Drying White Oak for an Outside Table

[firefighter ontheside]

A city parks department contacted me about drying some big white oak slabs for a table that will be under a pavilion in the park.  Obviously it doesn't need to be super dry.  I told them 15% would probably be adequate here in MO.  They want it ready in May.  I've never dried green lumber in my kiln.  I just have fans and a dehumidifier.  I'm not worried about the white oak damaging the DH as its on its last legs anyway.  My question is how long it might take in my kiln to get it from milled yesterday to 15% moisture.
My kiln usually sits around 100deg.  Also what's a reasonable price to charge?  I'm also not sure I want my kiln tied up for as long as it might take to dry these 12/4 slabs.  I'm not worried about sanitizing it, since it will just be outside anyway.

[scsmith42]

12/4 WO from green is about 8-9 months in a DH kiln w/o damaging it.  

You will need a way to keep the RH% up around 95% or higher for the first few months in order to minimize degrade too, and most likely spray it with a fungicide because the mold and mildew development will be legendary.

[firefighter ontheside]

Lol.  That doesn't sound like something I want to mess with.  So, do they have any hope of drying this by June, if they go somewhere else.  I'd like to be able to tell them what they should do.

[doc henderson]

dry it till June, then make the table and let it air dry from there.? !  ...

[Larry]

On June 2nd 2006 I posted these two pictures on the forum of this beautiful picnic table I had made.  I was pretty proud of my work.








Today you can hear the rest of the story.  Its white oak and the seats are 16/4 while the top is 6/4.  I carefully dried the oak in my pole barn for a long time, maybe a year if I remember.  Towards the end I put a fan on the lumber.  I believed I had done a perfect job air drying it so it would work in its outside environment.  Finished it with some kind of expensive stuff and it really looked good.  When I posted, a couple of the smarter members asked about checking with such thick white oak but I had it figured out.....not.

Some time after it was finished I started seeing a few small checks in the wood, especially in the 16/4.  Well the checks continued to grow into cracks!

Since then I have tried several different things and have decided with my methods if its over 6/4 white oak I'm going to expect cracks.

The good news is the table still is in service and very functional.  I think the cracks add a little something!

Here is the original thread.
Anybody build picnic tables? in General Board

[K-Guy]

If they go looking for 12/4, tell them to look for someone with stock on hand. If anyone else tells them they can do it, the boards will likely have stress and degrade.

[firefighter ontheside]

If they go looking for 12/4, tell them to look for someone with stock on hand. If anyone else tells them they can do it, the boards will likely have stress and degrade.

They had a mobile sawyer come and mill one of the trees from the park just  few days ago.  They want the table to be made from the tree from the park.  I guess they had it cut into all 12/4 slabs.

[metalspinner]

That reminds me of a project of mine from several years back. 

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=47386.msg680594#msg680594
The rest of the story....
Just a month after this outdoor classroom was completed, the school board voted to close this school. So our parent committee voted to donate this table to the Tremont Institute in the GSMNP. 

I moved the table to a spot they had picked out. They had plans to build a pavilion over the area. Over the years while visiting the park, I would swing by a take a look at the table. Over time, the sap wood decayed and checking occurred in the slabs. But the table was still solid. Just last year I swung by and the table was gone and replaced with a pressure treated one. 

[WDH]

It takes me 6 to 8 months to air dry 1 1/8" thick rough green white oak to 15% under my drying sheds.  Then, into the kiln.  12/4 would cause me to  shake my head and smile if they wanted it dry in 4 months.  You can't always get what you want.  That is a lesson that drying wood teaches you.  That, and humility  .

[beenthere]

You can't always get what you want. 

Danny took the words right out of my mouth. 

ffos
Your decision is to do it and take the blame when it isn't right. And it may end up just the way they want it to end and you will be the hero. Good luck.

[firefighter ontheside]

I talked to the guy this afternoon and told him that I would not be able to dry them.  I gave him some advice on stacking them to air dry and building the table with wood that would still shrink more.