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A question about stickers

Started by Kingcha, September 10, 2013, 10:12:05 PM

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Kingcha

I have the need to make more stickers.   I have 4 small pine logs that I thought I would use.  My plan is to cut 1" thick boards then dry them in the solar kiln down to about 8% then I will re-saw them to 1" or maybe 1-1/8" stickers.   I would assume that they will dry down to about 7/8" or less which would then be the width of them. 

Any thoughts, when I started out I just bought store bought 1x and ripped them and since then have just used some scrape?

Thanks
Matt
only 40 day left  :(
a Wood-mizer LT15 10hp Electric, 45hp Kioti tractor, electric smoker, wood-fired brick oven & yes a custom built Solar Kiln

mesquite buckeye

If you just cut them out 1" green they should all end up to close to the same size. ;D More easier.
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

red oaks lumber

saw them into boards, dry them , plane to 3/4 and resaw 1"  wide :) finished lumber is only as good as your stickers and how you sticker your lumber.
the experts think i do things wrong
over 18 million b.f. processed and 7341 happy customers i disagree

Kingcha

I do not have a planer(yet).   Maybe I should put them on my table saw after drying for a smoother finish.   I was thinking about 1" just for the better air flow. 

Matt
a Wood-mizer LT15 10hp Electric, 45hp Kioti tractor, electric smoker, wood-fired brick oven & yes a custom built Solar Kiln

mesquite buckeye

Don't know what equipment you have, but my woodmizer w/accuset cuts them pretty acurately. Of course, we are so dry we can use them green with no problems. Stickers stay straight, wood stays straight. ;D
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

schmism

I thought you wanted them sq so you didnt have to worry about orienting them the correct way.    Ive always seen them sawn green and imidiatly used
039 Stihl 010AV  NH TC33D FEL, with toys

kelLOGg

I air dry with freshly cut green stickers and use dried stickers for finishing off in the kiln.
Bob
Cook's MP-32, 20HP, 20' (modified w/ power feed, up/down, loader/turner)
DH kiln, CatClaw setter and sharpener, tandem trailer, log arch, tractor, thumb tacks

Kingcha

I guess I should have asked.......is it better to just cut them before drying them or dry then cut.   Buckeye I have a wm lt15.

Thanks
Matt
a Wood-mizer LT15 10hp Electric, 45hp Kioti tractor, electric smoker, wood-fired brick oven & yes a custom built Solar Kiln

WDH

I dry the pine boards and then cut out the stickers.  You can cut them green and stack them in layers to dry, but you will end up with more loss in crooked stickers that way.  A 1" wide piece of wood is harder to dry straight than a 6" wide piece of wood in my experience. 
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

Kingcha

Thanks WDH that's sort of what is was thinking.  I made some 2x2 this spring and they even tended to go crooked.

matt
a Wood-mizer LT15 10hp Electric, 45hp Kioti tractor, electric smoker, wood-fired brick oven & yes a custom built Solar Kiln

GeneWengert-WoodDoc

For hardwoods, just about everyone uses 3/4" thick (high) stickers.  The size is a dry size.  The width needs to be enough over 3/4" so there is no confusion on which is the height and which is the width.  In a few cases, I have seen sticks that have rounded edges so they fall over to the correct face if put on edge.  Most people like a dense wood, as this is stronger and resists breaking.  A little bit of warp can be tolerated, especially if stickers are spaced closer than 24".  At 12", warp and somewhat erratic spacing will not increase warp.  Probably 50% of all stickers are grooved lengthwise to encourage drying under the sticker.

For softwoods, when in a fast drying kiln, stickers are often 1".

When making your own stickers, compare the cost to buying 1x2 softwood pieces (3/4" x 1-1/2" actual).
Gene - Author of articles in Sawmill & Woodlot and books: Drying Hardwood Lumber; VA Tech Solar Kiln; Sawing Edging & Trimming Hardwood Lumber. And more

SPIKER

Does anyone use OSB or Plywood for these?   I JUST got my first load of lumber back out of the mill (mostly all dead standing and or dead for a few years trees out of the woods.   I DONT have stickers I had asked them to make some off the top of the dead elms but they sawed all flat (no stickers.)   So now I ahve a trailer of wood in yard and no stickers.   Was thinking of buying some 1x and splitting that up but I have a few old sheets of OSB that was left over one sheet is split off any how and 3 or 4 4'x4' sized I can cut for stickers.   it is the outside wet/water resistant OSB and most likely only needed for this load at this time.

