Hello, new member here.

[Just Me]

 Hello

 My name is Larry and I have a construction/woodworking business that has catered to the richer side for close to 30 years now. I have always worked myself, maybe because I am a bit of a control freak, but have put an a tool belt every day for the last 35 years. That is why I am so worn out! I am looking at ways to make money at home in my shop as my knees/back/hips and various other stuff is just plain wearing out. I have cut way down on my overhead, sold my commercial building, moved my tools to the country where my shop will [unofficially] be on the same property as my home. I am in the process of building my new efficient home now, a replica of a one room schoolhouse, just because I like them.

One of the things I am looking into is buying a mill and building a small kiln so I can cut out some of that expenditure. Not so sure it is a good idea yet, but I will be reading a lot here as I know basically nothing. So if I ask a dumb question, be patient.

 I would be building furniture and custom doors, something I already do, but hope to make my primary source of income instead of building and restoring.

I am located in Northern lower Michigan, so yes I am a troll, but just barely......

[timberfaller390]

Howdy, welcome to the forum.

[WH_Conley]

Welcome.

No reason your plan won't work. I have a neighbor that left the city, builds custom doors and furniture, has a kiln, no mill. Has been making a living at it for 30 years.

[paul case]

welcome,
i dont know if i ever heard a dumb question but we get some NEW ones from time to time.  pc

[Warbird]

Welcome to the best place on the Internet!  Pull up a stump and start askin' your questions.  You'll find we have a very nice and helpful group of folks here.

[Buck]

Welcome, you've found the right place. Good bunch hang out here!

[sandhills]

Welcome to the forum, heard it said once the only dumb question is the one not asked.  That must be true cause they haven't kicked me off the forum yet .  This is truly one of the best bunch of folks you could have found so enjoy and fire away.

[KellyH]

Welcome Just Me.  

I'm a new member myself but have already found a wealth of information that has helped me make some decisions for my building plans too.  Happy Holidays! 

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

Welcome Larry

Lots of great folks on this forum and can not thank Jeff enogh for have the wisdom to put a place like this together. I have learned a tremendous amount from reading the posts on this forum.

Best of luck in the new business venture. If you are ever down toward Fort Wayne Indiana, give me a shout and we can do lunch

Fred

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum Just Me.  I'm almost worn out too, but I'm still kicking.

[ely]

welcome, sounds like u got it all figgured out. you made the best chioce stoppin in here.

[Carpenter]

     Hi Larry.
  It sounds like you will be bringing quite a bit of expertise to the forum as well.  Building doors is nearly a lost art.  A sawmill and a kiln could be very usefull tools for you.  I am planning to build a solar kiln soon for a similar purpose. 

[Meadows Miller]

Gday

Larry and Welcome to The Forum Mate    I don't see why it would not work It sounds like a good plan to me and I like your single room school house what size is it ?  and I also look forward to your imput to the forum Mate 

Regards Chris

[Just Me]

 Schoolhouse is 30x26 with a 12 and 14' addition off of either end. I had to make it fit a basement that was already on site but wanted a traditional look. I almost built a replica of an old railroad depot but the walls on depots are too tall for the energy efficiency I was trying to achieve.

If anyone gets stumped on what to do with the logs "after" they are milled and dried I may be of some help, that is what I have done my whole life.

[Meadows Miller]

Thats a nice size place your building for yourself  I have been in Building since the age of 14 myself but have built 39 places and am on number 40 now and am also finally starting the log work for my own place 26'x 24' 1&1/2 story dovetail with a 10'x12' mudroom/laund      im a qualified carpenter since 18 after my 4 year app but it has always been sawmilling and logging that has been my first love though Mate 

Regards Chris

[terrifictimbersllc]

Hi Larry, welcome, I'm originally from Elkhart IN, also below the bridge.  Is this why you call yourself a troll? never heard that before.

[Just Me]

Hi Larry, welcome, I'm originally from Elkhart IN, also below the bridge.  Is this why you call yourself a troll? never heard that before.

Ya, all of the fellows in Michigans Upper Peninsula consider all of us below the bridge "trolls". I would love to be a "Yooper", but I like to eat. tough times up there right now. I wanted to buy the Melstrand Store when it came up for sale but chickened out. I have work here.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Good, I think the troll won, in the end, as the story goes.

