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Storing kiln dried lumber

Started by jdtuttle, January 12, 2012, 07:51:57 AM

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jdtuttle

I have a small 800bf sauno kiln & am running out of room in my shop to store lumber & be able to work. I was thinking about adding a lean-to to my shop & placing some glass on the south side wall for solar gain. I may add thermostatically    controlled fans too. I want to try to keep the MC as low as possible. How do you guys store dry lumber?  ???
Jim 
Have a great day

pineywoods

I just leave it in the solar kiln until I need it for some project... ;D
1995 Wood Mizer LT 40, Liquid cooled kawasaki,homebuilt hydraulics. Homebuilt solar dry kiln.  Woodmaster 718 planner, Kubota M4700 with homemade forks and winch, stihl  028, 029, Ms390
100k bd ft club.Charter member of The Grumpy old Men

DR_Buck


I have two insulated sea containers.  I keep a small portable home dehumidifier in each one.
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

jdtuttle

QuoteI keep a small portable home dehumidifier in each one
Any other fans or ventilation?
Thanks,
Have a great day

Al_Smith

Is all that neccessary ? From what I've see most mills in this area just resticker the lumber and store it in lumber sheds after it comes out of the kiln .

Norm

Jim, Wengert over on WW said that if you kept the inside temp of your storage shed warmer than the morning temp outside moisture gain would be negligible. I've never put it to test but always thought a small electric heater would work. I still think a solar kiln is the cheapest way to go.

DR_Buck

Quote from: jdtuttle on January 15, 2012, 08:20:01 AM
QuoteI keep a small portable home dehumidifier in each one
Any other fans or ventilation?
Thanks,

No fans or ventilation.  The fans in the dehumidifiers move the air constantly.  I haven't found it necessary to add more fans and don't want ventalation as it would defeat the purpose of the dehumidifiers.  The lumber is flat stacked and not stickered.  The dehumidifiers are preset at 30% RH so they cycle on and off automaticaly as needed.  They also put out enough heat to keep the storage boxes slightly warm.  Any water collected by the dehumidifiers is pumped out through a small drain line.
Been there, done that.   Never got caught [/b]
Retired and not doing much anymore and still not getting caught

Al_Smith

As a disclaimer I'm far from a lumber expert .

However a few years back before my present day supply of hardwoods had dried sufficiently  I purchased several hundred board feet of kiln dried red oak ,number 1 and F and s .

After my cabinet making project was over the remainder was stored right along side my air dried other lumber and as far as I know it never rehydrated .What few bits of it I later used seemed fine,no bend ,warp nothing ,didn't change shapes after a few trim pieces were made out of  it .

I think something like 12 percent moisture content is what is termed as stabilizing  meaning for all intents it won't take on rehydration . Now I've been wrong before so don't take that as Gospel . ;)

Of course if it were a barrel or a boat that probably would not apply .

Ianab

QuoteI think something like 12 percent moisture content is what is termed as stabilizing  meaning for all intents it won't take on rehydration . Now I've been wrong before so don't take that as Gospel .

Depends on you local climate.

If you live in the desert it might be 6%, if you live in the Rain Forest it might be 16%.

It mostly depends in the relative humidity that the wood is stored in. In a climate controlled house the equilibrium tends to be about 8%. Any wood will naturally tend to drift towards the natural equilibrium of the air around it. Hence the suggestion of using a de-humidifier or some sort of heating to keep the relative humidity lower in the storage container. Likewise you don't want to vent it, and don't really need fans. The idea is that you DON"T want moisture coming in or out. You just want the wood to stay how it is. Heck you could wrap it in plastic if you wanted.

So if you put 6% kiln dried wood and 15% air dried wood in a shed together and leave them alone, both will drift towards the local equilibrium, be that 10%, 14% or whatever. It's also likely to change with the seasons.

Having wood change from 12% to 8% wont cause it to do anything crazy, but there WILL be small but measurable movement in the wood, depending on species and grain direction. If the wood is uneven grain (like around knots) it can warp and twist a bit more though.

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

Al_Smith

Some knots are neat as they add somewhat of character to a piece of workmanship .Big ones are pretty much a show stopper .

Besides  that they make a nasty racket going through a planer . A tad tough on the knives also .

Den Socling

In case you haven't thought about "equilibrium" or more accurately equilibrium moisture content (EMC), here's a brief explanation. At EMC, there is an equal number of water molecules entering the wood as there are molecules leaving the wood. So think how slow the process has to be. If you put very dry wood in a location with high humidity, molecules will be sticking to the surface faster than molecules leaving. After they stick, they have to move into the wood to make room for more. So it's a slow process.

OneWithWood

I am having the same problem with wood taking up shop space.  About a month ago I built a lean-to on the south side of the barn and covered it with 6mil plastic sheeting (old cover for the greenhouse).  It is now full of red oak and hard maple. 
I just took a load of 8/4 aspen out of the kiln that needs to move so I can put some 4/4 tulip on the kiln carts.  The aspen will be milled further int 2x construction lumber at some point.  I dried it to 10%.  I can get used lumber wrap from the local Menard's for free so I am going to dead stack it, wrap it and place in on some cants ontop of the old hay wagon until I need it.  The EMC will problably settle in at 12%.
One With Wood
LT40HDG25, Woodmizer DH4000 Kiln

WDH

Robert,

Most SYP construction lumber in the South is kiln dried to 17% - 19%, so you should be fine with that strategy.  It will be drier and more stable than anyone else's construction lumber!
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

jdtuttle

Thanks for all the replies & great information. Looks like I'll do the same as OneWithWood did & build a lean-to on the south side of the shop.
jim
Have a great day

YellowHammer

How do you like the sauno? I almost bought one but then read mixed reviews, so am looking for info from somebody who actually owns one. I'd like to hear your opinion.
Thanks,
YellowHammer
YellowHammerisms:

Take steps to save steps.

If it won't roll, its not a log; it's still a tree.  Sawmills cut logs, not trees.

Kiln drying wood: When the cookies are burned, they're burned, and you can't fix them.

Sawing is fun for the first couple million boards.

Be smarter than the sawdust

jdtuttle

QuoteHow do you like the sauno
I like the sauno. Just finished a load (700BF) of mixed oak & locust. Took it down to 6%. When I built my chamber I added more insulation than their plans called for. If your looking for more than 1000bf per load go with a nyle. I'm adding a nyle L200 this spring but will use the sauno for small loads.
jim
Have a great day

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