A really Strange Drying Request

[DR Buck]

I got this in an email today:

I have a somewhat odd inquiry for a log. I am taking part in a team race in October and for this event, we will need a 50lb log. My plan is to try to find a kiln dried log that meets that weight.
Is that something you would carry or would have information on how to attain it? I could provide the actual log for drying but I would need some guidance on how much it would need to weigh "wet" for it to be 50 lbs dry.
Any Information that you could provide would be helpful.
Thanks for your time.



This was my response:

Sorry, I cannot help you with your request.    Logs are typically not kiln dried.   Only milled lumber, or firewood chunks (in specialized firewood kilns)  are kilned dried.    Additionally, every species has a different weight both with and without water content.  Attempting to predict the weight at a given point while drying would be near impossible.  The log would have to be weighed continuously.   Finally, there is no guarantee that a log that is dried to  50 lbs would stay at 50 lbs.   Wood will absorb or give up to, or gain moisture from ambient air, changing the weight. 




Aside from the fact I can choose the jobs I want to take or not take, am I off-base or being unreasonable?

[beenthere]

Not being unreasonable IMO.

But likely the requester is lacking info about what exactly he needs or can use for a "50 lb log" to use in a team race.

If the weight is critical for fairness between teams, then it could be weighed before each event and some weight added or subtracted (drilling or filling holes) to accommodate.

I'm thinking someone is more an engineer-type and over calculating his "needs".   ;D

Not knowing about the real application of this "log" in the event, you did good with your response as I see it.  ;)

[red oaks lumber]

you did fine
my response would have been 50 lbs is 50 lbs green or dry, thanks for the inquiry

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Consider a dry round piece of wood, such as oak.  It would weigh about 45 pounds per cubic foot.  So you need a log that is about 1-1/4 cubic feet.  You can chose the diameter and length.  This is a dry size..due to shrinkage, a wet log will be larger (about 10%) in diameter.

At 50 pounds and "air dried" the wood will be around 12% MC.  Now, freshly cut oak log will be around 80% MC and weigh 81 pounds. 

[jueston]

i have no idea what his end goal is, but it seems to me, you just kiln dry a log which is several hundred lbs, after its dry, you put it on the scale and start trimming it down with the chain saw, when you hit 50lbs you ask for you payment.



it would take a while to kiln dry a log though...

[Magicman]

My thoughts are that this would be an "event" log.  He would probably want it debarked, smooth, and sealed so that it could be used multiple times and for years.

[jtmccallum]

Maybe he could start out with a veneer peeler core and then trim weight as it air dries.  Don't know what he needs for length.