Stacking Boards under a Shade Tree

[Randy]

OK-----Quick Question about air drying boards-----Being its getting hotter, when I saw my pine logs or any log, would it be better to air stack my boards under some shade like a big tree,  still using a rain proof top or out in the open and let the sun BAKE them?? Randy

[Jason_WI]

With pine you probably would want to dry as fast as possible to prevent mold growth and blue stain. Each species is different as to the rate of drying it can withstand. With oak the shade tree or shed with ventilation would be reccomended. With hard maple you want it in the kiln as fast as possible to keep the sap wood nice and white. In hard maple sugars will break down and cause grey streaks in the sap wood.

For drying hardwood lumber reading this will help alot:

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fplgtr118.pdf

This is their main site:

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us

You will notice that the WOOD DOC has had his hand in these publications.

Jason

[Frank_Pender]

Randy, that is exactly where I place all of my fresh sawn lumber, in a thick stand of 75 year old timber (Douglas Fir) for 90 to 120 days, then to the kiln.

[Ianab]

I'll go with Jason on drying the pine fast as you can, especially when it's warmer.
You want it out in the warm breeze, but shaded from the direct sun of course.
With other species, like oak, stacking in the cooler shade under the trees would be a good idea to slow down the drying and reduce checking.
Different species, different requirements for drying and all that 

Cheers

Ian