Air drying hardwood indoors.

I don’t think I am any smarter than others or have any particular insight – but this is what I am doing in a similar situation.

I have several walnut planks that I acquired about 2 years ago. (I actually helped cut down the tree and we had a portable mill come to the site.) They are 3” thick, 12- 14” wide and about 6’ long. We have a 2 story screen room on the back of our house and I use the lower level for some wood storage. I have stacked these planks in the lower level with spacers between each plank. They are not rained on and they get no direct sunlight. They get reasonably good air flow.

Some 1” thick stock from the same tree has already dried enough to be used. I’m expecting this 3” stock to be ready between 3-4 years after cutting (1 to 2 years to go}.

In theory, I could use a moisture meter to check moisture content, but I don’t think they will be very reliable on stock this thick. They won’t tell me the moisture content in the center of the wood. I’ll rely on my own intuition and, if I err, I hope to err on the conservative side. The “rule of thumb” I have heard is 1 year plus 1 year for each inch. However, this wood was harvested in the winter when the moisture content should have been seasonably low.

-- Rich, Cedar Rapids, IA - I'm a woodworker. I don't create beauty, I reveal it.

I’ve been put in touch with a man several miles away with some walnut for sale. He also will cut my wood and dry it for me for about the same price as this other outfit. I’m meeting with him Sunday morning. I just don’t think I have enough room to dry my own wood, plus if I rip a good size oak, I don’t think I really need to dry it, if it’s hefty enough it should be just fine for outdoor benches.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

If you try to dry the oak inside or put it in the attic, you will ruin it. It will split, check, and honeycomb. Oak has to dry slowly, and thick oak has to dry very slowly. Best to leave it outside undercover to keep the rain off in a place where there is natural air flow like an open shed.

Since you are making benches, I believe that you have some flexibility since you do not have to dry the wood to 8% moisture. It will take a long time to dry the 3” thick pieces.

-- Wood-Mizer LT15

WDHLT15. I have found a guy that will sell me some he has dried himself. You can’t get 8% without kiln drying at some point, you can only air dry to ambient humidity levels, which this summer would be high. Winter would be better. I plan to just use green wood for the benches anyway, they will be so thick I don’t think they would warp that much anyway. Checking is considered part of the art of the style I plan to make so no issue there.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.

Hi Russell,
I have been milling and drying lumber for a decade or two. It is so much more complicated than I want to admit. I have 4 kilns and I also dried lumber in my home log ago. Since I don’t want the risk of bringing insects or fungus into my home I no longer take the risk of drying lumber in anything but a kiln. I have to finish the lumber by cooking it at 130 degrees for 24 hours to be sure it is safe. As for the stabalizing of wood, woodweb is a good site for solar kiln designs and moisture drying rates.
Rich

-- "Big Timber is our Legacy" , http://eberlywoods.com

reberly, I’m afraid building a kiln would not be possible in my neighborhood. Air drying was my only option, but thankfully I found a man several miles away who does mill and dry and his price is about 3.15 a board foot for walnut. He has cedar as well. I’ll meet with him tomorrow and see what he’s got.

-- Failure does not stop me, it makes me try harder..... because I'm crazy.