# wood porn - milling trees from your own property revisited



## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

just joined - and read another post on this subject and it was the reason i looked into this site in the first place. i have made a few slab tables in the past, but it was 30 years ago and i got lucky on some really nice mesquite. infact i recently reclaimed them and made a really nice coffee, end, and entry table set. 12/4 thick, no cracks, really nice.

so now i have just milled two pecan trees i had to take down. they are not huge, but my slabs vary from roughly 24 to 30 inches at some of the forks, most milled at 8/4 but the center pieces are 16/4, and about 7' to 8' long. for some reason the sawyer did it that way, i left it up to him. so the 16/4 pieces will likely be made into bars, the others into coffee tables, single or maybe one bookend, and i may try a bookend bench, seat and back being the bookends.

so here they are. the pavement is uneven, so i laid the first piece down (16/4) and used shims to level it up, hen stacked one tree as seen, the picture is taken after i placed the 2nd 16/4, then after the pic i placed the rest of that tree's 8/4 pieces. i covered all with a tarp leaving the front and ends somewhat open to allow airflow. oh yeah - i am in Houston, TX.

so my questions:

shouldnt have any warpage, right? a couple of small "scabs" 2 feet or so have warped, but they were really just scrap. the 8/4 slabs weigh about 150 lbs, pretty much all i could handle alone. the 16/4 were of course more than double that since they are from the wider part of the tree. it was tough with two of us.

my sawyer said to stack this way, and just have "something" on the top but let the sides be open, yet i read another place to keep rain off the wood. his method allows rain and sun to hit the open side of the slabs at an angle. opinions/comments? will there be uneven coloration? but if so wouldnt it plane/sand out?

he also said that cracking just happens, and he doesnt worry because it is rustic slab furniture anyway. i am definitely getting cracks after 4 weeks. he said NOT to wax/seal the ends because the humidity is too high here and the wood will mold.

do i have to unstack the wood at some point and move the spacers or can it stay just like this until dry?

how long till it is workable? he said i could start on it around December which would be 8 mos, remember this is houston, we are in high 80's now and will have mid 90's to 100+ for june - aug.

lastly, how much weight loss can i expect?

thanks in advance to any who can provide input

-charlie


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## Bertha (Jan 10, 2011)

Porn! Omg u lucky devil.


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## Allanwoodworks (Aug 15, 2010)

yellabret,

First of all Welcome to lumberjocks! This is a great site. I'll answere your questions to the best of my ability in turn.

1. I would add some weight to the top, .i.e. four cinder blocks or so, only for the reason that the 16/4 could warp and may transfer some twist on the board below that, other than that yes the weight will hold the boards relatively straight.

2. It is stickered perfectly. If it is exposed to the weather you can put a piece of metal roofing over it and surround it loosely with landscape fabric and that will allow the wind to blow through it but keep the rain out.

3. I seal the ends of my logs to stop cracking with Anchorseal II, but I am in the Northwest so I don't know how that works with the humidity in your area. I would probably trust you sawyer or look online for some information. I know people that do not seal there ends because they're going to trim off the last 6" or so anyway.

4. I do not move my stickers. I have heard that they can stain but I have never come across the problem yet.

5. I would look for a cheap moisture meter online, you can find them on eBay for $20 or so, but remember you get what you pay for. If you can get a nice one its worth it. When I stack my load in to my solar kiln, in the middle of the stack I drive two galv. nails half way in the middle slab that work as probes. I attached wires to the nails and run it out of the kiln. This gives me the ability to take a reading by touching the probes to the wires and I can see what the moisture in the worst position in the stack. So it's up to you but you can just check the reading where you can reach.

6. It would depend on if this is a fresh cut log or has the log been sitting for awhile before it got milled.

Hope this information can help you, If you need to know anything more send me a message.

Ty


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

thanks! it was a totally fresh cut tree, sat for maybe 2 weeks before milling so it was still dripping wet…..


