iDRY Vacuum Kilns

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First dumb question(s)

Started by Cuz, January 26, 2005, 07:39:56 AM

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Cuz

O.K.  I've been looking back through the old posts and trying to edumacate myself.  I see tha oak is somewhat tricky to dry.  I have a few trees to play with and I was wondering if just sawing them in larger  
slabs and letting them air dry for a few years and then resawing them would solve some of the problems with surface checking, etc.?
Love the smell of sawdust in the morning...and lurking on this site!

KENROD

In my experience (fer what its worth) ::) The thicker oak is the worse it checks. I have the best luck air drying under roof with limited airflow. Like a three sided shed for example. Then kiln drying if the use (or the customer) calls for it. The main cause of checking is drying too fast, drying this way will slow it enough to prevent checking and still let it dry at reasonable rate.

woodhick

First off Cuz there are no! dumb questions, just the unasked ones.  If you are air drying your oak lumber you shouldn't encounter any more problems than other species.  Where you have problems with oak over others is when you kiln dry.  If not done properly you get surface checking or collapse.  this is usally caused by too fast of a kiln schedule.   I have air dried lots of oak with no problems.  I would end coat with anchorseal or other type of coating and sticker. ;)
Woodmizer LT40 Super 42hp Kubota, and more heavy iron woodworking equipment than I have room for.

Cuz

Hmm, I just thought that if it, the oak, was thicker it would dry slower and therfore not check as much.  My only experiences to date have been with SYP.  I almost messed up when I put it in a metal building and closed the doors.  I had to put a fan on it in a hurry!  I also found that a clorox mixture will knock back that mold pretty good if it's just getting started.  Well, I ended up building a big shed off my metal building to stack more lumber when I cut it(mostly pine). But it might be easier to stack the pine in the open, next to where I saw it, and cover it with tin.  My back ain't what it used to be.  
Love the smell of sawdust in the morning...and lurking on this site!

Larry

Any oak thicker than 6/4 is a challenge to dry with out checking and big cracks.  I have experience with a DH kiln, solar kiln, and air drying.  Thicker than 8/4 I won't even attempt it.

Larry, making useful and beautiful things out of the most environmental friendly material on the planet.

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Ianab

Problem with the thicker timber is that the outside dries and shrinks first, while the inside is still wet. This is what causes the checking problems. So you are right, it does take longer to dry, but it's not 'easier'. I think thick oak slabs is in the 'difficult to dry' group.
Main problem air drying wood like oak is if it dries too fast, so have it in a more sheltered spot like Ken suggests. Other woods like pine you want to dry as fast as possible to prevent staining, so they should be out in the breeze for fast drying.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

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