Wood Drying Information

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10range

Member
Dec 9, 2010
53
Northern Indiana
Thanks to you guys, I should be receiving my Alaskan Mill tomorrow and I already have the first tree picked out to be milled. What I am wondering is if there are any good resources for beginners on proper wood drying techniques? Looking forward to being creative in the near future and I have you guys to blame for that :cheese:
 
Biggest thing is to paint the ends of the log. If its black walnut I use paraffin on the ends and bee wax on the surface. I dont sticker my good hardwoods they go in a rack standing on end.


What you Milling?
 
First log is white oak. Then I may have some maple too.

So you are standing the wood vertically and allowing it to dry? What is the advantage of that as opposed to laying it down? My understanding was that weight would help keep things flat? How do you decide what to stand up and what to lay down?
 
10range said:
First log is white oak. Then I may have some maple too.

So you are standing the wood vertically and allowing it to dry? What is the advantage of that as opposed to laying it down? My understanding was that weight would help keep things flat? How do you decide what to stand up and what to lay down?

Depends on the size of the slap. Very hard to sticker 32+ wide slaps at 2-1/2 inchs thick these is best standing up Or will warp under the heavy load. Smaller stuff flat is fine, Zap has some pic's of a perfect stack.

How Big is the oak?
 
10range said:
This tree is about 15-18" diameter. I have not looked real close but it looks like I may be able to get 8-10 ft boards out of it.


Pretty good size how thick are the slabs going to be?
 
For this I am only planning to go about an inch and a half. The plan is to replace a trailer deck with this wood. Probably not enough in this one tree for the trailer but it is a start.
 
10range said:
For this I am only planning to go about an inch and a half. The plan is to replace a trailer deck with this wood. Probably not enough in this one tree for the trailer but it is a start.


Must be a monster trailer....lol For that you could mill it and bolt it into place. If you want it to dry first just make sure the ends are coated and sticker it flat.

These are Zaps Stack and as good of a job you will ever See!
 

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Zap Stacks- sounds like a new trademark??? Will stacking outside work ok? I have limited indoor storage space at the moment and it would make it much easier if I can keep things outdoors. Will it cause drying problems to have stuff out during a northern Indiana winter?

I am not a good estimator on wood coverage so we will see how things work out. Trailer deck is 6.5' wide by 14' long. Will the wood shrink enough to cause issues if I bolt it straight onto the trailer?
 
;-)
10range said:
Zap Stacks- sounds like a new trademark??? Will stacking outside work ok? I have limited indoor storage space at the moment and it would make it much easier if I can keep things outdoors. Will it cause drying problems to have stuff out during a northern Indiana winter?

I am not a good estimator on wood coverage so we will see how things work out. Trailer deck is 6.5' wide by 14' long. Will the wood shrink enough to cause issues if I bolt it straight onto the trailer?

Like any decking you need a little space between boards, but if you stack like that stack outdoors is fine and even better if covered before winter.

Oh and Zap is a perfectionist! :cheese:
 
Yes, Zap stacks like we do and it works. Normally though when we cut lumber we'll stack it indoors like in the picture being careful to make sure there is no warpage. Stack it up and forget it for a while. We usually do not coat the ends but if you want to finish it for something like Jay's table, then coating is the way to go.
 
10range said:
Zap Stacks- sounds like a new trademark??? Will stacking outside work ok? I have limited indoor storage space at the moment and it would make it much easier if I can keep things outdoors. Will it cause drying problems to have stuff out during a northern Indiana winter?

I am not a good estimator on wood coverage so we will see how things work out. Trailer deck is 6.5' wide by 14' long. Will the wood shrink enough to cause issues if I bolt it straight onto the trailer?

10range, I had read on some forum a person that mills likes to sticker his wood out of the direct sun for a while, he thinks it helps from drying out to quick which causes cracking.

