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Frozen poplar

Started by Osric, March 02, 2008, 05:35:51 PM

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Osric

I sell some wood cheap to the school I work for...the shop teacher will usually get some poplar and ash/oak for the semester and then I sell him more the next semester.  He likes to start the kids with poplar since it is easier to work with and then moves them to ash/oak later in the semester.

Well, the problem here is that I've run out of poplar...all I have left is oak/ash and a little spalted maple that I don't know what to do with, but that I don't want to sell at this price to the school.  So, I talked to a friend who has a mill and he said he has a bunch of poplar that has been sitting for a couple years and he'll sell it at the same price I sell for.  Great.  I go over an pick it up.  Problem is that snow has been sittin on it and it has thawed and re-frozen a couple times to the point where just about every board had a covering of ice on it.

The shop teacher needs the wood soon, but I don't feel right giving it to him in the condition that it is in.  I've brought it in the garage, re-stickered it and pointed the torpedo heater at it to melt the ice and get some air circulating.  Is there anything else I can do to 'speed the process'?  I'm sure it will be fine once this surface moiture is taken care of, and would like to get it to him asap.


Brad_S.

After getting a good, prolonged soaking like that, won't the moisture content be way too high for the intended use?
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

fencerowphil (Phil L.)

One thing in your favor is that Tulip Poplar (Yellow Poplar) has one of the highest
tolerances for fast drying. 

If I were you, I would consider this lumber as if it were green.  It has been through
a lot!  You may want to dry small amounts at the time, because you are going
to be in an experiment of sorts.  You may spend a lot on fuel to heat and dry the wood.
Doing a little at the time will help you analyze your cost to use this wood.
Bi-VacAtional:  Piano tuner and sawyer.  (Use one to take a vacation from the other.) Have two Stihl 090s, one Stihl 075, Echo CS8000, Echo 346,  two Homely-ite 27AVs, Peterson 10" Swingblade Winch Production Frame, 36" and 54"Alaskan mills, and a sore back.

beenthere

I'd think only the top boards on the pile would be ice/snow covered...or is that wrong thinking?

Take the dry boards out of the pile further from the top, and put the frozen/ice covered ones back on top...seems to me.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Osric

Quote from: beenthere on March 02, 2008, 06:48:41 PM
I'd think only the top boards on the pile would be ice/snow covered...or is that wrong thinking?

Take the dry boards out of the pile further from the top, and put the frozen/ice covered ones back on top...seems to me.

That is what I originally thought, but (I'm guessing here) because we've had so many freeze/thaws lately, there was at least some ice on all the boards, although the undersides were usually ok.

After a day stickered and with the torpedo pointed at them they actually look a lot better....pretty dirty, but other than that, not too bad.  If I can get the teacher to just use the ash I gave him for a week or two, I might be able to pick through and find some good boards. 

I did buy extra from my friend so that the next time the teacher needs them, they'll be ready to go.

Dana

In reading your post I get the feeling that you aren't 100% sure that the wood is up to yours and the school's standards. Be it the moisture content of the wood, or the dirt on the boards.

I have used bigtooth aspen that I thought was dry for a work bench. Screwed the boards together nice and tight, two weeks later 1/8" gaps. I would hate to see your sales to the school stop because the lumber is too high in moisture to use or too dirty to plane. Might want to get a moisture meter to check content.

You said you aren't making anything on that lumber anyway, why don't you just sell your oak, and ash and pass on a potential deal killer? At the least I would invite the instructor to look at what you have before delivering to the school.

Grass-fed beef farmer, part time sawyer

Osric

well...after a couple week inside and with the occasional torpedo heater trying to dry it out, the poplar is still pretty much soaking wet.  I tried to plane a few boards and it gummed up my planer in no time flat.

Gunna see if he just wants to finish the year out with ash...I have plenty of that.  Poplar should be ready by fall.

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