[Banjo picker]

Welcome to the FF...and thanks for explaning the troll thing...I knew if I waited long enough somebody would fill me in without having to ask     Since I am below "the bridge" here in Miss..am I a troll too?     Tim

[Brad_bb]

Welcome.
I know a lot of people on there stack and sticker for air drying.  Do you need a kiln?
There's a good diversity on here.

If you want to start your membership off right, you need to send Jeff a block (I'm shameless aren't I fellas?).    Jeff Brokaw, the owner of this site has been working on this project for a few years where he asks members to send in a wood block, 5.75"X5.75" X 1 inch thick.  Actually the thickness is not critical, it can be 3/4" too, but the other dimensions are important.  The block should indicate your user name, and many also include the wood species as well as other creative embellishments, though he'd even take a block with your user name written in magic marker.  Some are basic, and some are more elaborate.  Here is the thread, and on page 40 of the thread is Jeff's address on where to send the block.  There are pics of all the blocks on the ceiling/eve of his cabin in Michigan.
http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,18953.0.html

[Just Me]

Welcome.
I know a lot of people on there stack and sticker for air drying.  Do you need a kiln?
http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,18953.0.html

 I build high end furniture, cabinets and doors so yes. I will not work with air dried. Bit me a couple of times, kiln dried is just more stable.

I checked out the porch, will have to come up with a block. Hes just 100 miles or so south.

[Ianab]

I build high end furniture, cabinets and doors so yes. I will not work with air dried. Bit me a couple of times, kiln dried is just more stable.

Fair enough, but you can build a relatively simple "kiln"with a home dehumidifier and some fans. Take that 12% air dried wood and get it down to a nice stable 8% in a couple of weeks. Doesn't matter exactly how you get the wood dry, you jsut need to get it down to the correct level so it's stable.

Ian

[Brad_bb]

The most recent photos of the blocks are on page 50 of that post. Brad

[Carpenter]

     Have you looked into a solar kiln?  I am planning to build one when I get the time.  From what I've read they work quite well for drying furniture wood as they dry slower than high heat kilns, also something about heating during the day and letting the wood fibers relax at night relieves stresses gently, supposed to lead to fewer drying defects.  Of course they work differently in different parts of the country, but, I think they will work just about anywhere as long as the solar panels are sized right and the angle is correct. 

[Just Me]

I build high end furniture, cabinets and doors so yes. I will not work with air dried. Bit me a couple of times, kiln dried is just more stable.

Fair enough, but you can build a relatively simple "kiln"with a home dehumidifier and some fans. Take that 12% air dried wood and get it down to a nice stable 8% in a couple of weeks. Doesn't matter exactly how you get the wood dry, you jsut need to get it down to the correct level so it's stable.

Ian

 Because of the Great Lakes and being on the 45th parallel we get crazy swings in temp and humidity. When its -20, we basically have no humidity as it just falls out of the air, and I have seen -52 degrees. In the summer we approach 100% much of the time, with temps gettin up close to 100 at times, so wood stability is a bit more of an issue here than some places.

No idea what your weather is like but I have always wanted to chech it out first hand!

[Ianab]

What a climate like that means is that you need to pay close attention to your design and construction, because the wood IS going to move, no matter what moisture content you start out with. But I agree that starting with a consistent "dry" value is going to make life much easier, and the wood will then all move in a similar and more predictable way.

That comes down to having a climate controlled storage area for your dry wood though, otherwise the wood is going to swing between maybe 4% in winter and 18% in summer, no matter what it started out at.

Climate here is pretty mild as it's islands surrounded by huge oceans. Summer is wam and humid, winter is cool and humid  Maybe similar to coastal Northern California / Oregon area. Original forest was mostly temperate rainforest, lots of vines, ferns and moss etc.

Ian

[Just Me]

That comes down to having a climate controlled storage area for your dry wood though, otherwise the wood is going to swing between maybe 4% in winter and 18% in summer, no matter what it started out at.

Quote:

I kept my old shop air conditioned for this reason, and to make life easier on those hot days. I've had to downsize because of our economic troubles from 9000 sq. ft. to under 2000 ft. so I am not sure what my new system will be as I can't store over 3-4 thousand feet inside. Still, I adjust my clearances according to the time of the year. Larger gaps in the winter and tight at the peak of summer. I prefinish all panels and receiving rabbits before assembly, often soaking end grain with West System epoxy on larger panels to minimize seasonal movement.

On the plus side of the new smaller operation, its paid for..........