Confused about drying lumber.

[WoodChucker]

I keep hearing conflicting answers to questions about air-drying lumber. Can someone please tell me for sure if it is possible to air-dry (only) lumber to be used for making furniture? Or does it HAVE to be kiln dried? Thanks!

R.T.

[Ianab]

Furniture was made for hundreds of years before kilns were invented...
So the simple answer is... Yes you can...
But..
You need to get the moisture content of the wood close to what it will eventually stabilise at inside your house. Air drying outside will not do this in most climates. The wood may dry to 12 or 15% moisture outside, when you bring it inside it may dry more to 7 - 10%, shrinking slightly as it does.
Two things you can do.
1 - Finish drying the timber in a similar environment to what it's going to be used in, maybe a heated workshop or an attic, for a few months.
2 - Use designs that aren't as susceptible to the shrinkage that is going to occur over time.

There never seems to be a simple answer is there  

ian

[Larry]

Air dry wood is fine for some projects as long as you take into consideration it will move no matter if it is kiln dry or not.  A good example of appropriate construction is raised panel doors on cabinets and floating table tops that allow the wood to move.

A moisture meter is essential.  First use it to figure out where wood stabilizes in your house.  In my house with my meter it reads from 7 to 9% depending on the season.  Check the MC of your wood and then plug it into the SHRINKULATOR under Online Utilities.  You can see at a glance how much it is going to move.

A few places where air dry wood can’t be used  come to mind.  Any place where you use a 45 degree miter joint such as casing or picture frames, the joint will open every time.  Second place would be floors (unless you like cracks).

I kiln dry wood to 7% and always get tickled when a woodworker hauls out a load and puts it in the normal garage, basement, or outbuilding workshop.  If the shop isn’t conditioned that wood is going to creep right back up to 12% which is pretty close to the same as air dry wood in our area.  I'm guilty of the same sin.

[ElectricAl]

Wood Chucker,

Don't forget about killing the bugs

We just baked 3000' of 8x8 barn beams. The goal was to kill the bugs before they infested the new house.

[sawwood]

WoodChucker what the guys have said is true. I have Larry
kiln dry my wood and when i git it home to the shop it goes
up to about 9 or 10 %. I have talked to some of the furniture
makes and most of them use aire dryed lumber. Just let it
air dry out side till you don't see any more drop in moisture
about 12 to 15%, them move it in side to bring it down to 9 to
10%, depending on where you live,  Then use it to make what
you want. My segmented bowls are made with 10% moisture
wood and have had no trouble.

Sawwood

[WoodChucker]

Hey, thanks guys for such a great explanation, I think I can actually say I get it now!    Really appreciate the info.

R.T.

[Bill_B]

I have used a lot of lumber for building furniture that has only been air dried.  I always let it set in the shop for several weeks.

[musky111]

where can i get a moisture content meter for wood at.  not sure what  it is??? I'm new to this if you didn't quess!!!
thanks    

[Chet]

I have been building furniture with air dryed wood for many years. I can usually get it down to around 15%, then bring it in and finish it to 6 or 7 %. I have never had a bug problem as all my furniture work is with hardwoods.
The first rule of furniture making, is that wood WILL move, and it doesn't matter how it was dried, it will move. That is the reason you must use proper joinery techniques.