How long can you let your cut timbers sit?

[akcorr]

I'm not close to my property.  It's roughly 5 hours away.  I'm contemplating cutting my timbers at home and shipping them up to the property at a later date.  Is there a point where you are cutting green timbers and cannot let them sit to long prior to assembly and raising?

[Don P]

How is this different than a job cut off site and delivered. If its cut green stuff will move, if you dry till you need to notch and assemble, the assembly will go easier. For some reason most folks stop looking that day.

If you want it to be dimensionally stable during and after assembly then let it sit till it is close to or at equilibrium with its final surroundings. Movement happens between ~25-30% and final equilibrium, usually 8-12%.

If the outer shell and the place where strength lives is getting close to emc, does it matter is the core has not yet arrived? There is in log construction circles a recognized phenomenon, when the core finally shrinks there is a stress reversal within the heart centered timber.

[Ljohnsaw]

There is in log construction circles a recognized phenomenon, when the core finally shrinks there is a stress reversal within the heart centered timber.

Does that mean as it dries and twists, it will twist back?  That would be nice!  I cut a lot of big timbers with the unrealistic dream of having them all ready to cut and assemble one day (ok, one month).  Unfortunately, better than 50% have twisted beyond use over the last 3 or 4 years.  If I wait another few years, maybe they will twist back? :D  Just joking.  I milled the really bad ones from white/red fir.  Lots of designer firewood. :-\  Some of the smaller stuff (4x6) of both WP and Ponderosa that have been drying for 2 or 3 years.

[Don P]

It won't fix that but that is why I prefer to let timbers season and show their true nature before using them.

For the stress reversal, the shell of a timber dries and shrinks before the still green and plump core. This puts the shell in tension, and in fact when tension perpendicular to grain from shrinkage exceeds strength perp to grain, the timber develops a seasoning check. The core has the shell stretched tightly around it, it is in as much compression as the shell is in tension. With time the core dries and shrinks. It is impeded by the tension set in the shell and so the core ends up in tension as it pulls on the shell causing that to be in compression.

[ajschnitzelbank]

This is my first, but, the joints in my white pine frame were cut in September. I plan to assemble in the spring. It was done in a week long course, and one of the instructors (Jack Sobon) thought this wouldn't be a problem. Wish me luck!



 

 

 

 

[akcorr]

This is my first, but, the joints in my white pine frame were cut in September. I plan to assemble in the spring. It was done in a week long course, and one of the instructors (Jack Sobon) thought this wouldn't be a problem. Wish me luck!



 

 

 

Thanks so much!  This is exactly the case I was referring to.  My frame would sit about the same length as yours!

[akcorr]

One question: what species of wood is that?  They look good and straight!

[ajschnitzelbank]

This is my first, but, the joints in my white pine frame were cut in September. I plan to assemble in the spring. It was done in a week long course, and one of the instructors (Jack Sobon) thought this wouldn't be a problem. Wish me luck!



 

 

 

Thanks so much!  This is exactly the case I was referring to.  My frame would sit about the same length as yours!

Well, hopefully both of ours are fine! 

[ajschnitzelbank]

One question: what species of wood is that?  They look good and straight!

White pine.