Author Topic: Did I mess up? (Read 2265 times)

plaindave · « **on:** May 11, 2004, 08:16:16 pm »

Last November I had a tree come down during a storm and rather than make more firewood I had someone come out and cut it up into lumber for me. I ended up with almost 400 bd/ft of spalted white oak.

I didn't have any way to dry it so I stacked it in my garage with 1/2" high stickers and used cinder blocks for weight on the top of the stacks.

6 months later it looks good, doesn't seem to have warped or twisted too much, but it has developed some end checking. My question is did I do the right thing in how I stored the lumber? If not, is there anything I can do to salvage it?

SawDust_Studios · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2004, 08:27:26 pm »

How bad did it check?

End checks are inevitable, especially in oak. You can minimize it by painting the ends either while in the log or after the boards are sawn.

This slows down the quicker drying from the ends and allows the lumber to dry more evenly.

They have probably checked about as much as they are going to. I might also pay to use slightly thick stickers. Say 1" We also cut our logs slightly longer than we want our final lumber dimensions, for this reason alone.

Tom · « **Reply #2 on:** May 11, 2004, 08:29:54 pm »

You're ok.
Without sealing with a good product, you will have end splits.
Once they start to split you can't stop them too good anyway.

You may consider restacking the boards if there is no room under the bottom board. There should be, at least, 4 inches to allow the movement of air under the stack.

It's not been too many years ago that I was told to expect 60 percent degrade when drying hardwoods. That includes endsplits, checks, cup, twist, bow, stain, etc. I've had that much degrade if I included the entire board but have always been able to salvage most of the wood by making shorter and narrower boards.

Spalted oak means that it has started to rot and that tends to take some of the stresses out of the wood. I'll bet you end up with a bunch of pretty White Oak.

redpowerd · « **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2004, 08:46:52 pm »

just a thought, am i wrong in stating that flatsawn checks worse than q-sawn?
it seems as though the hard maple i cut last fall checked much more than the quarter-sawed maple i cut for my floor.
may have been when the tree was felled.

Tom · « **Reply #4 on:** May 11, 2004, 08:54:13 pm »

No, you're not wrong.

There is a publication with links in several places in the knowledge base that I automatically go to for answers. It is not only full of good information but I find it good reading too.

Here is the link to the Handbook but one should remember that it is recorded in the knowledge base. It's found under the title "Wood and Lumber".

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/FPLGTR/fplgtr113/fplgtr113.htm

Check out Chapter Three for the answer to your question.

redpowerd · « **Reply #5 on:** May 11, 2004, 09:01:16 pm »

sorry, tom. messed up and tried to re-type it fast enough no admin could see

i thought i was quick

time fo' bed

Tom · « **Reply #6 on:** May 11, 2004, 09:06:49 pm »

I taught Super Man.

I'm faster'n Greased Okra.

DanG · « **Reply #7 on:** May 11, 2004, 09:26:00 pm »

Greased okra, huh?

That's pretty quick, allright, but it ain't nuthin to BOILED okra! That stuff's so slick, you can't keep your mind on it. It sure makes some butterbeans go down good!

Put that together with some fried ham and a hoecake of cornbread, and DanG if you ain't eatin' good!

Bigdogpc · « **Reply #8 on:** May 12, 2004, 03:41:33 am »

Seems to me...I read someplace that boiled okra was scientifically proven to be a distant relative of the common ground slug...

FRIED OKRA on the other hand is fit to eat!

Norm · « **Reply #9 on:** May 12, 2004, 05:43:16 am »

Boy you guys are terrible, this poor new guy comes on and asks a question and you talk about food, now I have to answer it. Boiled okra is not fit to feed the chickens. Fried in butter with new onions and spring potatoes is the only way to eat it.

Oh yeah just end trim the boards and put anchorseal on the fresh cut ends.

etat · « **Reply #10 on:** May 12, 2004, 10:50:21 am »

NORM, I can't believe ya don't like boiled okra. What ya do is mix it up a bit on yer plate with them beans and cornbread and tomatoes and things. Makes EVERYTHING go down better!!! "Why, it slides down yer throat even better than raw oysters!!!!!

A course I like it yer way too!!!!!!!

shopteacher · « **Reply #11 on:** May 12, 2004, 11:05:46 am »

I don't care to much for Opra, (don't care if ya boil her or fry her) to many women issues and not enough tool stuff.

Oh, welcome aboard Plaindave.

Den Socling · « **Reply #12 on:** May 12, 2004, 03:15:50 pm »

You know what? I've never seen a single "Opra". I wouldn't know her if I slipped on her in the middle of a sidewalk.

Yes. Welcome Plaindave. I got real busy and haven't been here much and new names are popping up all over. Welcome all.

Jeff · « **Reply #13 on:** May 12, 2004, 04:50:17 pm »

Only one thing worse then ophra fried or boiled, no make that two, counting grits. BLACK EYED STINKIN PEAS.

Welcome to da Forestry Food Netwrk Plain Dave.

Den Socling · « **Reply #14 on:** May 12, 2004, 05:32:22 pm »

Bad Jeff!

You're going to hear it now!

Tom · « **Reply #15 on:** May 12, 2004, 05:58:45 pm »

Alright! Where is it. What did I do with my Mason Dixon LIne. It's around here somewhere. :-/

I knew I should of never rolled that thing up.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #16 on:** May 13, 2004, 07:04:37 pm »

Too tired to comment. WOOD eat some fried Okra and Blackeyes, though, IF someone wood fix 'em.

