The Forestry Forum

I plan to dry a bunch of smallish wood cookies to make a faux cordwood wall in my house. Basically cookies glued to backer board, and a mortar in between the cookies. 

Planning to use black locust, sassafras, and eastern red cedar. Diameters ranging from 1.5"-5" at the largest. Was thinking of 3/4" thick, cut on my 12" miter saw, and lightly sanded. 

I've got a nyle l200m kiln, and Am wondering how best to dry these. Mostly curious about how I should stack them? Thinking stickers are not quite right, but some sort of wire racking. Or Should I just put them in my kitchen oven in batches?

I don't much care if they get checks and splits, but if there's a good way to minimize it, I'll give it a shot. I will probably sterilize them because I'm afraid of getting bugs In The house. 

If I just oven bake them, and they are obviously not structural - is there any reason why cell collapse or case hardening would harm me in this application? 

Thanks!

Suggest doing some practice runs to see how you like the results, and vary the methods a bit, like different thicknesses.
Also maybe try a radial saw cut to initiate a drying check in one location. That may or may not fit into your aesthetic plan for the wall but may relieve and control the stresses.
A bias cut across the log may limit the radial checks but the oblong cookies may not fit the look you are after.

Will be interested to find out what you learn along the way.