Building with green wood

[scsmith42]

Nate, Delmhorst manufacturers meters primarily for measuring wood MC%.  You can buy one through Nyle Corp (FF Sponsor).

Bailey's also sells meters.

If you're only measuring 4/4 wood, then a pin-type meter with 1/2" pins (or 3/8") will work fine.  If you need to measure 8/4 or larger, you will either need a meter with a slide hammer and 1" pins, or a pinless meter that will measure at least 1" deep.

I have a Merlin HM8-WS25 pinless meter designed for kiln operators (made in Austria - supposed to be very accurate, and measures up to 1-1/2" deep), and also some Delmhorst units.  They both work well, but the pinless meter is much quicker when I have access to the surface of the boards.  The slide-hammer works better when measuring inside the kiln.

Scott

[Jeff]

Built fresh off the saw, from framing to siding. Siding was logs one day and nailed up the next.  It still looks as good today as it did when we finished it. 



Here is the story of building it...

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,14094.0.html

[logwalker]

 

Dry wood is great but not mandatory. If you are using large timbers you need to know it takes years for them to dry. I have built or helped to build several homes & large shops and never once used kiln dried wood except for the glued-gusset trusses to cover the back half of the above structure, our current home. Framing with green wood is actually preferable for the ease of nailing and lack of splitting when nailed. By the time the roof is up and the frame is sheathed the the framing will be at or below 18% in most cases. Remember you have to build smart. I have seen builders use a temporary brace to support a heavily loaded beam as it dried but it probably wasn't necessary. Joe

Hey, I forgot how cute that place was.  8) 8)

[HOOF-ER]

Built a large horse barn  this summer. Used 10" white pine BB
Owner was in hurry so put up boards soaking wet. I watched and put the cup toward the building and angle nailed it. The west side got the most sun and cupped the worst.
Renailed some of the worst. Looks great though. I would use heavier battens next time .   Just got the picture thing down tonight thought I would repost this with the pics Here is the stalls too. The stall doors have pecan around them  with wormy red oak for the center walk area

[Norm]

Very nice!

[Don P]

I'll second that  8)
Got any pics of the roof framing?

[solidwoods]

Why make things hard on yourself?
Just air dry the wood for a few months,, BOOM no bad lessons learned.
jim

[HOOF-ER]

DonP , No pics of the framing. I made my own trusses with two rows of 4x4 to help support. Owner did not care about the post in the loft , so I like to over build. The 4x4 's are over the lower 4x6's.

[StorminN]

Hey guys,

An update here... I got a Lignomat MC meter and tested some stuff... the western red cedar siding I milled last week varies from ~40-60% MC, depending on where in the log it came from... however, the WRC siding I milled and stickered just after Christmas is now about 20% MC... and the rest of the frame of the cabin (fir and hemlock), is about 18% MC... this includes some of the kiln-dried stuff that has been under cover, but not closed in... so I think I'm going to start siding pretty soon...

-Norm.

[SwampDonkey]

Most all the barns and sheds, with exception of a potato storage shed, we built on the farm in my lifetime was from green ungraded lumber cut from the farm.  8)

[Dale Hatfield]

Hey guys,

An update here... I got a Lignomat MC meter and tested some stuff... the western red cedar siding I milled last week varies from ~40-60% MC, depending on where in the log it came from... however, the WRC siding I milled and stickered just after Christmas is now about 20% MC... and the rest of the frame of the cabin (fir and hemlock), is about 18% MC... this includes some of the kiln-dried stuff that has been under cover, but not closed in... so I think I'm going to start siding pretty soon...

-Norm.

Norm Can ya run a few tests for us? Take the high tech toy to town and grab a few tests from the 2x4,s or whatever  lumber size that you have to compare at the lumber yard one indoors and one out. Lets see how the numbers work out.
Dale