Kevin_H. · « **Reply #17 on:** May 13, 2004, 07:51:53 pm »

You know...I dont eat any green veggies, but I love my black eyed pea's

Cooked with a little bacon to season...Almost as good as fried corn.

plaindave · « **Reply #18 on:** May 13, 2004, 09:11:51 pm »

Thanks guys. I'm in the stage of life when I'm moving out of my rough carpentry stage into woodworking/furniture/cabinet making. House is finished, one last deck by the pool and I'm hanging up the 24oz framing hammer and picking up a 16oz finish hammer.

This is my first shot at drying wood. Always bought what I needed from a mill down the road. There will be more as I remove old and/or dieing trees from my property.

I did stack the lumber on pallets, so it's about 4-6" off the floor. And you are right, the grain pattern is just short of spetacular in the spalted oak. Have no idea where I'm going to use it yet, but the grain has got to be visible. Next time I will seal the ends. Fortunately it's not a big deal to lose a few inches on each end, I don't need long boards for what I will be doing.

One last thing, how do you serve Orca? Do you serve it raw like sushi? Or batter it up and deep fry it like a good batch of catfish?

plaindave · « **Reply #19 on:** May 13, 2004, 09:13:36 pm »

Okra, orca. Us guys north of the mason dixon line don't know much.

But I do thank you for sending Krispy Kremes north.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #20 on:** May 14, 2004, 04:44:09 am »

Welcome PlainDave. I b'leeve you'll fit in here jest fine.

Kedwards · « **Reply #21 on:** May 14, 2004, 05:42:20 pm »

Just curious.. who has 60% degrade? I think I have about 20-25% at worst case and thats in 8/4 and thicker white oak .I have almosty no degrade in white or SYP and ERC. Not trying to stir things up, just find that a highly unprofitable and or unrealistic number.

Tom · « **Reply #22 on:** May 14, 2004, 08:18:23 pm »

It may be a highly unprofitable number and unrealistic to some who are really good. The figure came from books I studied from 13 or 14 years ago when I was just starting. I even got those numbers from some of the sawyers that I talked to. Believe it or not, I have even experienced them myself. Perhaps your wood is a lot better than mine or maybe I'm still learning. Sometimes I get a good board.

I'm not talking about SYP or ERC but other Hardwoods that I cut like Water Oak, Laurel Oak, pecan, hickory, Bay, Black Gum and Sweet Gum, Live Oak, Magnolia and Sycamore. Those woods have always tried me.

Jeff · « **Reply #23 on:** May 14, 2004, 08:40:09 pm »

could this be a number related to southern hardwoods, maybe florida hardwoods?

Tom · « **Reply #24 on:** May 14, 2004, 08:48:29 pm »

Might be..........?

MIght also have something to do with drying most of my wood in an open field. In sizes as the board that came off of the sawmill, they will not be nearly as good as the cherry picking one does getting the good wood from the dried board. The wood I dry in my pole barn fairs much better but the wood itself is not attractive to someone who judges by grade rules.

Someone worried about their first stack shouln't be ashamed of the effort if it isn't perfect though.

LeeB · « **Reply #25 on:** May 15, 2004, 01:11:10 am »

Tom, you make me feel a lot better about my drying. I thought it was my haphazard technique. Guess a lot of it is the woods i"m drying. Pretty much the same stuff as you. I seem to have a lot better luck with 5/4 than 4/4. LeeB

Den Socling · « **Reply #26 on:** May 15, 2004, 05:22:30 am »

I don't have experience with Floridian Hardwoods

but, when I see something like Northern Red Oak come out of wet areas, the cells are excessively large. That means they do excessive shrinking and that can lead to excessive cracking.

But then, I'm excessively confused in Shoreport, PA. (I riled the big guy

)

Tom · « **Reply #27 on:** May 15, 2004, 11:21:55 am »

LeeB,
I have better luck with 5/4 most of the time too. I cut my 4/4 fat because of this. When drying cherry it has made all the difference in the world. I have even gotten some of my custom sawing customers to cut it again where they had pretty much given up.

I do cut 4/4 boards shy of the 5/4 mark to keep from impacting the marketability of my 5/4 lumber.

Who you rileing, Den.

Fla._Deadheader · « **Reply #28 on:** May 15, 2004, 11:47:01 am »

We just pulled some boards down out of the Attic. 6%MC

NO degrade.

:D

Den Socling · « **Reply #29 on:** May 15, 2004, 12:28:01 pm »

Well Tom, you-know-who had my location listed as mid-Atlantic, PA. I explained that Jersey Shore is the name of a town but, if it was too confusing, he could put me in Williamsport, PA. Now look under my name. I live in Confusing Shoreport, PA.

Think I'll hush up before I end up with a nose that glows.

Tom · « **Reply #30 on:** May 15, 2004, 12:35:27 pm »

You gotta be careful about what you wish for around here for sure. It's definitly not the place for folks who take themselves too seriously.

I've seen Donkey ears and upside down names and snow storms and all kinds of stuff.

Sometimes it's better to take a lesson from Br'er Rabbit and "jus' lay lo'".

Kedwards · « **Reply #31 on:** May 15, 2004, 06:02:04 pm »

That makes sense. I never open field dry my wood. Covered all the time and properly stickered, end coated with anchorseal in the log. Walnut is never a problem except when I keep the wane on the edge.
Cherry can be persnickity. White, Black ash and hickory dry fine. Drying for grade though does require some study and I want to take the NHLA exam (for the short course) in Memphis in the near future. Oak is by far the most difficult to dry and get high yield from. White oak worse than red for me. Still I get about 25% degrade on average from Oak which includes surface checking end splits and bow and warp. I normally dont get much bow and warp but they are still usable if chopped jointed and ripped. I made the paper this week ! Ill post when the article makes the internet in Lincoln Times.

News:

Author Topic: Did I mess up? (Read 2265 times)