Best bet for air drying?

[sumpnz]

What's my bet bet for air drying some slabs I'll be chainsaw milling soon?  I've got alder, birch and maple logs.  Alder I'll probably mill 8/4 or 10/4.  Birch probably same as alder, though if I get a good looking figure might go 12/4 for a few slabs. Maple will almost if not certainly be 12/4, might go thicker but probably not thinner.  

The alder and birch are more for practice, and maybe getting something interesting.  If they get ruined I won't be too upset if they become firewood.  I'd rather get good lumber from them of course, but they just aren't as interesting as the maple.  Might use the maple for countertops, or something nice like a dining table or other furniture.  So I really want to make sure I take care of the maple properly.  Lots of curl, some burl, and some crotch.

Options include setting up a cinder block and 4x4 base outside with a corrugated metal covering, or clearing a spot in my detached garage using 4x4s to elevate and putting fans on the stack.  If I go with the latter how long would I want to run said fans?

Either way I'm looking at 18" spacing for stickers.  Logs will yield 18-33" wide slabs, 6-10' long.  Planning on setting up 4' wide, 10' long stacks.  Hopefully could stack it all in only 2 such stacks.

 

 

[Sod saw]

Hi sumpnz,  Those logs in your photos look as though they may have been around a while.

I wonder if your maple may have some nice salting inside.  Have you cut any place on the maple to look?

It sure could make a nice table is so.

have fun with them

[YellowHammer]

I'd put them in the covered garage, flat base, some airflow under the stacks and the fans don't do much during the winter  and can damage thick wood. So I wouldn't run them.  

[sumpnz]

The alder and birch were cut down around July/August.  The crotch maple (and stump section) were from storm damage 2-3 years ago.  The other short maple log is at least as old, it was my neighbors tree that fell onto my side.  Fortunately that was before fencing was there.  I'm hoping for some good spalting in the maple.  Would have milled the alder and birch long ago, but didn't have time.

I have more maple logs from a different tree that was also felled over the summer.  Going to leave them be for a while yet, as I'm wanting them to spalt too.

YH - thanks for the warning on the fans. I'll not use them.