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Planing before drying?

Started by lowpolyjoe, November 26, 2012, 02:31:58 PM

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Tom L

Quote from: lowpolyjoe on November 26, 2012, 10:44:12 PM
Oh - and my boards are very short so when it comes time to plane them i should be fine with a homeowner's grade planer.  I'm talking 6 to 7 feet.

if you want to throw the logs in your pickup, I will mill them for you. located in South brunswick

mill is set up in my driveway now, not too far of a drive.

lowpolyjoe

That's a great reference, thanks Tree Feller  (and Gene).  I'll definitely read through that.

Thanks for the offer Tom - i've come to find there are a lot of very generous people on this forum.  As it turns out, i don't have a pickup  :-[    I have a Honda Element at my disposal, but i don't think i could get the remaining logs in there without a serious struggle.  I've got a new bar and chain to try out this weekend and i'm going to adjust my technique a bit and see how it goes.  Really appreciate the offer though  :)   

My dad was curious how the process would work so I might have him stop by and make a day of it this weekend.   I'm sure to destroy a fair amount of the lumber but sometimes it just feels good to get your hands dirty and learn something the hard way 8)




jueston

Quote from: lowpolyjoe on November 27, 2012, 02:37:49 PM
sometimes it just feels good to get your hands dirty and learn something the hard way 8)

thats how i have learned just about everything i know....

it didn't matter how many times my mom told me that stove top was hot, i just had to find out for myself....

WDH

SD,

Once wood has air dried to equilibrium with the environment, I am not sure that additional years of remaining in the air drying stacks helps the 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

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

The only wood that benefits for longer air drying is white oak intended for wine barrels.  The rain in air drying seems to "wash out" the tannins...supposition.   In any case, the wood begins to smell like vanilla after two years.  This aroma enhances the flavor of wine.
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

Okrafarmer

I got my sawmill start by attaching a bracket device to my chainsaw bar and milling out some crude boards. That was about 7 years ago. I just sold one of the cherry boards from that enterprise a few weeks ago.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

SwampDonkey

I do it for 3 years to be reasonably sure. We can debate the duration this takes until the cows come home. But before that begins I have no moisture meter, neither did the old timers. ;D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

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)))

WDH

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

Dodgy Loner

I have one and don't use it. I just dry for a reasonable length of time and build to accomodate movement.
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

Any idiot can write a woodworking blog. Here's mine.

SwampDonkey

I hate having to buy something every time I turn around to do something.  In my case, it would be a novelty because I just build for myself and in no rush. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

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)))

WDH

Quote from: Dodgy Loner on November 28, 2012, 09:05:56 AM
build to accomodate movement.

That is smart.  That alleviates a lot of issues.  I do exactly the same thing.
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

5quarter

Gene...I can't believe you ratted out the chicken!  ;)
What is this leisure time of which you speak?
Blue Harbor Refinishing

harrymontana

Dear Joe
the question is: Can i run the green boards through a planer like that to even them out and reduce the thickness to speed up drying?

This is actually what the Chinese do when we sell then S2S boards. This is how it works:
1) Chinese buy S2S (2 sides molded, 1 or 1,5mm each side) boards from us
2) they Kiln dry these boards
3) they make flooring from it
4) with Chinese subsidies OUR flooring is cheaper from China then straight from South America (ipe, brazilian redwood etc) and goes to the USA.

So yes you can do this, however::
If your would is unstable we recommend to dry first and then mold out all the warps etc. It is just a matter of gaining here and loosing there. You try both ways and see what gives you the best yield (it is a trade off; speed vs less defect boards)

Good luck,
Harry
everything on hardwood

lowpolyjoe

Thanks Harry.  I'm currently drying my boards outside my house. I'm hoping to put together a planing jig for my router since I have no access to an industrial planer.  Haven't had a chance yet but I plan to try to planing a few sooner and a few later.   See what happens

Thanks for the advice. 
Joe

Bru

Joe:
You may want to add a site callled owwm.org to your list of places to visit and possibly join.  There are a lot of pro woodworkers on there, and a bunch of experts on rescuing, rebuilding, and using old American-made woodworking machinery--much of which is picked up cheap from c'list, garage sales, or the junkyards.
There are also sub-forums for sale or wanted items of woodworking equipment or parts.  It sounds like you're serious about woodworking, but have limited budget like many of us. You'll be amazed what's there once you learn how to watch for it on the street or at the dumpsters. For example, I got a nice rusty 1930s Craftssman drill press free and with a lot of info from owwm, some elbow grease, and about $8 in new bearings, I had a solid, accurate drill press a whole lot better than the new asian imports.   I have a 16" Powermatic planer which is about the same age as I am in the works; when it's done, I'll probably have less that $700 in a machine which would cost several thou new today. Not braggin'--just giving you examples of what's possible.

lowpolyjoe

Thanks Bru.   Maybe i'll have a look around that forum and keep an eye out on craigslist.  Unfortunately, my track record with fixing stuff up is not that spectacular  :D   I was recently complaining in another thread that someone gave me a busted $200 power washer, i spent $100 on tools and materials to try to fix it, and just recently threw it in the trash after several failures  >:(   

Guess i'm just not that mechanically gifted.  Certainly like the learning experience, but coming out the other side with a pile of junk that still doesn't work can be depressing  :(

SwampDonkey

The Chinese are big supporters of throw away and cheap I figure. That means your always buying again to replace the last piece of junk they sold ya. They really have mastered it especially in North America. :D
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

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)))

lowpolyjoe

Quote from: SwampDonkey on January 16, 2013, 05:20:38 AM
The Chinese are big supporters of throw away and cheap I figure. That means your always buying again to replace the last piece of junk they sold ya. They really have mastered it especially in North America. :D

It is sad how much junk is bought and thrown away in the US today :(

I try not to be part of the problem - i keep all the junk i buy :)   That is, until i decide there is absolutely no way i can get any further use out of it.  I'm slowly coming around to the concept that buying cheap tools often isn't worth it.  Problem is i have such little time to spend on my woodworking projects, it's sometimes hard to justify the expense of the quality products.  Looking for quality used items is probably the way to go, i just don't have the knowledge yet to know what to look for.

My birthday is this week and my wife has been going on about what an awesome gift she got me this year.  I can only hope it's some sort of tool :)

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