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## Allanwoodworks (Aug 15, 2010)

Here is a good link I found on Woodweb's site Hope it helps.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

I can't believe that if you slap some paint only on the end that the wood will mold. Only sealing the end means that the water is escaping at the exact same rate as everywhere else in the log, probably still a touch faster since most sealants aren't truly water tight. If it won't mold elsewhere the sealant won't cause the problem either, just don't apply it to the surfaces as well, only the ends. I'd also still toss a set of stickers over the top board, a couple of cross boards and cinder blocks on top of that. The cross boards just hold the blocks and give them support, the stickers are necessary to keep the cross boards off your slab.


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

Charlie, welcome to Lumberjocks. I am a miller and a kiln operator, with a commensurate amount of subject matter expertise in this area.

For starters, it is apparent that your miller does not know very much about drying wood, especially thick slabs. I'm going to paste your original post below and add my comments.

Scott

Q: so here they are. the pavement is uneven, so I laid the first piece down (16/4) and used shims to level it up, then stacked one tree as seen, the picture is taken after I placed the 2nd 16/4, then after the pic I placed the rest of that tree's 8/4 pieces. I covered all with a tarp leaving the front and ends somewhat open to allow airflow. Oh yeah - I am in Houston, TX.

A: FIRST OFF - remove the tarp ASAP. This will trap moisture and you WILL get mold - especially in Houston. It is much better to place some roofing tin, old plywood or other solid material over the top of the stack, but leave the sides of the stack exposed to the air flow. If you are stacked in an area with a lot of wind/breeze, then consider putting some screen mesh on the sides to restrict (but not prevent) the flow of air through your stack.

Q: Shouldn't have any warpage, right?

A: WRONG. It is the natural tendency of wood to shrink as it dries, and the relationship of the wood cells dictate the direction of shrinkage. Wood movement is measured radially and tangentially, basically the wood will shrink in a way to try to straighten out the growth rings. If you want to minimize cupping of flat sawn lumber, place about 150 PSF on top of the stack (stickered between the weight and the top of the stack).

Q: My sawyer said to stack this way, and just have "something" on the top but let the sides be open, yet I read another place to keep rain off the wood. His method allows rain and sun to hit the open side of the slabs at an angle. Opinions/comments? Will there be uneven coloration? But if so wouldn't it plane/sand out?

A: You get a lot of rain in Houston, so it is best to COVER the top of the stack, overhanging about 12" - 18" all of the way around if you can. Also, it's best if your stack is at least 8" - 10" above ground so as to minimize moisture absorption from underneath.

Q: He also said that cracking just happens, and he doesn't worry because it is rustic slab furniture anyway. I am definitely getting cracks after 4 weeks. He said NOT to wax/seal the ends because the humidity is too high here and the wood will mold.

A: This is total BS. Cracking (checking) results when wood is dried too quickly. It doesn't "just happen". If you are already getting surface checks, the wood is drying too quickly. The ends of the logs / boards / slabs should ALWAYS be sealed with a high quality end sealer such as Anchorseal Classic or Baileys End sealer. Because the wood cells are open on the ends, they lose moisture much more quickly through the ends, which causes the ends of the slabs/boards/planks to shrink and crack. Applying a high quality end sealer early in the process will help to prevent the end checks from starting. A check in the end of wood is like a crack in glass… once it starts it tends to keep on growing. It is best to prevent it from starting in the first place. Plus, it is best to dry wood by withdrawing the moisture from the face of the boards/slabs, not the ends or the sides.

Q: Do I have to unstack the wood at some point and move the spacers or can it stay just like this until dry?

A: Unless there is a drying problem, you can leave the "spacers" (called "stickers in the industry") in place. Hopefully you used dry wood for the stickers; otherwise you will get a stain where they lay against the slabs.

Q: How long till it is workable? he said I could start on it around December which would be 8 mos, remember this is Houston, we are in high 80's now and will have mid 90's to 100+ for June - August.

A: WRONG again. Sure, you can dry it that fast, but you will severely degrade the wood in the process. Each species has a maximum safe daily drying rate based upon the type of wood, its thickness, and initial moisture content. Pecan is in the same family as hickory. 4/4 hickory has a maximum safe daily drying rate of 6%; 8/4 is around 2.4%. 16/4 is around 3/10% of one percent per day. Green, your lumber (slabs) will start off at around 64% MC%.

