Did I mess up?

[Fla._Deadheader]

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

[Kedwards]

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]

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]

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

[Tom]

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]

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]

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]

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]

  We just pulled some boards down out of the Attic. 6%MC  NO degrade.   :D

[Den Socling]

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]

  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]

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.