# How many years am I looking at to dry?



## yellowtruck75 (Jan 1, 2010)

First time ever buying anything on Craigslist I just bought 350 bf of Walnut for $2/bf. All pieces are 8' long with numerous 1" pieces, 7 2" thick pieces and one 4" thick pieces. All the 2" and 4" still have the bark on them. They were cut a month ago so how many years am I looking at until I can use it?


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## Gonecrazy (Jun 23, 2011)

The standard rule of thumb is 1yr per inch of thicknes when stickered and covered properly …....


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## blackcherry (Dec 7, 2007)

rule of thumb 1 year for each inch, Gonecrazy beat me to it


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## robdem (Apr 7, 2011)

Basically one year per inch of thickness of wood if letting air dry.But you have to make sure you sticker it so you get air movement between each layer of wood


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

First thing is to get the bark off. Yep! Thumb rule is 1 year per inch unless you can put it in a warmer environment. Get a moisture meter. 6/8 % is a great starting point. Be aware that there are some internal issues with any wood. Tension, grain, etc. Some woods will require additional conditioning after rough cutting/planing. I usually let my workpieces acclimate in the shop for a couple of days after roughing.
Bill


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

*yellowtruck75:*

*
unless you can put it in a warmer environment.

*

I can help solve your problem!

I'm in HOT SUNNY Southern California… it would probably dry here much faster than there in PA!

You could ship me some of it… I would pay for the freight…
... I would get it Air Dried…
... When you are ready to make something, I could rough cut the boards into your Part boards, from which you would do the final cutting, etc….
... I would ship them back to you (probably UPS or Fedex) . you pay the freight on a small amount (not much waste)...
I get to keep an equal amount that was used for your parts!

How does that sound?!

Man! You sure got a super deal!

The last time I bought Walnut, a few months ago, I paid close to $9/bft 8/4


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## sandhill (Aug 28, 2007)

It will have to be steamed to get that store bought look you get at the mills. Am I right fellers?


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Shouldn't one seal the end grain with wax or paint?

Nice score on the walnut.


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

I understand that Air Dried is desired by the "purist" that works with Walnut…


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## pmayer (Jan 3, 2010)

The one year per inch is a generalization, and I think a worse case scenario, but it depends on the humidity in your area and where you store it. I dry most of my lumber in my attic which is dry and warm in the summer, but it is shaded so it is not wicked hot up there. I find that walnut dries fairly quickly relative to other species. Last year I put some fresh cut 4/4 and 8/4 walnut in my attic in March and the 4/4 was down to 9% by the end of July, which is about as low as it goes in MN. The 8/4 was at 9% by October. As waho said, be sure to seal the ends of you will lose a lot of lumber to checking. If you seal it right away your loss will be greatly minimized.

Here are a few more ideas on stacking, storing, etc.: http://www.wwgoa.com/articles/one-great-tip/should-i-buy-my-lumber-green-/


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## yellowtruck75 (Jan 1, 2010)

What should I use to seal the ends?


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## Timbo (Aug 21, 2008)

Nice score..
As Waho6o9 said, seal the ends with melted wax or paint as an alternative.

How is the sapwood? pics please?

Is there enough 2" for another rocker?


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## pmayer (Jan 3, 2010)

For sealing the ends, you can use any latex paint, or a special wax emulsion that is formulated for this purpose. I have used both and they work equally well. The only advantage of the wax that I am aware of is that it won't hurt your planer blades.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

I see the 1" per year rule-of-thumb quoted often on wood working forums. For me here in Georgia, it is a poor rule of thumb. Properly stickered walnut here under an open shed will air dry down to 12 % in less than 180 days. The 8/4 will take closer to a year, definitely not 2 years. I check my wood stacks with a moisture meter so that I am not guessing. If you do leave the 4/4 for a year, you will definitely be safe.

I have found latex paint to be a poor end sealer. Anchorseal is the very best stuff to use bar none.


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## Gonecrazy (Jun 23, 2011)

The 1 inch per yr is just a general rule of thumb as always diferent conditions will always change the dry time …


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

Like everyone else is saying, about 1 year per inch thickness. If you live in a humid area, you can forget about getting it down to furniture dryness by just letting it air dry in the open. It will stabilize to around 15-22%.

Keep a cover over it and make sure it has proper ventilation. Get it at least 1 foot off the ground. Don't put something like a tarp directly on it. Just get a roof over it. After 6-8 months, get it inside and let it finish drying in your home.

The ones at 4" may take a while longer. I've figured out that 1" dries fast (less than a year usually). 2" usually takes about 2 years (pretty much at the 1" a year mark). Anything beyond that and the times start extending beyond 1" a year. I live in Mississippi though and it's definitely humid (and hot) here.