If you had 4/4 boards, chances are that they would be below 16% by December. Your 8/4 *might* be below 20% by then, but there is no way that the 16/4 will air dry in less than two to three years. Typically for woodworking you want the wood to be less than 10%MC, with 6% - 8% preferred. You will not dry it down this low outside; you will either need to have it finished off inside a kiln or bring it into a humidity controlled environment to finish off.

Q: lastly, how much weight loss can I expect?

A: Green pecan weighs around 5.45 lbs per board foot. Dry, it weighs about 3.3 lbs.

Thanks in advance to any who can provide input.

IN closing, I would RUN from any drying advice from your miller. There is a fellow outside of Austin named Brandon Berdoll that specializes in slabs, especially pecan and mesquite. He has a kiln, and may be able to assist you with your drying needs. Best of success to you. Scott


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

wow scott - tons of quality info there. i am afraid i am too late to seal the ends in the 16/4 because it does have a split, but many of the 8/4 are still ok so i may be good there. the guy that did the milling does have a pretty nice resume and i have seen much of his work, it is quality and he gets write ups in the media for his work in $$$$$$$$ homes around here so i have to balance this out a bit. afraid it may be too late to hit up Brandon with this batch, but i am starting to get more in to this as i near retirement years, thinking of building a kiln myself even. remember,ber this is rustic slab work, cracks arent as deadly as in finished stuff, but i still want them to a minimum of course…...

thanks again. i'll be around.


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## HalDougherty (Jul 15, 2009)

Listen to Scott, he knows what he's talking about for sure. The guy who sawed your lumber might get a lot of press, but what does the press know about sawing and drying wood…


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Scott,

Excellent summary!

Yellabret,

Pecan will gray stain (an enzymatic oxidation reaction) if there is not enough air flow and the humidity is very high, which it is in Houston. Good air flow is paramount with pecan to prevent the gray stain. Another thing to watch out for is that powderpost beetles LOVE pecan. They do not infest the wood until it is dry, but even so, don't let them get started! They will ruin your wood, and I am sure that Houston is prime powderpost beetle stomping ground. I spray my pecan with a borate salt at one pound of borate to one gallon of water. Timbor and Solubor are two brands that will work.


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

ok lt15 - just spray the wood directly and let it dry?


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

Yes. Spray it until it is dripping wet, especially the bark. You will have to spray all four side of each board.


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

i think ty in mountanview wood works has covered it all, and sounds like sounds advice to me, i would for sure seal the ends, ive dealt with wood like this for many years and sealing the ends pays off for sure i believe, ive also have some pecan in my wood stores and it is a beautiful wood , but it sure is hard and my planner blades take a beating when i put them through, you have a nice sized stack of wood to look forward to in working, it will be some time before you will want to use it, rule of thumb is 1 year per inch of thickness….enjoy and welcome to the best wood working site in the world…..IMHO….....grizzman…oh and i also agree with scott, he has his info down right on this, so for what it is worth, your getting the best info you can on this…good luck


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

thanks all, and thaqt isnt even all the wood, still hadnt stacked about 5 8/4 pieces and about to mill some smaller 4-6' 1-" dia pieces for legs, shelves etc. also milling some cypress, 6' and 8' long, 20-24" dia

question on the anchor seal, on slabs i imagine i'd just cut it off, but if i use it on a slice of a log, how deep does it penetrate? in other words can i sand down past it with a belt sander or do i have to cut it again? that wont be easy, neither will sanding


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

Charile, Anchorseal Classic is a wax based compound. Typically it only penetrates 1/16" to 1/8" or so into the wood, thus you have usable lumber all of the way to the end of the board (or within 1/8"). I prefer it to roofing tar, latex paint, or any of the other "home remedies" because it evaporates in the kiln drying process, and it does not damage my post-processing equipment. Latex paint dulls planer blades, and you can only imagine the mess that tar would leave behind.

It is easiest to apply end sealer to the end of a log before milling (always start with a fresh cut - chainsaw off a couple of inches of log if you need to before applying), or if you apply it post-milling end trim the log as needed to get to an unchecked surface for application.

The best way that I know to surface large, dry slabs is with a router sled and a large bowl bit.

Good luck with your project.


