Stacking white pine boards

[Cguignard]

I have a slight issue, I have a bunch of green white pine boards that need to be stacked and stuck  My problem is that I don't have any dry stickers. I know that is I stack with green pine stickers I will get lots of blue stain. I was wondering if I could use green hemlock stickers and end up with better results.  I also have a few other species of green logs on hand if that might be better.

[Magicman]

It would be better to stack it with what you have knowing that you will very soon restack than to leave it dead stacked.

Your signature does not say where you are, but White Pine indicates that you are in the Northern climes.  It is probably cold, so maybe you would have more time, but stacking as soon as possible is always the recommendation.

[Cguignard]

I am in Maine, it has been cold but the weather is warming up 60's forecasted for this weekend.  I stacked the boards on hay trailers at they came off the mill, they are stuck on the trailers but I need the trailers back in a month or so.  I sawed the pine in January through March. The reason that I asked about hemlock is that I am sawing a bunch of it into 2x stock for a shed. I have a bunch of 1x2 hemlock green.

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

The species of sticker will not matter.  Why not get a heater...maybe rent one...and put the stickers in a closed trailer (spread out so they can dry quickly) and dry them out in a day?

[Jay C. White Cloud]

Hello Cguignard,

I'm with Gene on this one, there some real quick solutions to this challenge.  Here are some choices, hope they help.

1.  Do what Gene said.

2.  Stack them octagon style and put a small propane heater in the center.  Cover with tin and around sides, but heater on low.  The will be serviceable in a couple hours.

3.  You can add this to the above method, it just makes them better, and/or leave them the way the are, fresh off the mill 24 hours old, and you can use them fine with this treatment.

Get a good wood treatment in a 5 gal sprayer like Bora Care, Timbor or if you can't get/afford this, just add to five gallons of water, 2 cup salt, 5 cups "20 mule team borax soap, and 3 cup bleach.  Spray and let dry for a day.  Oiling your stickers will only make them better and last longer.

4.  Not for every one, but running them through a "V" router table for that profile top and bottom makes the contact point as little as possible.  There are other profiles that are just as effective.

Regards,

jay

[WoodenHead]

For my first few stickers I went to Home Depot and bought "kiln dried" 2" x 6" (1.5" x 5.5") x 14'.  I set them up on their edge and sliced them on the mill into 1" x 1.5" stickers.  It took me a while to find enough straight ones, but they made excellent stickers until I had enough dry wood to make my own.

The very best species that I've found is white cedar.  Cedar generally dries quickly and seldom stains (unless still a bit too green).

[petefrom bearswamp]

I have used green and air dried stickers of both Hemlock and White pine with no problem.
The blue stain seems to be in the log before sawing in MHO.
Blue stain can be a plus in some markets as "denim pine"

[bandmiller2]

You must have some dry scrap boards you could rip,or buy some cheap straping and rip it down the middle. Frank C.

[red oaks lumber]

if your using green stickers, go 1" wide less area in contact with the lumber. w.pine is alot more tolerant against blue staining.

[Ianab]

What are you doing with the boards? If they aren't for any appearance wood working then you can use green stickers. Yes you might get some staining, but it wont affect the structural use of the wood.

[Dewey]

If your close to me in Maine, Come see me  I saw Cedar  you can help yourself to all the stickers you want from my slab pile....

[Cguignard]

I had some pine logs left over from a cutting we did this winter, many with one large knot so no real value at the mill, so I sawed them out.  I am building a house this year and some knotty pine will make great trim and paneling. The stuff with large knots or defects will be used around the barn or for strapping. I don't like to waste anything.  Some people that I talked to have been warning me about using green pine stickers, thought that hemlock would be a better choice.  I am burning brush this weekend on the house lot and i think that if I stack them in a barrel by the fire they will dry out.

[thecfarm]

I have no idea in Maine where you are,but you must have some dead pine on your land. Cut one of them down and use it for stickers. I was just on another lot that had some white pine and saw some dead ones still standing. I have some dead on my land.