I wish I could dry stuff in my attic or crawlspace; but I have over 60,000 lbs of wood waiting to dry.


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## Tomj (Nov 18, 2011)

Yes 1 year per inch of thickness unless you put some of it in a hot box. Mine is a big 7 1/2-8ft by 2ft wide by 2ft high box with 4 ceramic light fixtures for 100 watt bulbs. I have the fixtures wired parallel to a thermostat and dimmer and keep temps around 90-100 degrees. If wood is first cut it's best to let it sit awhile (a couple weeks) before putting in hot box. Also 100 watt bulbs I believe are not sold anymore but anything under or over that will work. My dimmer is kept really low to stay at 90-100 degrees. For heat gluing I keep it at 160 degrees. It can go higher but it's unnecessary. Otherwise just be patient (I don't have enough room to do this with all of the wood I bring home) Another thing if you know what you want to build with it you could get it close to dimensions ( this is done with bows, I haven't tried this with anything else) if this would decrease thickness in order to help it dry faster. Good luck.


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## Tomj (Nov 18, 2011)

I forgot to say the box is outline with foil backed foam to keep in heat and I also monitor the humidity keeping it at 50%.


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## yellowtruck75 (Jan 1, 2010)

I am going to Rockler today and get some sealer. There is at least 4 truck loads of walnut to haul

Tim there is enough 2" to do at least 2 rockers and part of a third.



















1" is in the background


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## SteviePete (May 10, 2009)

Keep it out of sun and rain. Seal the ends and all knots with Anchorseal. Two coats. Check it with a Lignomat D - wide range and I find it accurate with the long pegs and tested in the middle of the board-no end or edge. When it stops going down cut one board and check with meter-Check the USDA Forest Products Laboratory information site once it is kiln dried it will move with the RH of the air-The best I will get here is about 9% but in my climate it can be up to 14%. I have some walnut beams 13"x11" to 4"x 8" that were once kiln-dried, stack piled outside with no stickers for 7+ years. All the sapwood rotted off (slimy and stinky) Wirebrushed off sapwood. Stacked on 1" stickers on the heated concrete floor of garage for about 14 months--tested at 9% as did most other local wood kept in the garage. You can also do a microwave test-Cut a piece of known volume, weigh it on Juniors dope scale, microwave under thaw cycle 1/2 minute at a time until the entire outside is warm to the touch. Check weight warm and cool. Reweigh and 'Voila" you know MC, can estimate time it will take from a kiln drying table or in some of the information on building a solar kiln. I just air dry in my 46-54 deg garage. Softwoods, and lighter hardwoods are ok after one winter. Hard stuff-maple, hickory, elm, fruit woods and carving woods a little longer. Most everyone else (hobbyists) use a solar kiln and swear by their design. Ideas above look good. We heat with shop scraps, bark and dust. always have a small fan running in the wood room. Go forth and humidify!! s


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

[Danny, I think that you and I are fighting a losing battle in trying to educate woodworkers about true and accurate air drying rates…]

Yellowtruck, if you leave it stacked where it is most likely it will require 1 year per inch, if not more.

However, if you relocate your stacks to a location where they will have side access to a gentle breeze (or a fan blowing around 350FPS of air across them), in reality they will dry much quicker than 1 year per inch.

Knowledgeable drying professionals have been trying to kill the inaccurate "one year per inch rule of thumb" for many years; unfortunately with little success.

In reality, drying rates are determined by several factors, including species, thickness, temperature, RH%, air flow, and initial MC%. Here in NC in the summer time properly placed and stacked 4/4 BW will air dry to 14% or so in 150 - 170 days. 4/4 southern yellow pine will air dry to 14% in around 60 - 80 days in the summer, 4/4 white oak will take 180 - 240 days, etc.

Stacks should not be placed against a wall or other barrier; at a minimum you should maintain the same amount of space as the sum total thickness of your stickers. In other words, if you have 30 layers of 1" thick stickers, your stack should be at least 30" away from a wall on the back side.

I would suggest that you resticker your stacks, placing your stickers between 12" - 20" apart for maximum quality. The ends of the boards and planks should not be unsupported between the layers either. Also, you should have supports below the stack below each sticker.

Unless you want to risk infecting your other lumber with powderpost beetles or other pests, it's a good idea not to mix air drying lumber with kiln dried stock.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Scott,

I had a snake in one of my air drying stacks today. It's head was sticking out about 4" as it was between two layers of red oak in the sticker stack. It was about 80 degrees here today, and a little humid, so I guess the cooling effect of water evaporating from the wood attracted the snake.