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## smokey1945 (Feb 20, 2009)

Scott, North Carolina, www.quartersawnoak.com

Scott thank you for the answers to charlie! Believe me when I say that guys like me need all the answers they can get from guys like you! Thank you,
Smokey


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

Hal, Grizzman and Danny - thanks for the kind words.

Charlie: A little more on this topic… The link that Ty posted to Woodweb about drying pecan is a good one. One trick that I have not seen mentioned yet is the use of ratchet straps on your stacks, in lieu of the 150 PSF weight (which Dr. Wengert also recommends in the Woodweb article). Since you need to unstack the wood in order to apply the borate solution recommended by Danny (which I highly endorse), when you restack the wood you can increase the distance from the ground and also use the ratchet straps.

As a side note, what was not mentioned in the article was the reason why boards cut from orchard wood tend to cup more than boards cut from forest trees. The amount of cup is related to the percentage of "early wood versus late wood" in the growth rings. Orchard trees are typically grown very fast, and they have wider growth rings (which are comprised of early wood cells). Early wood cells tend to shrink more during the drying process as opposed to late wood, and as a result greater cupping potential is a byproduct of flat sawing the orchard tree.

To use the ratchet straps, make some cauls or other spacers from thick, dry stock (such as cutting up pieces of dry, oak 4" x 4" dunnage /cribbing. Cut the spacers so that the ends of them align with the outer edges of the stack, and cut enough so that they are above every sticker (usually 12" - 16" sticker spacing is best). Place them both above and below your stack, so that the ratchet straps will encircle them along with the wood (think of how items such as metal roofing sheets are banded together where wood strips are used above and below the metal to prevent the banding from damaging the tin).

Use strong ratchet straps (such as 2" wide ones) that will encircle your stacks, and tighten them up as much as possible. Then, every week, give each strap a click or to in order to take up the slack as the wood dries. This will probably be easier for you to manage as opposed to coming up with 150 lbs per square foot to stack on top.


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

Smokey, thanks for your kind words.

It seems like when it comes to drying lumber, there is much more misinformation than accurate information being shared by woodworkers who mean well but don't know any better. I try to correct it when I can.

Also, millers tend to fall into two categories - those who mill for yield, and those who mill for grade. Most of them fall into the former category, but woodworkers really need to seek out those who fall into the latter.

Grade millers will probably charge a little bit more than yield millers, but their end products are usually higher quality and much better suited for woodworking.

Unless they produce lumber for kiln drying (or operate their own kilns), it has been my experience that about 85% of millers do not have a solid understanding of the wood drying process. Drying lumber - especially thick slabs - is not something that you can learn in depth from an hour or so reading on the internet - there are a lot of different dimensions to successfully drying wood.

Regards,

Scott


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

I just got through air drying 1500 BF of pecan. My stickers were on about 20" centers, but I wish now that I had spaced them closer. Many of the boards have what i can best describe as a "kink" in them where they are flat for several feet, then the board "kinks" or ripples abruptly like a small wave. The board in the middle and on the right have some of these kinks and waves. These boards were in the middle of the stack, so there were at least 10 to 12 layers on top of these. Pecan just does not like to behave.


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

thanks all again - the ratchet straps is a great idea since the stack is pretty high and the staps wont take away from stability. looks like i learned a lot here, a bit too late to totally save this wood but it will still make some nice stuff, and the future batches will fare better. looking into doing this as a side job as i slowly retire.

i was lucky on the mesquite - i milled it fresh with a chain saw mill, leveled with a belt sander, then made a table after 3 months that has been on my back porch for 25 yrs, and put another piece (all 12/4, 7' long, 14-20" wide") in the attic for 24 yrs. both have no checks and are flat as an ice rink. will be taking a pic of the set this weekend and will post soon.


