing gravity and the pita factored in. I usually do SDR, saw>dry>rip.

ethanbrush

Quote from: Don P on March 12, 2020, 06:20:51 AM
I remember seeing racks a company tried one time for doing that. I've never heard more so I'm guessing gravity and the pita factored in. I usually do SDR, saw>dry>rip.


Thanks for the info Don.  I dont really see it being a PITA, in fact kinda quicker as you get a lot more boards per row of stickers.  But then again I havent tried it so maybe I am missing some aspect of it.  


When you say you do SDR, do you mean that you saw with some extra width so you can straighten them out after they dry?  
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Don P

Yes, here's a paper I read a number of years ago that explains the basic idea, there are a number on the USFPL website where they tried it on different species.
https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplrp/fplrp490.pdf

bushhog920

Did that once with some 2x4x10's did not turn out well. 

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

The main conclusion from lots of research and trials is that side bend and twist is essentially uncontrollable in stacking and drying.  The best control for side bend is to avoid sawing lumber with the juvenile core on one edge but not the other.  In other words, when viewed from the end of a piece, the growth rings should be centered, edge to edge.

Twist is the result of slope of grain in the log and therefore in the lumber.  It is not controlled well in drying.

Edge stackING, an old technique, does not control warp well.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

Brad_bb

I wish the OP had posted a pic to SEE exactly what he was talking about.  If you stack boards on edge, how do you keep a layer from being bumped and falling over like dominos?  By putting them on edge, you don't have weight on the flat part to resist warping.  From what is described, doesn't seem practical or any particular advantage to me.  It would also mean that you need to have boards the same width.  If I'm edging jacket boards as well, I will have random width boards, which is no problem for conventional stacking.

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GeneWengert-WoodDoc

One way is to think about a normal stack with stickers and then lift it up or twist it up 90 degrees.  The stickers are vertical instead of horizontal.  In practice, it might be 85 degrees to help with stacking.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

ethanbrush

Quote from: GeneWengert-WoodDoc on March 16, 2020, 08:42:38 AM
The main conclusion from lots of research and trials is that side bend and twist is essentially uncontrollable in stacking and drying.  The best control for side bend is to avoid sawing lumber with the juvenile core on one edge but not the other.  In other words, when viewed from the end of a piece, the growth rings should be centered, edge to edge.

Twist is the result of slope of grain in the log and therefore in the lumber.  It is not controlled well in drying.

Edge stackING, an old technique, does not control warp well.
Quote from: Brad_bb on March 16, 2020, 08:53:00 PM
I wish the OP had posted a pic to SEE exactly what he was talking about.  If you stack boards on edge, how do you keep a layer from being bumped and falling over like dominos?  By putting them on edge, you don't have weight on the flat part to resist warping.  From what is described, doesn't seem practical or any particular advantage to me.  It would also mean that you need to have boards the same width.  If I'm edging jacket boards as well, I will have random width boards, which is no problem for conventional stacking.



Thanks for the replies guys.  Sorry about the delay, I got distracted and forgot about this topic.  

Brad,  I am thinking primarily of long rafters or joists, so they would be uniform width and at least 2" wide making stacking on edge reasonable.  Again, the thinking is that crook is the primary imperfection in a long rafter or joist  that you want to reduce.

Gene,  So when we stack lumber, cupping and bow is mostly what we have the best chance at reducing, is that what you are saying?  Crook wont typically be reduced appreciably when holding a board in a fixed  position?
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moodnacreek

In the north country in N.Y. state people dry softwood framing lumber by stacking triangles, no stickers used. I have seen it somewhere on this forum.

Andries

QuebecNewf posted some photos of the triangle drying stack a few years ago.
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