How do you clean your boards

[rbarshaw]

These boards right off the band mill have some saw dust left on them, it gets into everything when you handle them,Rather uncomfortable.
Do you do anything to get rid of it?
I've washed every board with a garden hose as it comes off the mill and that seems to work but, uses alot of water.

[Bibbyman]

I guess I've never had the urge to get all the dust off'n the boards to go to that much work.  

Mary likes to pull the board off'n the cant and let it drop on the mill dragback table a good wack,  then she gives it a flip.  That knocks off most of the sawdust.  If the lumber goes to the broker,  he's never complained about a little dust.  If it's going to be sticked,  the wind will blow out any dust that's left and put more back in.

[Tom]

I iniitially do the same as Mary and instruct the off-bearers to do the same.   I have used a broom as I stack the wood.  I have also used a hose but don't like the idea of soaking the wood especially without the application of a fungicide.

Sawdust may mold and stain the board.  You will hear the stain called "shadow", dust stain" or "sawdust stain".  Sometimes it can be planed off of the board and sometimes it can't.  If you are handling construction wood, it may not matter.  If you are handling appearace wood (genereally high dollar) then it would be in your best interest to at least knock the sawdust from the board.

[UrbanLogger]

I'm with Tom and Mary--bang that board around a little gettin it off the mill and then sweep each layer in the stack before laying the stickers down.

I'm especially careful to sweep if I'm stacking spalted wood.

[Tom]

One of those 200 mile per hour blowers that you use to blow your leaves over into your neighbors yard works pretty good too.

[Bibbyman]

Probably a good shop vac would work well too.  Could set up a set of sawhorses and do one layer at a time and then flip the boards and do the other side.

[UrbanLogger]

I'm with Tom again--blow it in the neighbors yard  

[DR_Buck]

Got a customer that I've sawed for 3 time now and he uses a broom.  

Not my wood, so I hadn't given it any thought. :-/

[Gipper]

I use a thing I found at one of the box stores, Lowes I believe, that is similar to a garden spade, but not real sharp.  It is very easy to scrape the board by holding it at an angle and pushing it along the board.  Works real well on up to twelve inch boards.  Have also tried sweeping, but the scraper works better and does not take much longer.  I only do this for my own lumber, but recommend to customers they do it before stacking.  It definitely makes a difference in the looks of the lumber I have pulled and used.  Before pulling the board I also use the flip and bang method on the mill also.

[rbarshaw]

 :)Thanks for all the replies, I thought I may have been going overboard by washing each board .