That is why mine is down in the woods (some sun) but gets good wind, I will be moving it to another spot which gets more sun in September. I'm not sure if this works but I'm giving it a chance, Smokin and some other guys that have been milling longer can give you better answers on stickering or milling.


zap
 
zapny said:
10range said:
Zap Stacks- sounds like a new trademark??? Will stacking outside work ok? I have limited indoor storage space at the moment and it would make it much easier if I can keep things outdoors. Will it cause drying problems to have stuff out during a northern Indiana winter?

I am not a good estimator on wood coverage so we will see how things work out. Trailer deck is 6.5' wide by 14' long. Will the wood shrink enough to cause issues if I bolt it straight onto the trailer?

10range, I had read on some forum a person that mills likes to sticker his wood out of the direct sun for a while, he thinks it helps from drying out to quick which causes cracking.

That is why mine is down in the woods (some sun) but gets good wind, I will be moving it to another spot which gets more sun in September. I'm not sure if this works but I'm giving it a chance, Smokin and some other guys that have been milling longer can give you better answers on stickering or milling.


zap

Zap thats the best sticker job I have ever seen!
 
smokinjay said:
zapny said:
10range said:
Zap Stacks- sounds like a new trademark??? Will stacking outside work ok? I have limited indoor storage space at the moment and it would make it much easier if I can keep things outdoors. Will it cause drying problems to have stuff out during a northern Indiana winter?

I am not a good estimator on wood coverage so we will see how things work out. Trailer deck is 6.5' wide by 14' long. Will the wood shrink enough to cause issues if I bolt it straight onto the trailer?

10range, I had read on some forum a person that mills likes to sticker his wood out of the direct sun for a while, he thinks it helps from drying out to quick which causes cracking.

That is why mine is down in the woods (some sun) but gets good wind, I will be moving it to another spot which gets more sun in September. I'm not sure if this works but I'm giving it a chance, Smokin and some other guys that have been milling longer can give you better answers on stickering or milling.


zap

Zap thats the best sticker job I have ever seen!

It would be better if it was stickered on the side of the cabin! :coolgrin:

zap
 
I posted these pics a while back. Don't forget to post yours. :coolsmile:
If you can stack it indoors, go for it. I didn't have that option when we did this stuff, so it went outside on the west side of the house.
Woodmizer with most of the bells and whistles, and no...not mine. May of '08, if my memory serves, and I don't remember ever having worked that hard since I was in my 20's.

I still have one stack left, and it should really go into a kiln to finish. I may build one some day.
 

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PapaDave said:
I posted these pics a while back. Don't forget to post yours. :coolsmile:
If you can stack it indoors, go for it. I didn't have that option when we did this stuff, so it went outside on the west side of the house.
Woodmizer with most of the bells and whistles, and no...not mine. May of '08, if my memory serves, and I don't remember ever having worked that hard since I was in my 20's.

I still have one stack left, and it should really go into a kiln to finish. I may build one some day.

Nice work you have a link to the post I think that I missed that one?
 
PapaDave said:
Jay, I could have sworn I posted about doing all of that milling, but can't find the thread.
I'll keep looking. I still have the pics.

Start a new one.....That is a must look! I know I have not seen that stack before.
 
Dave, that is the right way to stack it. Nice work.
 
PapaDave said:
I posted these pics a while back. Don't forget to post yours. :coolsmile:
If you can stack it indoors, go for it. I didn't have that option when we did this stuff, so it went outside on the west side of the house.
Woodmizer with most of the bells and whistles, and no...not mine. May of '08, if my memory serves, and I don't remember ever having worked that hard since I was in my 20's.

I still have one stack left, and it should really go into a kiln to finish. I may build one some day.


Those are perfecto, great job PapaDave.


zap
 
smokinjay said:
10range said:
For this I am only planning to go about an inch and a half. The plan is to replace a trailer deck with this wood. Probably not enough in this one tree for the trailer but it is a start.


Must be a monster trailer....lol For that you could mill it and bolt it into place. If you want it to dry first just make sure the ends are coated and sticker it flat.

These are Zaps Stack and as good of a job you will ever See!


Smokin if I remember, somebody on hear stacks vertical with the milled wood (It's not Sav either) have any pictures?


zap
 
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