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## grizzman (May 10, 2009)

oh naughty naughty naughty pecan…...well thats it, im never inviting it to the party again…...lol..well i did my stickers much closer and i got some really nice flat boards, so im glad i didnt space them out further, sorry you got the kink in there…nice wide , long boards too…well the ole saying…live and learn, and when that happens there is always the ouch, which i had several large ouches this year, i had some beautiful 8/4 southern heart pine that i thought was "safe".....nope, termites got into it and went to town…..i lost some large beautiful wood…that was my live and learn this year…


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

sorry to hear that grizz - but good you use close stickers. my son is coming in to town this weekend so i may have him help me restack and reassess my sticker placement. for the record, i have stored quite a bit of oak and pecan firewood logs for months and months at a time with no beetle problems, so hopefully i am at lower risk but will definitely spray anyway.

by the way, is your name reflective of owning Grizzly equipment? or do you like bears? i have a bit of a bear hangup myself, my biggest thrill is solo encounters in the wild. hope to own a grizzly table saw someday soon….


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

These boards are a little over 12" wide. I have four or five that are 20" wide, and two short boards that are 26" wide. Anybody need any pecan let me know!! Some of it is for sale.


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## Jeff_harden (May 15, 2012)

This is how we surface our slabs after drying.


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

ok so this past weekend i had my son in town so we unstacked the wood, sprayed it down with Tim-bor, the restacked in the same order but flipped each board over because i was seeing some warping and cupping, after just 4 weeks. yes, pecan is very very naughty. then i put 6 ratchet binding straps and have those suckers so tight you can pluck them like guitar strings.

kinda sad there is some warpage, but i'll just make lemonade. for instance, a slightly cupped piece could make a very comfortable seat for a bench, i can use my "holy gallagher" to shape out some butt cheek contours and be good to go. a bench wouldnt have to have such a perfectly flat surface as a table. a couple of small "scabs" - the initial outside edge slices, warped a whole lot, like 30 degrees or more, but no problem. clean them up real nice and flatten out a small area and you have a artistic shelf to display a single piece of art like a small sculpture, or, as a geologist, i can see a really nice crystal mineral specimen on one.

learned a lot here - thanks! so since pecan is so naughty, i am assuming as i collect some cypress and oak i wont have near the same problem?


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## BentheViking (May 19, 2011)

ive always told my wife that this is my dream. she isn't as excited about it as i am.


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

Charlie, it is the natural tendency of flatsawn lumber to cup as it dries; irrespective of the species. This is why flat, wide boards are rarely available.

Some species are more forgiving than other though (such as cypress); however even if the board stays flat you may end up with some splits down the center in 50% of your wide boards.

It you want it to dry flat, either have your lumber milled as quartersawn, weight the stack or use the ratchet straps. A slower drying rate will also help minimize the checking.

You've done the right thing with your stacks; now you just need to do the "weekly maintenance" and get an extra click on the straps each week as the lumber dries and shrinks. You'll probably find that it won't shrink as much above 35% MC as it does below 25% MC.


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

Yep, quartersawing takes some of the problems away. I usually get pretty good slabs from the center 1/3 of the logs I cut. The top and bottom 1/3's I quarter saw.

Keeping a lot of weight on the stacks (or strapping them down) and the stickers a little closer helps a lot.

As Scott was saying, just make sure you're not drying them too fast and pay attention to how the boards are cut.


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## WDHLT15 (Aug 15, 2011)

After the pecan, you will love the cypress and the oak!!

There is a reason that the Industry uses walnut, cherry, oak, and yellow poplar for higher end furniture and not sweetgum, sycamore, hackberry, blackgum, pecan, hickory, etc. even though some of this wood is beautiful. It is beautiful but naughty…...


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

ok, time for an update. i went ahead and made a park bench, there is a very large craft and antique show in late september that i want to put it in along with some mesquite live edge tables and see if i get any interest in it. i got impatient and wanted to see if the design in my head would transfer well to reality. i used some of the thinner, shorter odd shaped partial slabs from the outer first cuts from the log.

the surface of the 7/4 is measuring 10.5%, in the center it is 13-15%. the wood definitely dried too fast, but i cant control the weather (i blame it all on al gore - stupid global warming) - what i have is some warpage/cupping, not really worried about it as it is since the rustic style is actually somewhat enhanced by it.

will there be any more movement? i have it finished with 3 coats of Waterlox. the seat is joined to the sides with mortise and tenon, the 45 deg braces underneath are joined to seat and sides with deck screws.

david


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## HerbC (Jul 28, 2010)

David,

Remember, no pictures, it never happened…

Herb


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

will there be any more movement? - *david*

Yes. No. Maybe. You can never be certain. If it's 7/4 and measuring 10.5% at the surface, I wouldn't be surprised if the center (as in halfway into the slab at about 3/4) is measuring 16-25%. I've had 8/4 slabs at 10% on the surface and when I cut them open they were almost dripping wet. So, if that's the case, expect for them to move more still.