Rule of Thumb: If you have snakes in the stack, it will take longer because you will be afraid to unstack the stack!!!


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

Danny, you might be sitting on a gold mine…. maybe you could market your "snakewood" to some local law firms…


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

Scott, I don't know about the other guys, but when I say 1 year per inch it's a general average. There are any number of factors that contribute to how fast the wood will air dry. I don't think anyone here is saying "it's definitely 1 year per inch and that's the bottom line no matter what."

It's a rule of thumb. That's all. If you want to be specific, we need a lot more information about where you live, the type of wood, how you're storing it, the temps, etc., etc., etc.

The rest of your advice was great btw.

Danny, I have that same fear of snakes (and spiders) being in my wood stacks. I am not afraid of either, but I definitely don't want to be bitten while moving around or rearranging the stacks.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Doss,

Snakes love wood piles I have found. Here in Georgia, there could be some serious snakes in your wood piles.

Scott,

I love your "Snake Wood for the Law Profession" marketing idea!!


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Yes what they said )


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## yellowtruck75 (Jan 1, 2010)

I haven't read all the posts yet so hopefully these questions weren't answered yet.

I am thinking of building a solar kiln behind my garage for the 2" & 4" thick pieces but the back of my garage faces north, will this be alright if it doesn't have direct sun shine all day?

I understand I need to take the bark off to aid in drying but how do I get the bark off with out ruining the natural edge?


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

Wait, you started the thread and didn't even bother to read all the responses to it? C'mon!

Moving on, in my experience, the bark usually gets loose after the wood dries for a while. Some species though, it's not that easy. I'd let it dry for a month or so naturally and see if it's easier to take it off.

How wide are these 2-4" thick pieces and how were they cut (flat, quarter, or rift)? How hot is the back of the garage (especially the exterior wall)?

If you dry thick pieces too quickly, you're probably going to end up with all sorts of issues with checking, warping, cupping, bowing, and even cracks straight through the piece no matter how well you sticker and stack them.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

I have dried wood with the bark on without any issues. If your shed is on the north side of the garage, it would not be ideal for a solar kiln. Have you considered a dehumidification kiln?
I use a home dehumidificationj kiln to finish drying hardwoods after they have reached 15-17% m.c. in an air drying rack. It usually takes only two weeks at 100 degrees to achieve 6-8% m.c.


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## yellowtruck75 (Jan 1, 2010)

The 2" & 4" are flat cut and are roughly 19" - 21" wide


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

After just over 2 weeks the bark just peeled off my applewood, came off clean with only a little prying. If it isn't coming off currently with just some scraping then just leave it till it does.


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

Its gonna take a while. Actually you could probably start right now and *have a baby *before those will be ready to use.


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## yellowtruck75 (Jan 1, 2010)

pintodeluxe
Its easy to find solar kiln plans but I can't seem to find specs on a dehumidification kiln.


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## yellowtruck75 (Jan 1, 2010)

Update

I just got a General brand moisture meter and the stack ranges from 14% - 16% moisture. I also rotated the ata k today and some pieces had mildew on them, should this concern me? I have stickers between each piece. I also have a fan running on the stack a few hours a day and found a local guy that will kiln dry all of it for me. Is $.50 a bf a good price for kiln services?


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Probably want to get the bark off the wood unless ya wanna do some natural edge stuff with the bark on.
Bill


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I lot depends on the climate where you live and how and where you stack. Outside under a tarp? Inside a dry shed? Inside a heated building? Properly stickered? All of these factors will have a huge influence on the drying rate.


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## yellowtruck75 (Jan 1, 2010)

What's the best way to remove the bark and preserve the natural edge?


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## Marc5 (Apr 1, 2009)

I am at 13% on 8/4 Oak that has been drying for 14 months drying under my deck. I am figuring I will be able to use in a month or so if desired. 4/4 Cherry was 12% in 11 months. I guess the year an inch is somewhat accurate.


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## ITnerd (Apr 14, 2011)

Google says Fine Woodworking - Fine Woodworking says drawknife and scraper. It will come off easier if it was dropped during the spring.

There is probably a better way (read angle grinder or lancelot type tool) to do a ton of it, but I will let the pros speak to that. If you want to keep some of that bark, you have more work to do. Nutshell - marine grade epoxy & some patience.

Enjoy your wood hoard,


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

I used a flat screwdriver, my fingers and occasionally a pair of channel locks. Just pried under the bark with the screwdriver and pulled it off with my fingers. The channel locks came in handy where branches went into the truck and the bark wasn't quite as easy.


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