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Kiln dry red oak

Started by Bill Gaiche, November 26, 2010, 08:01:29 PM

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Bill Gaiche

I have a project of building a new dinning table next fall. I have a couple nice red oaks 8'x 26" little end on largest and 22" on the other. I want to build a table with a top finished at 1 1/4" thick. Legs 4". I dont have a kiln yet and proably wont have one built untill later next year at the earliest. I was wondering if there was someone that could dry the lumber after I saw up the logs. Someone that was not to far from where I live. Thanks in advance, bg

Magicman

Bill, I'm not a kiln man, but my response is to saw it now.  I would let it dry naturally for many months before I even thought about a kiln.  I have a slab that someday will be a table or a couple of benches.  I flip it over every month or so.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Bill Gaiche

Thanks MM. I will cut it in a few days and sticker it up. Your right about sawing now, that way it will have a start on the drying process. Also, would you saw 4x4 over about a half inch to allow for drying and twist? bg

Tom

Nothing allows for twist. 

1 5/8 should cover most cupping problems.  That would be the worse defect you get.

The wider the board, the thicker you will have to cut it to plane out cup. 

You may be better off gluing up 4" legs.  Usually Rift sawed is used for legs, and that is prone to twist, as well as checking.  If you dare to try it, cut the 4' legs to 5" rough.

Try to keep in mind that the shop tools, like the planer, have to work pretty hard to take off large amounts of wood.  It's best to spend your time properly sawing and drying it.

Bill Gaiche

Thanks Tom, I will keep those ideas in mind. I am going to try and saw quatersawn for the top. have not sawed any before, so I hope that I dont screw up some good wood doing that. Hopefully all things will work out correctly. bg

Magicman

I've sawed specialty timbers and mantels for several homes.  They were sawed at least an inch oversize.  A year later, back to the mill they went to take the twist or cup out.  Measured, clamped, and take a skim off.  Rotate 180° and square it up.  Rotate 90° and work the other faces out.

I have not had a customer that wanted a planed finish.

A bit off topic, but I've used the same principle for sawing framing lumber for homes many times.  I saw it all 1 5/8" X a full 12".  Sticker and dry.  When building time comes, back to the mill it goes about 6 at the time.  Take a skim off and then saw the first 2X6 or two 2X4's.  Rotate 180°, and make the final cut.  The lumber will be truer than "store bought".
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

Bill Gaiche

Sounds good MM. Would you resaw the lumber after going through kiln or before? bg

Magicman

There may be valid reasons for "after", but I've always been asked to do it "before".  It comes off of the sticker stack, is sawed to their dimension, and then loaded onto the trailer going to the kiln.  I've seen a few finished products in the finished homes, but never when it arrived back from the kiln.

I was in an almost finished home last Sunday afternoon that is loaded with exposed cypress beams, and I didn't have a camera.   :-\  I didn't resaw/resize any of them and I don't think that they went to a kiln. 

Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

ARKANSAWYER

 Well I do not know how far it is from where you are at in OK but I am in Flippin Arkansas and have a kiln.
ARKANSAWYER

Bill Gaiche

Thanks guys for the replys. I believe you have got me headed in the right direction. bg

planerofwood

Have lurked here quite awhile and have really enjoyed and learned from the posts over the years. I really couldn't resist making my first post here.
There is really some good advice in this thread. I have planed a lot of lumber from portable sawmills and most do a good job, but some claim they can predict shrinkage. It's been my experience that even boards from within the same tree can have different shrinkages. I commend everyone on their methods which is basically the same as what I would reccommend .                                                                                                                I had one customer who had 1 x 12's oak cut
and dried them in a solar kiln, after which he returned them to the sawmill and had one edge
straight lined after turning the bows up. He brought them to me and we made oak
v-groove from them that was straight enough to fit together without a hassel.
     

SwampDonkey

Predicting wood shrinkage is like predicting the weather. ;D ;)

But you can use methods to try and minimize the defect from it.

Welcome to the Forum.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

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2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Bill Gaiche

Welcome planerofwood, Hope to see more of your experiences and maybe some photos of what your intrest are. bg

Buck

I too resaw after drying.  I like my lumber much better that way.  Time consuming but worth it.
Respect is earned. Honesty is appreciated. Trust is gained. Loyalty is returned.

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Magicman

Welcome "planerofwood" to the Forestry Forum.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your operation.  South Central Mississippi is a small area.  Sounds like you are close.   ;)
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

planerofwood

Thanks for the Welcome, SwampDonk, Bill, and Magicman. I am Located about 60 miles east of Brookhaven in Marion County. I have been planing lumber about the last 20 years and previously was sawfiling and millwrighting in the family circle mill. Started
toting lumber at 13 during summer breaks.

I have pictures of some bead board that we ran today, but will have to wait to post
em when my kids get here. You see, I'm technology challenged and haven't
graduated to that level yet. But yes, I like pictures too!

Magicman, I really like the way you saw framing lumber: eliminates the need to plane.
Some mills like to cut everything an eight to a quarter over and let it shrink. Very
inaccurate, as I have seen shrinkage as much as a half inch in the kiln.


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