Mixing 8/4 and 4/4 in a stack

[grweldon]

As I cut my first 8/4 planks last night, I realized just how heavy they can be.  Since I've had problems getting enough weight on top of my drying stack, I was thinking I could help myself out by stickering maybe 3 layers of 4/4 boards and then a layer of 8/4 to help keep the thinner, warp-prone boards a bit straighter during drying.  Is this a viable method or am I creating more problems for myself.  The stack isn't completed yet so I'll be restacking a few times until it's tall enough.  I can change the layout if required...

[Kansas]

The first question is, are you doing softwood or hardwood? Can't help you much on softwood. If its hardwood, understand they will dry at far different rates. If you are planning on air drying for a long time, then it would work. If you plan on popping it right in the kiln, probably won't. That is, the thicker lumber takes at least 2 1/2 times as long to dry the 1 inch, or at least that is the general rule of thumb. We generally never kiln dry any lumber anyway until it has air dried for awhile. That especially goes for thick stuff. But we are using dehumidification units. Steam or other methods might be different.

[grweldon]

I am sorry, I should have stated.  I'm air drying hardwood... pecan that is.  I will finish off in a solar kiln, but it's not built yet and may not be for some time, maybe next winter/spring.  I certainly understand that they will dry at different rates and I think this will be to my benefit as the thicker slabs will stay heavy for a longer length of time.

[Kansas]

I think you will be fine to do that then. I would suggest tossing some other weight on top of the pile, junk iron, or something, to weight down the thicker boards because they can warp as well. Just keep it all out of the sun. The ones who are more organized on here, at least more than my mill is, will use ratchet straps and keep them tightened and check on them periodically and cinch them down again. Just use a lot of stickers and keep them straight and lined up with each other.

[grweldon]

I think I'll have to get organized and use the strap method.  I don't saw much at one time so my stack starts small and I have to pile as much weight on it as I can.  When I add boards to the stack, I have to take everything on top off, stack more wood, then add it all back again.  I think strapping and unstrapping would be better and much easier...

[WDH]

gr,

I cut and stack a lot of hardwood.  Think about putting the thick slabs on the bottom of the stack.  I don't always do this, but here are two reasons:'

1).  The 8/4 lumber is worth more than the 4/4 lumber, so putting it on the bottom means that it gets the most weight. 

2).  It dries slower than the 4/4, so when the 4/4 is dry, you can remove it and leave the 8/4 in the stack to dry some more without having to move it.

Also, the last pecan that I stacked, I put the stickers at a little less than 2 feet apart.  There was some "wave" in many of the boards.  I wish that I had put the stickers closer together.

[Kansas]

We have always figured 16 inches on 1 inch lumber for the distance of the stickers apart. I dunno how and why we started it that way, just always have. Make sure the ends are stickered, keep them straight up, and we seem to get along okay. But then I don't do much pecan, so maybe it takes extra care.

[hackberry jake]

Lumber piles are like kids. One day its a little guy, and the next day you have four grown men. But I don't have kids, just more lumber than I'll probably ever use.

[WDH]

 :D.

True words  ;D.