Local Pine Tree Farm's generosity !!!!!

[eddiebo]

 In my many local travels, I passed a local tree farm with 50 or so standing dead pines from the drought here, and talked to the elderly gent at the gate about harvesting them. He was generous enough to not only give me the trees, but will help load the logs with his front end loader. I told him I could fell, and buck maybe 3 per day, and he added that that is about all he could stand me to cut per day in this Texas heat.  8). Thank u GOD !!! I plan to start on monday. The trees havent been gone long, so there is bound to be lots of good lumber in them. Is this wood going to last after sawing 2x4, and 2x6's in a drying shed until I start building next year?????? That is my question, after sharing the excitement.

[Ianab]

Sounds like a good deal.

The pine will last indefinitely once you get it sawn, dry and out of the weather. In log form it will stain, get eaten by bugs or rot, but once sawn and dry it's safe to store in the shed as long as you need. Just get it onto those stickers so the air can get at it and dry it out.

Ian

[eddiebo]

I have a shed design in mind that will let air flow through the shed without rain getting in. Can I go straight to the shed once I saw it, or do I need to air dry outside? My shed design will be made from cedar slabs standing vertical spaced 5 inches apart then screw 1x4's across the slabs spaced 3 ft apart, and screw slabs to that over 5 inch spaces. similar to board and batten but with 1 inch space between 1st layer and second to allow air to enter the sides. Will this work, or are there plans here that are better?

[Ianab]

If your shed is open to the breeze, then it will be fine for drying. Main thing is that breeze being able to blow through the stack and carry the water away. Closed shed + wet wood = mushroom farm.

I'd be thinking more along the lines of a carport than a shed. Heck some guys just sit a roof on top of the stack.

Once you get it dry, below 20%, then it doesn't matter so much, and once it's fully dry it can be flat stacked without stickers to save space.

[eddiebo]

Thanks . Central Texas winters are very wet. Open side cover all winter long ?

[WDH]

If the shed is enclosed or restricts air flow, you lumber will mildew, mold and turn black.  The shed should be open on all sides for best results.  Otherwise, you are better off building a temporary roof over the stack.  Do not cover the sides of the stack.

[drobertson]

I have cut dead pine, three year old pine, just old dead pine, cut it strip it cover it with metal, boards or anything. keep the sun off it, it will grey over warp a bit but better than beatle food. Big bundles, keep the weight on it with plenty of air. Should be no worries, there will always be some waste.

[thecfarm]

Certain width of your piles work better too. I TRY to keep mine around 6 feet wide. I have some ash to dry,I hope, and I will keep them about 4 feet wide.

[WDH]

My experience is the same as Ray's.  Wide stacks = mold, mildew, stain, and black lumber without perfect air flow, especially in this Georgia heat and humidity.

[slider]

4 ft for me and circulation ,like danny said mold is coming  if you have high humidity.i bleach one side if it's nice wood.lately i have putting a big fan on mine for a few days to get it past that stage.  al

[thecfarm]

By the way,don't even think of putting a tarp on it. Mine will be covered with some old tin roofing.

[kderby]

Welcome Eddiebo,

Cool adventure in Hot Texas!  Sounds like the old timer can be a good resource as well.

On the pine, I find if the needles are still on the tree, recovery is quite good.  Otherwise slab hard and you will be fine.  You are building a shed and not a piano?  If these are for a residence, I would be cautious.  The 2x6 and 2x4 are certainly good dimensions and you will have plenty of utility lumber.

You will get a lot of waste.  That is OK.  Let it go.

Modern "kiln dry" lumber is dried to 18 percent because that is below the moisture needed by mold/mildew.  Most air dry lumber is at twelve percent.  Furniture lumber can be down to eight percent moisture content by weight.  From dead logs to stickered lumber you will be stacking this material in the storage shed before you know it.

kderby 8)

[WDH]

It will dry very fast.

[Magicman]

You will be fine with the quality of the lumber from those trees.  Probably 75%+ of my sawing business is drought, lightning, and beetle killed SYP.  The landowner is simply salvaging something that the local commercial sawmills will not buy.

[eddiebo]

I feel so much better, and want to thank each and every one for input. Covered shed with open sides it is, but have to ask again about wet winter. I am going to start on that open shed next week. Thanks again, and tell me more PLEEEEZE!!!!!

[Ianab]

Once it's dry, which might only take 3 months in the warm weather, then you can enclose the shed and keep the rain off.

But while it's still green, the airflow is more important. A bit of rain will quickly dry off and cause less problems than trying to dry without enough air flow.

Ian

[Magicman]

If it will be stored very long, I would spray if for PPB's.

[hamptonlawyer]

What chemical would you recommend to spray for PPB, MM?

[WDH]

The wet winter won't pose a big issue.  Even though the humidity might be high, the heat will not be, and that is what sets off the mold, mildew, fungus, bugs, etc.  The open shed will be perfect.

[eddiebo]

The wet winter weather was my biggest concern. The lumber on the outside of the stacks getting wet over again was a concern if the rain last for any extended periods. This is Texas, and that means it is extremely dry or extremely wet. It is always a coin toss here.. Im going to get this open shed done before milling all those standing dead pines. Good thing is that I have the metal and post for constructing this shed from the barn tear down I just completed. So blessed.

[WDH]

The wetting from the wind blown spray of rain under the shed will only impact a tiny fraction of the surface of the lumber, and it will dry away very quickly. 

We will require a picture  ;D.

[metalspinner]

Extended overhangs will help keep the rain and sunshine away for the stacks.

[Beavertooth]

Put a layer of plastic under you lumber before you start stacking and it will dry a whole lot faster and stay dry a lot better. If you don't you will always have the moisture coming out of the ground affecting it. If you don't spray it for ppb's it's a good chance they will get in it at anytime even after building anything with it.
                                               

[WDH]

Down here, powderpost beetles only infest hardwood.  They don't bother the southern yellow pine lumber. 

[paul case]

This is how one local to me pallet company does it.



  

 

They move those little roofs' around with the forklift. PC