# Need advise for drying 8/4 cherry.



## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I just bought a couple hundred board feet of 8/4 cherry. 
Eventually I plan to make a dining room table from this.
My question is I need specifics of air drying process.
1. I know it needs air flow and has to be stickered.
2. I plan to stack it with sticks on about 24" spacing.
3. It will be in my garage, in the dry, and not covered.
4. Do I need to seal the ends to prevent checking?
5. Do i need to do anything in particular to prevent bugs? What?
6. I am considering building a DH kiln. Is it okay to air dry a few months before putting in the kiln?

Any suggestions would be most appreciated.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Air drying will only take you to ambient humidity. Plan one year per inch. I'd find someone in the area who has a kiln and you should have the dried wood in about a month or so. 
If you leave them on the garage floor, be sure to keep the stack at least a foot off the floor.


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## RussellAP (Feb 21, 2012)

Yes you need to seal the ends. They will dry first and split, (check).


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

if you have a can of paint, just use it to seal the ends, and since your going to sticlk it, and it will be dry, it will be fine until you put it into the kiln, would like to see your stash of wood when you get some pictures to show, you know what they say, no pictures, it didnt happen,,,lol…...good luck


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## Bobmedic (Sep 24, 2010)

That will be a huge dining room table if it takes a couple hundred board feet of cherry to make. lol


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## killerb (Nov 1, 2011)

air flow, you need air flow. if the air is not moving over the lumber, you will get stain. bob


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. 
I will seal the ends.
I don't actually have the lumber yet, but will post pictures when I get it.
Just asked a local mill to cut it for me on Saturday.
He has a few 8' to 10' logs, 18" diameter.

Yes, the table I designed is 42" wide and 96" long, so that is a big table.
In fact, it's so big I will probably build something else smaller first to hone and verify my skils before I jump in over my head and waste a bunch of good lumber.

My only "table projects" so far have been my workbench and a lathe and grinding stand.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

You need air flow all around the stack. Definitely seal the ends. Paint is a very poor choice to end seal wood. Use anchorseal or Bailley's end sealer. Cherry is pretty forgiving to dry, and it will dry faster than 1" per year. With good air flow, that 8/4 cherry will take a bout a year to dry.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I went to the mill yesterday after work and that is some beautiful cherry wood he has. I can get the whole bundle for a good price and I am considering it. Especially if anyone else out there would like part of it. I potentially could have over 500 brd ft. Most of it is over 10ft long. about half of it is sawed 8/4 and half is 4/4. I'm located in south central Tennessee.


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## Domer (Mar 8, 2009)

I have some walnut slabs that are 3" thick. I found a high school with a solar kiln and we expect that the wood will be dry in about 3 months. Not as fast as a regular kiln but faster than air drying. But I am told that the wood will have a lot better color

I don't know if that makes a difference to cherry or not but it is an option.

Domer


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

You definitely don't want to dry it too fast. I usually air dry mine first and then look at other means of drying it. Kilns usually will kill any bugs in the wood.

If it's in your garage, airflow is going to be an important item to address. Stack it 1' off the ground with at least 1" stickers and do not stack it up against a wall. There should be at least 1' clearance, but I would suggest more. You can seal it with latex paint. If you want to go an extra step, there are products that work as anti-stain agents. I have no experience with those though.

A DH kiln may be a great addition and help reduce the costs of having so much wood dried. I usually decide whether or not to have a tool or capability based on how often I would use it. If this is all the wood you ever plan on drying or you're going to be doing it rarely, I'd say drop it off. If it becomes a regular occurrence, build a kiln.

I live in central MS (not too far from you I guess) and I just let it air dry most of the time. During the winter months it can get pretty dry and you can finish the ones you need off by taking them into your house for a few weeks/months.

Just remember you're probably going to have to work the wood when it's done drying, so don't let them mill it too close to the final dimensions you wish to have.


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## Milo (Apr 24, 2009)

I think you should just give up and give me a ring. I'll come and get rid of that pesky wood for you… 

Here's a project for a solar kiln I favorited a while back. Maybe this will help(?)

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/63805

Milo


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