24
votes
Accepted
Is it better to store wood vertically or horizontally?
Is it better to store wood vertically or horizontally?
It depends a bit on the status of the wood when you store it, but generally it's better to store wood horizontally.
When storing wood, you have ...
- 12.1k
18
votes
Accepted
What does "stickering wood" mean?
It's the former, piling wood in stacks with sticks between them to allow better air flow while also maintaining an even pressure throughout the pieces to limit cupping or warping that occurs during ...
- 3,571
10
votes
Is it better to store wood vertically or horizontally?
I think the answer to this is actually both in terms of real-world applications; the ideal is to store all wood and wood products flat, but that's not always possible. And sometimes it's not needed — ...
- 61.3k
8
votes
cutting board turned green!
It would interesting to see a picture of the board to help diagnose what the problem is. However, like Graphus said it is very unlikely that the boards have been properly dried after only three ...
- 15.3k
8
votes
Using green cedar for planks on a boat
I was trying to find the answer to something else and realized there was a section in this book called, Modern Woodworking Techniques. It is a conglomeration of articles from the magazine Fine ...
- 1,028
8
votes
How can I deal with wood from DIY stores that is crooked and may or may not be dry?
It might be a regional issue, but I hadn't heard the term "regularized" in the context of buying lumber. Perhaps that threw off the people at the store, although even if you had asked for S4S (...
rob♦
- 18.6k
7
votes
Accepted
What is the proper humidity for a shop and how should I achieve it?
There's a lot written about the ideal conditions for the workshop but you have to be careful about the source since the figures quoted aren't as universal as sometimes implied or stated, some sources ...
- 61.3k
7
votes
Accepted
What steps should one take to avoid spalting when drying timber?
The broader question here is what steps should one take to preclude spalting when drying wood?
Spalting, as you probably know, is the result of fungal attack on the wood. Wikipedia lists several ...
- 12.1k
6
votes
What does "stickering wood" mean?
In most cases I've seen this term in reference to how to stack layers of cut timber/lumber to air dry. Typically, reusable sticks of uniformly cut 'strips' are used to space the wood apart for better ...
- 1,762
6
votes
Accepted
When is spalting beneficial for wood?
When is [spalting] good for the wood and when isn't it good?
Spalting can provide a lovely patterning to wood that would otherwise be more plain. Please see the image below for an example of spalted ...
- 12.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Building a Cabin; only un-powered hand tools. Need advice
What you're talking about is timber-frame construction, and you're on the right track.
I read somewhere it is best to use fairly fresh cut trees for this, to make the hewing easier.
Yup. Green wood ...
- 813
6
votes
Accepted
Dry Spar Varnish in Oven? Or other methods to speed drying
Is it safe to "bake" these in an oven?
Not really, no. You wouldn't be the first person to try this and you might get away with it as some have in the past, but if it doesn't work as hoped it could ...
- 61.3k
5
votes
Dry Spar Varnish in Oven? Or other methods to speed drying
I haven't tried any of these methods myself but the following is offered up from a quick google search:
Reduce the humidity in the environment of the drying varnish by running a dehumidifier. ...
- 151
5
votes
What is this pest living in my drying lumber and how do I eliminate it?
There aren't a lot of pests that eat wood. This page provides a pretty good list, including:
Carpenter ants (see this page for id and control details) are large black ants that nest in structures ...
- 5,541
5
votes
How can I deal with wood from DIY stores that is crooked and may or may not be dry?
I hate to say it, but wood is not usually predictable down to the millimeter, and your design needs to take that into consideration. For example, when making solid wood panels - these can shrink, ...
- 121
5
votes
How can I deal with wood from DIY stores that is crooked and may or may not be dry?
Don't know where you are, but in my area, the wood from big box stores is extremely variable. Finding a specialty supplier will probably yield better results.
To answer your questions:
Wood that ...
- 3,481
5
votes
What steps should one take to avoid spalting when drying timber?
Moisture is the largest contributor to wood spalting, especially maple. However, what you are doing will greatly reduce the risk.
The only wood I have used so far that has spalted when kept in a ...
- 15.3k
5
votes
When is spalting beneficial for wood?
In general spalting is not good for wood. It is one of the stages of the wood rotting. But spalting in the early stages can add character to a piece of wood. Such as
Turners use spalted wood all ...
- 15.3k
5
votes
Accepted
How much extra thickness should I leave when rough milling green boards?
If you've got a lot to spare, then overdo it. Curves, twists, warps etc will always kill your yield. Flatsawn is apt to be less stable (esp with respect to cupping) than quartersawn.
The milling ...
- 3,481
4
votes
cutting board turned green!
I don't know why the board turned green or greenish, but I think I can definitively state that the wood isn't properly dried, or seasoned, and shouldn't have been made into a cutting board yet.
As a ...
- 61.3k
4
votes
What is this pest living in my drying lumber and how do I eliminate it?
Looks like powder post beetles to me. If that is the case you have some nice firewood. Sorry.
- 41
4
votes
Accepted
Carved kuksa of ash wood has split and oozed water, what has gone wrong?
I hand-carved my first Kuksa a month ago from half an ash log.
There's your problem. Kuksa's are best made from a close-grained wood (traditionally birch burl). Ash, being open-grained, is very ...
- 12.1k
4
votes
Accepted
Should I “un-dry” wood for a while after oven drying?
My question is: After I do this but before I plane the boards, should I leave them sit out in the open air (maybe a week or two) to reabsorb moisture from the air?
I think it's certainly advisable, ...
- 61.3k
4
votes
Accepted
How can I dry lumber outdoors for furniture?
I did some more research and thought I'd share some of my findings.
One thing is that relative humidity and moisture content both use percentages but they are describing the idea of "water ...
- 181
4
votes
Accepted
Is it better to mill boards before or after drying? (And does it depend on diameter?)
Generally, it's far, far better to rough-mill while green, dry in a stack with stickers to allow airflow and if necessary considerable weight to put on the stack, then do final shaping with the ...
- 813
4
votes
How long should I leave a green yew stick clamped to a bench for straightening?
How long should I leave a green yew stick clamped to a bench for straightening?
Don't. That's not how to dry wood.
Makers of walking sticks and hiking poles, who harvest saplings and branches from ...
- 61.3k
3
votes
Accepted
DIY Kiln Dry Walnut Plan
would work faster than air
depends on drying stage and the wood (you want to prevent cracking)
not a stupid idea
http://extension.missouri.edu/p/G5507 is a good resource for you.
You'll likely need ...
- 2,396
3
votes
How to dry Blue Spruce slabs?
Splitting usually occurs as the wood is drying out. Because the end grain exposed to air loses moisture much faster than the inner wood, it splits to release the stress between the two.
Cookies (such ...
- 1,927
3
votes
How to store/dry freshly cut lumber (white oak)
Seal the ends as wood loses moisture from the ends faster than the face. You are trying to lower moisture throughout the wood evenly. Latex paint is a cheap effective sealer.
Pick a location with good ...
- 859
3
votes
Accepted
Wood Coasters from Tree Branch finish
My question is do you think that they need any type of finish on them?
I think it's vital, yes. The top and bottom surfaces of slices like this are all end grain, and unsealed end grain is absorbent ...
- 61.3k
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