The Forestry Forum
General Forestry => Drying and Processing => Topic started by: MarkOrge on March 31, 2018, 02:54:59 PM
Hello Forum Members. I am new to this and have a few questions around when I can start projects with my wood. I had a beautiful big ash tree in my yard but unfortunately in our part of the country we have the Asian Ash Borer, and the tree was dead in a few years. When we had it taken down I had the main lower part of the trunk sliced with an Alaskan mill into some large slabs - 3-4" thick. I also inherited some similar sized slabs of Black walnut. They have both been stacked flat with 1" slats between each layer under some pine trees in my backyard for 2 1/2 years. I just picked up a moisture tester and I am between 17% and 19% As our relative humidity is unlikely to go much lower around here (Southern Ontario, just north of Toronto) I cant see the getting any lower. As this will be used for outdoor furniture like benches and tables, am I good to go and start projects this year or do I HAVE to haul it somewhere and pay to run it through a kiln? I read you should be around 10% to do carpentry work but again, outside which is where the wood will reside averages about the same as the wood is now?
Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks,
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/49406/Wood_1.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1522522431)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/49406/Wood_2.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1522522431)
Mark
You're stickers are way too wide for starters...
I'd put a piece of tin over the top of the stacks to keep the sun off them/rain etc...
The reason I say this is because I did something similar and that's what a lot of guys told me.
Welcome to the forum! There's TONS of great people on here with A LOT of knowledge.
MarkOrge,
I too am new to the forum so welcome.
This looks very similar to one of my stacks when I started out. I agree with Burtle, those stickers should be 3/4-1 inch thick or so. Also I would highly recommend you bring them off the ground about 18 inches, level out your area, and maybe pull them away from the fence. Make sure you put some good weight on the top as well to prevent cupping and bowing. I am by far a drying expert, but those are just some of the basics I learned the hard way. I'm sure others with a lot more knowledge will chime in.
If you're going to use the wood outdoors, there's no reason to dry them any further. Hopefully they will be outdoors, but under cover. Walnut will not last very long in the weather.