Your joints and sealer may be keep that movement to a minimum though. Store it indoors as much as possible for the next few months and maybe it'll keep the movement from happening.

*Herb*...
Also, yes, pics or it didn't happen.


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

Doss - the centers are 13-15%, i drove nails to the center and measured.

questioning your other advice - would not the wood dry more slowly - and safer - and reach equilibrium - - in the humid outdoors rather than the dry indoors? otherwise, if i had in inside then put it out, would it not then gain moisture?

here it is in its place…..


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

When you store it inside, it's normally air conditioned. It's essentially a dehumidifier for the most part. Wood that is left outside in the humid parts of the South never really get down below 12% from what I see. If I moved the pieces inside, they drop below 10%. I like getting wood as dry as possible before I work with it. If it's going outside, I'll drop it down as low as possible and then bring it outside to get back up to stable MC.

Drying wood is a tricky process to start out with and it's even more tricky when you're in the sort of environment we have down here. I don't know exactly what part of TX you're in, but if it's humid, the wood may always move.

I bring it inside if I plan on the piece being something indoors. If it's an exterior piece, you're better off getting it as dry as you can and then letting it sit out in its intended environment for a week or so, sizing it, and the using it.

Depending on the type of wood, where in the log the wood was taken from, the type of cut, and any other stresses, the wood may or may not move.

Is that clear? LOL


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

Re: Doss - the centers are 13-15%, i drove nails to the center and measured."

Unless you painted the nails, leaving only the tips unpainted, you did not get an accurate measurement. Probes designed to measure the moisture content at the core of lumber are insulated. Probes for measuring the MC% on the shell of lumber are not.

Very nice looking bench!

Doss makes a good point about accelerated drying inside, prior to working the wood. Plus, if lumber is in an envivonment that has an EMC% lower than it's ultimate environment, it is an aid in drying the center of the boards.

On the other hand, if you do the initial drying outdoors where it is more humid you will have less chance of checking or other degrade.


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## yellabret (May 15, 2012)

i have to admit i am impressed with the level of knowledge here - as a geologist with advanced studies i am no rookie to scientific analyses, so i am really glad to see all the input!

however - on the painted nails - i thought about this at the start. the moisture meter is measuring the quickest electrical connection between the two points (highest conductivity - right?) - so - if you have 2 nails driven to the midpoint, and the center is obviously wetter (more conductive) - then the highest conductivity will be at the tip of the nails and this will drive the reading. this would only be negated if the surface of the wood was wet and then this path would have a higher conductivity and give me a false reading. so long and short, i feel i have a good sound reading. thoughts? painted nails are really only necessary if you have a shallower layer that is wetter than the center - and then that is a whole-nuther issue to begin with.

at this point the pecan i have now is awesome looking but moved a lot, so i see the best use as making park benches - these designs tend to work more with the warped wood - and take all my knowledge forward. i have some elm and red oak stacked and strapped for 1 month right now, little to no movement - and am headed to get more in the next couple of weeks. learn and learn and learn…...

david


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## Scsmith42 (Jan 26, 2011)

David, I understand your logic (used to think the same way myself);

With insulated pins, you can take readings as you are driving the pins into the wood, establishing the delta between the different layers. This helps you to determine if there is case hardening, etc.

Plus, it is somewhat inexplicable but in the past I have obtained different readings from 8/4 or 16/4 lumber when using insulated versus non-insulated pins. I can't explain why - just that it has happened more than once.


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## Doss (Mar 14, 2012)

There is a little bit of adjustment when you start driving nails into the wood. Most people add a few percent onto the MC from whatever it reads out. You have to be sure to keep the same distance b/t the pins as well. I don't know what effect any nail coatings have on the readings, but I'd just use steel nails.

I have a probe that is designed to be hammered into the wood. I'll run a test this weekend to see how it compares to two small nails driven at the same depth and offset.


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