thanks

Mark
I'm looking for help all the shrinks have given up on me :o

beenthere

For sure, in a pinch and as long as you can get the thickness between layers for good drying, the OSB should do just fine.
What is the intended use of the first load of lumber?  Furniture? Or..?
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

YellowHammer

I saw my stickers from dry boards to 7/8" then plane to 3/4."  Since you don't have a planer, just go slow when resawing and make sure they are all cut flat and uniform, and not dipping at the knots.  Do whatever you need to make sure they are a uniform height.  "Sloppy stickers make sloppy lumber"
YH
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

drobertson

Mine are from 1-1/8" stock,  knots anywhere in the sticker is a warp factor,  dry, air dry will work fine, does not take long to get a good sticker. the mill or edger should be fine for this. planning is fine,, just more work and time.   david
only have a few chain saws I'm not suppose to use, but will at times, one dog Dolly, pretty good dog, just not sure what for yet,  working on getting the gardening back in order, and kinda thinking on maybe a small bbq bizz,  thinking about it,

SAnVA

I make my strips or stickers when I edge my boards, I saw them 1" and use them green, the lumber is green so why shouldn't the strips be green, never been a problem for me. Cut them 1' and there is no wrong side.

SPIKER

Beenthere,

The Slippery Elm is going to re-deck some of my bridge where old boards are warped/twisted and lose or broken.   Some also for a HD bench top in the barn.   The rest is just extra for now Trim or maybe Flooring?   I have to invest in more TOOLS now & that is just terrible, need a table saw and planner 8) :D.

Mark
I'm looking for help all the shrinks have given up on me :o

Kingcha

Well I do thank all for the input.   I think I am going with milling some 1 x's and kiln drying them and then re-sawing.     

matt
a Wood-mizer LT15 10hp Electric, 45hp Kioti tractor, electric smoker, wood-fired brick oven & yes a custom built Solar Kiln

mesquite buckeye

Quote from: SAnVA on September 11, 2013, 10:58:42 PM
I make my strips or stickers when I edge my boards, I saw them 1" and use them green, the lumber is green so why shouldn't the strips be green, never been a problem for me. Cut them 1' and there is no wrong side.
That's exactly what I do. Uses up what would be waste otherwise, so you get more lumber. I cut mine 50-52" to make a 4 ft wide stack. If I am short on stickers, I use overlapping short stickers. Works fine for me, I don't get any staining. If you are well ventilated and under a roof, staining is less.
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

WDH

I have had sticker stain in maple, poplar, and red oak.  I hate it.  I will do everything to avoid it.  Green stickers are risky.  It is good to be lucky, but luck is not a reliable process.  Of course, not everyone has the Georgia heat, humidity, and rattlesnakes  :).  In that sense, they are lucky.
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

JSwigga

We use 1 x 1 poplar stickers.  We haven't had any problems with sticker stain with green or dry stickers. 
60" Lucas Dedicated Slabber, TimberKing 2200 , 5 ton Nissan forklift, John Deere FEL

AnthonyW

Why is there a problem with using green stickers?

I don't have any wood on hand to make stickers other than what I sawed. I don't have a kiln (yet), so all I have on hand is stickers I made when I edged the boards.
'97 Wood-Mizer LT25 All Manual with 15HP Kohler

mesquite buckeye

It is a wet wood against wet wood issue, especially with easily stained woods. If your ventilation is adequate and your humidity not too high, not so big of a deal. I often use new, wet stickers in MO without an issue, but the ventilation is good. ;D
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

AnthonyW

The stack is sitting on pallets which sits on a double layer of plastic. With the stack so short, the ends are open but not the sides. I have three more logs to mill. As the height of the stack goes up, the sides will open. I still need to figure out how to finish or top of the stack. I know I need some weight, so I am thinking of trying to find some cheap chipped or cull cinder blocks. How much space does there need to be between the top green layer and the cover?
'97 Wood-Mizer LT25 All Manual with 15HP Kohler

mesquite buckeye

Enough so the air can get in between.
Manage 80 acre tree farm in central Missouri and Mesquite timber and about a gozillion saguaros in Arizona.

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